Working Hours:Â 37 hours per week
Salary: £69,687 – £75,982 per annum
Location:Â The role will be based between Service Headquarters (Kelvedon Park) and home, with a requirement to travel to all Service locations across the county as required to perform the duties of the role
*We are open to discuss working arrangements including flexibility over hours and location
The Role
This is a new role for the Service, and will take responsibility for all estate, fleet and equipment strategic asset management planning and delivery activities across Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS) property estate.
This includes leading on the strategic planning of valuable assets within the context of the Service’s Fire & Rescue Plan to ensure the property estate and fleet function is aligned with the priorities and commitments set out to keep the Essex communities safe and deliver a better service.
The Assistant Director – Strategic Asset Management will be vital to ensuring we continue to provide the facilities, fleet and equipment required for a modern and high-performing emergency service.
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS) is one of the largest fire and rescue services in the country, serving a county with a wide variety of risks.? The Service is governed by Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority (EPFCC). The EPFCC Fire and Rescue Authority is responsible for fire and rescue services covering an area over 1,400 square miles and a population of over 1.8 million.?
The Service has 50 fire stations across the County – 12 of which are wholetime, and we employ just over 1400 people across operations, control room and support staff. ?Our headquarters is just off the A12 near Witham in Essex.?
Key responsibilities
The successful candidate will:
-> Oversee the development and implementation of strategies and business plans for asset functions in conjunction with organisational goals and strategic objectives.
-> Oversee the delivery of capital projects within the remit and responsibilities of the estates function utilising internal and external multi-disciplinary professional support.
-> Oversee and be responsible for capital and revenue budgets across areas of departmental responsibility, including the capital provision, to support estates development and our fleet ambitions.
-> Direct and oversee the development and implementation of policy, procedures and service level agreements for the Assets functions.
-> Effectively manage and ensure high performance and Fleet provision, including leveraging partnership arrangements
-> Oversee the Service’s environmental sustainability ambitions and actions related to Estates and Fleet.
-> Maintain skilled and motivated teams across the function including technical competencies and qualifications where necessary.
-> Direct as necessary the implementation of commercial contracts in the supply of goods, works and services; ensuring value for money is achieved on behalf of the Service and conformity to relevant legislation and policy directives
-> Ensure that the areas of responsibility support and contribute to the achievement of the stated objectives of the Fire Authority and its Committees. This will include providing information and professional advice to elected Members and preparing and presenting reports.
-> Contribute effectively to the corporate objectives of the Service and take on projects and responsibilities as determined by the Service Leadership Team.
What Are We Looking For?
The right person will be a natural collaborator, able to demonstrate inclusive behaviours with excellent stakeholder management, and with a track record of positively leading and developing high-performing teams.
You will provide authentic and visible leadership, alongside being a credible contributor to wider organisational issues, with a focus on continuous improvement. You will have a track-record of successful resource and people management and be the right person to refocus a business area, while future-proofing and creating and implementing a vision for the future.
Eligibility
To be eligible for this role, you must be able to evidence:
-> Ability to cultivate effective relationships with a wide range of key stakeholders based on trust and mutual respect
-> Strong performance focus and commitment to improving service delivery and customer experiences
-> Experience in a Senior Management position with accountability for the delivery of Estates and Facilities services and/or Capital project delivery in an estate setting
-> Evidence of effective management of large budgets and contracts to ensure effective and efficient use of resources.
-> Demonstrable ability to lead, motivate and develop a team of professionals, and manage operations to ensure delivery to defined performance standards and demonstrating value for money
-> A qualified member of an appropriate property related institution with extensive management experience in a property related field or equivalent experience within a similar function.
-> Associate member or above of a recognised professional road transport institution or equivalent experience within this industry
How to applyÂ
You are required to submit a CV accompanied by a supporting statement of no more than 1000 words detailing how you meet the essential criteria for the role via our online application system.
It is important that you provide as much evidence as possible as to how you meet the essential criteria of the person specification as this statement will be used to shortlist your application. Please ensure you have uploaded the supporting statement before clicking Apply.
Closing date for applications: 5pm, Monday 30 October 2023
Assessment and selectionÂ
Candidates for shortlisting may also be contacted for a short conversation (by phone or virtual meeting) about your eligibility.
Candidates who are successfully shortlisted will be invited to deliver a presentation (the title of which will be confirmed to the successful candidates) on your leadership, values and ethics.
Shortlisted candidates will be required to attend a panel interview assessment. Should further assessments be required, the candidates involved will be advised in good time to enable appropriate preparation.
ECFRS’ uses positive indicators taken from our Code of Ethics and the NFCC Leadership Framework.
You can see the NFCC Leadership Framework here: NFCC Leadership Framework (nationalfirechiefs.org.uk)
And guidance around the Code of Ethics here:
Core Code of Ethics England Guidance May 21 VO.pdf (ukfrs.com)
Should you wish to have an informal discussion with regards to the role, please contact Karl Edwards, Director of Corporate Services on 07585 898993 or karl.edwards@essex-fire.gov.uk)
Our Culture and Benefits
Here at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service we are committed to prioritising and promoting the wellbeing of our employees.
You can find out more about our benefits at https://join.essex-fire.gov.uk/jobs/benefits/
Disability Confident:
We are an equal opportunities, Disability Confident, employer who welcomes applications from everyone and values diversity in our workplace. A commitment to promoting diversity and developing a work environment where all staff are treated with dignity and respect is central to our recruitment process and all applications will be considered solely on merit.
As part of our offer to support all our candidates to perform to the best of their abilities during our recruitment and selection processes and we would like to let you know about a couple of support options you can access, should you wish to, including our employee forums, who are keen and willing to support all of our potential colleagues.
Our employee forums and partners include:
Asian Fire Services Association (AFSA), BEING (our LGBTQ+ employee support network), Christian Fellowship, Ethnic Minority Forum, Men’s Forum, and our Women’s Forum. In addition, we also have a female firefighters operational group.
Further to the above, the Service has a Digital Accessibility Inclusion Group (DAIG) that supports all colleagues to improve their digital skills and provides additional support and guidance to colleagues with neurodivergent strengths and struggles as a result of dyslexia, ADHD, Autism, dyspraxia etc. We want everyone to thrive at work, and so we encourage and enable people to access digital tools to help them perform at your best. The DAIG is a group of colleagues from across the Service that unite to support others as a result of their lived experience and desire to make a difference. They support people with a range of visible and invisible disabilities to identify and access digital workplace adjustments and solutions and may be able to assist with your application too.
Should you wish to discuss support, or access further information, from one of these groups, please contact Equality.Diversity@essex-fire.gov.uk
You are also able to raise any queries or requests for support, including any adjustments you may require, at any stage of the process by email to recruitment@essex-fire.gov.uk
You can find out more about Essex County Fire & Rescue Service via www.essex-fire.gov.uk and about our vacancies, application processes and benefits via https://join.essex-fire.gov.uk
Safeguarding
Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.
It is our policy to require all applicants for employment to disclose if you are currently being investigated by any regulatory body or have any decisions or sanctions pending or in progress in respect of your suitability to work for the Service.
You agree to inform the Service within 24 hours if you are subsequently investigated by any agency or organisation in relation to concerns about your behaviour towards children, young people or vulnerable adults.
The information you provide will be treated as strictly confidential and will be considered only in relation to the appointment for which you are applying.
This role maybe subject to a standard/enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.