Inter Service Transferability 2026 – Crew Manager and Watch Manager
Crew Manager Salary (Basic Annual) from July 2025: Competent £43,104
Watch Manager Salary (Basic Annual) from July 2025: Competent £48,202
We are seeking competent skilled Crew Managers and Watch Managers to join our wholetime establishment. If you are currently serving as a Wholetime or On-Call Crew Manager or Watch Manager, you are invited to apply to transfer into Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service and become part of a team dedicated to keeping our communities safe.
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is a forward-looking organisation that provides effective, high quality and value for money services. We are proud of our professional, talented and diverse workforce, whose commitment underpins everything we do.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join an organisation that is passionate about changing and saving lives.
Our Service is committed to upholding our code of ethics and embraces its five ethical principles as the foundation for promoting positive behaviours and challenging inappropriate conduct. We are equally committed to building a workforce that reflects the communities we serve and actively encourage applications from underrepresented groups.
The roles
We are looking for competent, high calibre candidates who demonstrate strong ethical values and a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. You will play an important role in driving continuous improvement and promoting organisational excellence.
In addition to responding to a wide range of incidents, you will contribute to Prevention & Protection activities, helping to ensure that residents and businesses across our diverse communities are safe and well.
You must be an excellent team player, committed to maintaining high levels of operational competence and continued professional development. You will also be a confident communicator with a passion for promoting community safety, education and prevention as a key part of your operational role.
DWFRS offers a rewarding and varied career, with opportunities for development and progression. Our counties provide an excellent quality of life, with access to outstanding natural environments and communities in which to live and work.
Station Locations and Vacancies
Our wholetime stations follow different working patterns – please click here to find out further information.
Role Eligibility
To apply for any role, you must:
Crew Manager Eligibility Criteria
Substantive and competent Wholetime or On-Call Crew Manager
Local Authority Fire and Rescue
In date Level 1 Incident Command qualification (will be validated as part of the assessment).
Watch Manager Eligibility Criteria
Substantive and competent Wholetime or On-Call Watch Manager
Local Authority Fire and Rescue
In date Level 1 Incident Command qualification (will be validated as part of the assessment).
Please note that all applicants will be required to provide evidence of being competent and substantive in role. We will also require you to supply a copy of your training records.
Employee Benefits:
We offer a wide range of employee benefits and strive to ensure that staff are valued and rewarded including:
Timescales and Selection Process
The closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 31 May 2026.
Application form which contains an Evidence Statement
This is linked to behaviours outlined in the NFCC Leadership Framework (your responses will need to align to the criteria for the role level you are applying for i.e. Firefighters – Leading Yourself or Crew and Watch Manager – Leading Others)
To be submitted by midnight on Sunday 31 May 2026
Practical and Technical competence assessments (appropriate to role) – During week 29 June – 3 July 2026
Interview and Presentation – 16, 17, 20, and 22 July 2026 at Service Headquarters, Five Rivers Health & Wellbeing Centre, Hulse Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 3NR
Health and Fitness assessment – Thursday 20 August 2026
Candidates will need to be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage in the process. We will be unable to progress your application if you cannot attend or complete all stages of the process.
Please be advised that travel/relocation costs will not be reimbursed.
Any offer of employment will be subject to full pre-employment checks which include identity checks, right to work in the UK, medical, receipt of satisfactory references, verification of employment history and an explanation of any gaps in employment in the last 3 years. A Standard Disclosure & Barring Service Check (DBS) clearance will be undertaken on the successful individual prior to offer of employment. We also require evidence of being competent and substantive in role and will need you to supply a copy of your training records.
This role is covered by the Code of Practice on the English language requirements for public sector workers (Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016). As a firefighter, you will need to speak clearly and confidently with members of the public and give accurate advice in English. Your spoken English will be assessed as part of the selection process.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
We are dedicated to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of our communities and welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances. All applications will be treated on merit and staff involved in recruitment and selection processes undertake unconscious bias training.
We are committed to the Disability Confident Scheme and guarantee an interview to applicants with a disclosed disability if they meet the minimum criteria for the post to which they are applying. Please tell us in confidence if this applies to you, or if there are any reasonable adjustments that would help you apply for this post. To find out more, please see our website.
Keeping in touch
All applicants will be e-mailed throughout the process; therefore, please check your emails regularly. Your email may be found in your Junk mail, so please ensure you check this section of your mailbox as well.
Support
If you need support or accommodations to complete your application please contact us on 01722 691444 within plenty of time of the closing date of the position you are applying for.
Additional Information
Our Candidate Charter outlines the commitments we make to you when applying for a vacancy with us.
Please note we do not accept CV’s in place of application forms.
We welcome the use of AI responsibly and ethically to demonstrate your skills in your application, but please don’t allow it to overshadow your own unique voice.
While we appreciate innovative approaches, we also value authenticity. Our assessment considers both the content of the application and how it was created, ensuring fairness and inclusivity for all applicants. At the end of the day – we want YOU to work for us!
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service’s recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of Adults, Children and Young People. All staff and volunteers are expected to share this commitment.
Values & Behaviours Framework
Our recruitment, assessment and progression processes are based on our Code of Ethics and NFCC Leadership Framework that has been developed specifically for Fire and Rescue Services. When recruiting, we identify the most important behaviours for the role and these are used as part of the shortlisting and selection process.
Here are the links for a comprehensive list of the: