About us:

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) is an organisation with its sights set on the future an organisation that has firmly set itself on a new course for a better future. Our improvement journey is well underway. We are building at pace, with serious intent and enormous drive, and in doing so we are defining a new era for our Service, for the communities we serve and our workforce.

We are the most improved Fire and Rescue Service in England and one of the best performing. We are proud of our most recent HMICFRS report awarded ‘Good’ in 10 of the 11 areas whilst also being recognised in four areas for Positive Practice and two areas for Innovative Practice.

We are currently out to public consultation on our new four-year Fire Plan (Community Risk Management Plan) for the period 2025/2029 it’s a really exciting time to join GMFRS as we finalise our Fire Plan which will serve as the next chapter in our improvement journey to become an outstanding Fire and Rescue Service.

We are one of the largest Fire and Rescue Services outside London, covering an area of approximately 500 square miles and a culturally diverse population of 2.8 million people. Greater Manchester is a vibrant, dynamic and growing city-region and an incredibly exciting and rewarding place to work.

Improving organisational culture remains a top priority for us we have taken a ‘culture first’ approach and under the leadership of our CFO, GMFRS has an unrelenting commitment to fostering cultural change. We have been recognised by Stonewall as culminating in a gold award and ranking the 34th LGBTQ+ inclusive employer in their Top 100 list. Our Rainbow Staff Network also won Stonewall’s Network Group of the Year.

We value the diversity of our employees, and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects our diverse communities across Greater Manchester. We encourage applications from all suitably qualified individuals, irrespective of people's age, disability, Trans status and Non-binary identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We have guidance in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability.

Your role:

We are now looking for our next Station Managers to join our team and support us on our journey to become an outstanding Fire and Rescue Service.

As a Station Manager, you will be integral to the leadership of the organisation, supporting Heads of Service in driving forward a shared vision to make “Greater Manchester one of the best places in the world to grow up, get on and grow old”.

The foundations have been laid for the future of our Service, a Service which is now building at pace, delivering a new era and capable of meeting the challenges of the future and we want you to be part of this journey.

As a Station Manager, you will bring outstanding leadership to our organisation - leadership that encourages new ways of thinking, collaborative working and an inclusive approach to everything we do. You will play a key role in leading teams to deliver against plans which align to our strategic ambitions.

As an organisation, we have been on a journey of change, and you will play a major role in continuing that cultural transformation and doing things differently - whilst understanding our history and heritage.

This role is pivotal in creating a positive, safe and supportive organisational climate ensuring that the values of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service remain fully embedded and visible in everything we do.

You will influence performance, future plans and direction for the organisation and will ensure the continued development of GMFRS.

About you:

We are looking for inspiring, confident, ,talented and high performing individuals to operate successfully within the Station Manager role and bring diverse ideas into an evolving and improving UK FRS.

Candidates should be forward-thinking, innovative, and able to lead, mentor and manage the performance of teams and individuals to achieve organisational objectives. Strong communication, negotiating and influencing skills are essential, and you must demonstrate an ability to embrace change and provide inclusive leadership.

As a Station Manager, you will lead and support operational incidents, plan activities, manage resources, select personnel, and develop teams. You will also drive and manage performance, achieve work objectives, and support decision making.

We welcome applications from both internal and external candidates who have a proven track record of success as acompetent Wholetime Watch Managers or Station Manager within their current service.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Demonstrable competence as a permanent Wholetime Watch Managers or Station Manager within a UK Fire and Rescue Service, specifically a proven track record in planning, managing high performing teams, cultural change and development of yourself and others

• Operational awareness (or competence) at a Watch Manager Level.

• Currently not under any live sanctions, capability, performance, or disciplinary procedures.

• Proof of UK Fire and Rescue Service contract and up to date training records.
• Willingness and ability to be posted to and work from any location within the Greater Manchester boundary.

• UK driving licence with access to own vehicle.

Please Note:We are not currently accepting any On-Call or retained Firefighter applications for our external Promotions Pathways

DESIRABLE CRITERIA:

• IFE Level 4 Certificate in Fire Service Operations, Incident Command, Fire Safety & Fire Engineering Science.

• Started a development portfolio / can evidence development for promotion.

• Already accessed a coach or mentor to support you throughout your promotional process.

• Institution of Occupational Safety and Health Qualification (IOSH)

• Leadership and Management qualification minimum Level 3, Level 5 preferable