Fire Safety Officer - Metrocentre

Purpose of the Role

The Fire Officer works within the Health and Safety department and is the lead person responsible for fire management within Metrocentre. You will play a key role in ensuring the smooth running of the Centre by overseeing all aspects of fire safety and compliance. As the main fire safety expert, you will collaborate with various departments, offering technical support and guidance to ensure fire safety provisions are met and maintained.

Reporting to the Health and Safety Manager you will be the first point of contact for all fire safety related matters across Metrocentre. You will be required to devise and undertake an annual audit programme of all occupiers to ensure they are complying with current fire safety legislation, compiling reports of all visits and following through any areas of non-compliance to a satisfactory closure as well as providing recommendations for risk mitigation and continuous improvement in fire safety standards across the Centre. Your expertise will be crucial in advising on and implementing fire safety principles that ensure the Centre operates safely and legally, while maintaining the highest standards of safety for all stakeholders.

You will have experience of dealing with fire and health and safety legislative requirements in so far as they relate to the day to day running of a shopping centre or multi occupier site and how they relate to landlord and occupier relationships. You will be the first point of contact for all occupier, contractor and staff enquiries ensuring the advice given meets current legislation and maintains Metrocentre’s safety standards. Where required you will carry out investigations and produce detailed reports based on findings.

You will liaise with and build relationships with external agencies for site visits and inspections including the fire brigade, contractors and external fire auditors.

You will have line management responsibilities for two members of staff.

Successful candidates will be professional in their approach to the delivery of a customer focused role, always demonstrating professional and courteous behaviour in the execution of their duties. You will be results driven with the ability to adapt to a fast-paced changing environment. You will possess the ability to act decisively with an uncompromising eye for detail; to ensure the centre is immaculately presented, safe and secure throughout.

Key Responsibilities

The role includes a variety of tasks including the following:

• You are an representative for the Centre and your area of work and as such you will actively promote recognition for the team, the Centre, and the wider business through your exemplary behaviour. Playing your part in the wider team and leading your team to be the best.
• You have a clear vision for the application of Customer Service in all endeavours. You lead by example, motivating the team, and will instil a passion for excellence in delivering customer service not just relating to our customers, but to all stakeholders, including contractors, retailers, and colleagues.
• You will promote our operational focus on compliance, communication, consistency, and collaboration in all you deliver. You are focused on leading a safe Centre and complying with legal requirements. You will embed and lead efficient processes with innovation and consistency

Main Duties:

Fire Strategy

• Support the Operations team to ensure full fire safety compliance is met within the Centre. Where required advise the management teams in fire safety related matters.
• Understand the fire safety system within all areas of Metrocentre and ensure this is always fully operational, highlighting any concerns to the Health and Safety Manager/Technical Services Manager.
• Compile and complete annual audit programme for all occupiers across Metrocentre based on their risk profile to ensure they maintain fire safety compliance, detailing any non-conformances identified and following them through to a satisfactory conclusion.
• Ensures the readiness (and compliance with regulatory requirements) of all fire safety provisions within Metrocentre e.g., sprinklers, fire detection, fire-fighting equipment, means of escape etc
• Manage the centre Fire Evacuation and Fire drill process, ensuring that regular drills are carried out across all areas of the centre.
• Liaise with Local Fire authorities when required to advise on centre safety, lead on site visits and build relationships with key stakeholders.
• Undertake planned and unplanned safety inspections of all operational areas of Metrocentre as part of the compliance assurance responsibilities for health & safety.
• Support the shop fit process within the Centre advising on design-phase fire safety and health and safety compliance queries
• Assist and in some instances lead on elements of the overall fire safety strategy/health and safety strategy for the organisation. This will include liaising and interacting with all operational departments to enable the organisation to provide a safe environment to staff, occupiers, contractors and visitors.
• Undertake investigations into fire safety incidents (e.g. alarm activations) identifying the root causes and analyse these against the complexity of health & safety/fire safety legislative requirements and best practice/guidance. Where appropriate liaise with enforcement agencies where such incidents are reported externally. producing effective reports based around reducing incident/accident exposures.
• Assist on site in the event of fire alarms (actual fires, false alarms) and safety incidents, compiling detailed reports where required to identify causes and make appropriate recommendations to prevent future incidents and to designated timescales and deadlines.
• To keep up to date with developments in fire safety related legislation, technical standards and disciplines/approaches to fire safety management and advise accordingly.

