Job overview
The post holder acts as the Trust’s SME for Fire, Health & Safety within the Estates and Facilities function, ensuring compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
The role supports the Trust Board and Estates and Facilities leadership by providing expert advice, assurance, and governance across all estate assets, including hospital and community sites. It is responsible for maintaining effective Fire and Health & Safety Management Systems to ensure a safe built environment for patients, staff, and visitors.
Manage all sub-contracted services relating to fire and health and safety services in, monitoring and reporting on SLA and KPI service levels.
Provide assurance to Trust committees and boards through compliance and governance reporting. Develop and lead transformation of the fire, health and safety governance and compliance monitoring and reporting through digital platforms.
Main duties of the job
- Lead on all fire, health & safety matters relating to the Trust’s estate, including operational management (Estates and Facilities) and capital projects health and safety plans.
- Provide expert advice to Deputy Director of Estates and Facilities and senior management on compliance, risk, and statutory obligations.
- Ensure estate-wide compliance with all relevant legislation and codes of practice (e.g. Fire Safety Order, HSAWA, COSHH, DSEAR, PSSR, WAHR, Building Safety Act 2022).
- Develop and implement fire and health & safety policies, standards, and the Estates compliance programme.
- Develop fire risk assessments (primary and secondary), estate risk registers and assurance processes across a complex, multi-site estate.
- Provide specialist fire and health & safety input into capital projects, refurbishment, and estate development, ensuring compliant design and construction health and safety plans.
- Advise on Estates Masterplanning and Development Control to ensure fire and health & safety are embedded in strategic estate planning.
- Identify estate-related risks, infrastructure vulnerabilities, and opportunities for improvement.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Person specification
Experience
Essential
- · Practical experience of working in an engineering/ estates maintenance management role.
- · Experience of developing and managing a complex engineering infrastructure within a healthcare/ manufacturing environment
Desirable
- · Experience of using the Capital Investment Manual, NHS standards, H&S regulations and cost control
- · Extensive experience of working with a wide range of agencies
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- · Recognised Higher National Certificate in engineering (electrical or mechanical), building services or equivalent qualification.
- · Membership of professional organisation e.g. CIBSE, IWFM, IHEEM IET, IMechE, Energy Institute etc. or actively progressing registered chartered status
Desirable
- · Health & Safety Qualification, i.e. IOSHH/ CDM or member of the Risk & Quality Institute
Knowledge, skills, Abilities
Essential
- · Practical experience of operating and managing building engineering and management systems including their optimisation to reduce cost and carbon emissions.
- · In depth knowledge of relevant health and safety legislation and risk management, relating to engineering and the workplace
- · In depth knowledge of statutory compliance
Desirable
- · Understanding of the working of an NHS hospital
- •· Ability to assume the Designated Person/ Authorised Person or equivalent for engineering installations or systems
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Head of Fire and Estates Health & Safety with Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust in Reading, South East, England. It is listed as a Band 8 Estates and facilities role. The advertised salary is £79,504 - £91,609 per annum (pro rata if part time). The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 09 Jul 2026.
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