HART Team Leader

Job overview

East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) is seeking a highly motivated and experienced individual to join our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) as a Team Leader based at our Mansfield unit. This is a pivotal leadership role within our specialist operations team, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, and resilient emergency care in hazardous and challenging environments.

As a HART Team Leader, you will:

• Provide operational leadership and management to a team of HART operatives.
• Ensure compliance with NHS England HART standards and EMAS policies.
• Coordinate specialist training, assurance, and readiness for incidents including CBRN, major trauma, and complex rescue scenarios.
• Lead and support staff welfare, performance, and professional development.
• Act as a key liaison during multi-agency major incidents, supporting regional and national resilience plans.

This role demands strong leadership, excellent communication skills, and the ability to make critical decisions under pressure. You will play a vital part in maintaining EMAS’s capability to respond to high-risk incidents and safeguard patient care in hazardous environments.

Main duties of the job

Operational Leadership:

• Lead and manage the HART team during routine operations and major incidents.
• Ensure safe and effective deployment of resources in hazardous environments (e.g., CBRN, confined space, water rescue, and major trauma scenarios).

Compliance & Assurance:

• Maintain compliance with NHS England HART standards and EMAS policies.
• Oversee readiness checks, equipment assurance, and operational capability reporting.

Training & Development:

• Coordinate and deliver specialist training to maintain team competence.
• Support staff development through coaching, mentoring, and performance reviews.

Incident Command & Liaison:

• Act as a tactical lead during multi-agency incidents, ensuring effective communication and interoperability.
• Represent EMAS HART at local resilience forums and planning meetings.

Staff Welfare & Management:

• Manage team rotas, leave, and welfare, ensuring operational resilience.
• Address performance issues and maintain high standards of professionalism.

Strategic Contribution:

• Support the HART & Special Operations Manager in delivering service objectives.
• Contribute to continuous improvement, risk assessments, and operational planning.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The HART Team Leader provides operational leadership and management for the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), ensuring safe, effective, and compliant delivery of specialist emergency care in hazardous environments. This role supports EMAS’s vision and values by leading a highly trained team of paramedics, maintaining readiness for major, complex, and protracted incidents, and ensuring compliance with national standards and Safe Systems of Work.

Operational Leadership

• Lead and manage HART operatives during live incidents and training activities.
• Command HART assets at scene, advising Tactical Commanders and ensuring JESIP principles are applied.
• Maintain readiness of PPE, clinical and operational equipment, and vehicles.
• Ensure compliance with EMAS policies, clinical guidelines, and health & safety legislation.

Team Management

• Provide visible, motivational leadership and act as the primary point of contact for staff issues.
• Conduct appraisals, manage sickness absence, and lead initial stages of formal HR processes.
• Support staff welfare, particularly following traumatic incidents, and promote a positive team culture.
• Plan and allocate daily duties, training cycles, and operational readiness tasks.

Incident Response

• Respond to hazardous environments including CBRN, USAR, water rescue, confined spaces, and marauding terrorist attacks.
• Deliver advanced clinical care and oversee patient triage and treatment in challenging conditions.
• Apply dynamic risk assessments and ensure Safe Systems of Work are maintained.

Compliance & Reporting

• Monitor and report on KPIs, resilience status, and operational readiness.
• Update NARU dashboard and EMAS resilience reports as required.
• Ensure accurate record-keeping for incidents, investigations, and controlled drugs.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Liaise with internal teams and external agencies, promoting HART capabilities.
• Represent EMAS at multi-agency briefings, debriefs, and public forums.
• Provide specialist advice to command teams and partner organisations.