Leadership

• Provide coaching, training and mentoring in matters of compliance to both team members and departments within the Centre. Supporting the team on how to conduct their compliance duties in line with company policy and standards. Facilitate and deliver the fire safety training of all staff.
• Ensure full and active participation in the team huddles and departmental briefings with your teams. Ensuring relevant and business critical information and objectives are communicated.
• Take ownership of personal development by attending all required training sessions and engaging actively in opportunities for professional growth.
• Attend and co-host the quarterly health and safety committee meetings, the monthly risk management meetings and any other meetings where fire safety is an agenda item, providing key information in a variety of different formats.
• Be the first point of contact for our Metrocentre fire safety contractor, highlighting any issues and following them through to a satisfactory closure
• Assist in driving and communicating company policy, in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Fire Safety Reform Order

Risk Management

• Manage and coordinate the various systems, policies and processes associated with the Centre’s statutory compliance. Ensure the fire strategy and fire risk assessment are in date for the Centre.
• Ensure accurate information is distributed through the organisation to relevant persons in a timely manner. Developing, enhancing and/or implementing documents in line with company guidelines. Creating a procedural framework for reporting and audit purposes.
• You will have a clear focus on operating safely and legally. Managing and ensuring compliance with all aspects of health, safety, quality assurance, and environmental standards across the Centre. Assisting in driving and communicating company policy, in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act, the Fire Safety Reform Order and the OSHAS 18001 Health and Safety system.
• Assist in the completion of external health and safety audits and inspection within Metrocentre, taking the lead on the annual fire risk assessment.
• Ensure that all visiting contractors comply with the fire safety provisions of the centre(s) and assist in the supervision and guidance given.
• Working with the compliance team to ensure the centre remains fully compliant with all current legislation, ensuring all paperwork is available when required.
• Operational Excellence
• Manage a team of two staff ensuring they are carrying out their duties and meeting all operational requirements, setting individual objectives for direct reports and review quarterly.
• Keep all site-based company information fire manuals up to date and available.

This is not exhaustive, and you may need to complete similar tasks as required.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Person specification:

• Outstanding organisational skills with the ability to independently balance competing priorities and manage workloads effectively.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written, with a professional, approachable, and customer-focused manner.
• Reliable and responsible, with a flexible, hands-on approach to problem-solving and the ability to stay calm under pressure.
• Detail-oriented and standards-driven, with a solid understanding of compliance in the workplace and utmost discretion in handling sensitive information.
• Broad experience and knowledge of enforcement policies and procedures with regards to Fire Legislation.
• The ability to effectively respond to enquiries or complaints from centre management and retailers.
• The ability to produce reports to a high level for all levels of an organisation
• Utmost discretion when dealing with sensitive or confidential information.
• The ability to confidently deliver training to any level of the organisation.
• Commitment to continuing professional development and willingness to develop specialised fire safety knowledge and skills.

Qualifications and experience:

Essential:

• Experienced and competent in fire safety and compliance in a retail or complex organisation.
• Experience of delivering excellent customer service in a similar environment.
• Experienced in auditing with regards to fire safety compliance.
• Competent in the use of Microsoft packages including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint
• NVQ L3 qualification as a minimum in fire risk assessment or fire safety audit.
• IOSHH certificate.

Desirable:

Experience of fire risk assessment in a retail or large, multi-tenanted environment.

Level 4 Diploma in Fire Safety – a willingness to achieve this if not already qualified will be required.

NEBOSH Fire Safety Certificate – a willingness to achieve this if not already qualified will be required.

Recognised Health and Safety Qualification e.g. NEBOSH National General Certificate.

Experience in fire safety investigation to identify causes and make appropriate recommendations to prevent future incidents.

Membership of the Institute of Fire Safety Managers to at least Technician level with a drive and a plan to achieve higher (Metrocentre will help to achieve this for the right candidate).

Experience in delivering fire safety awareness training/presentations.

Working Hours - 40 hrs per week (09:00-17:30 Monday to Friday)

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Please see our Benefits Booklet for more information.