Group Manager – Transfer or Promotion Opportunity – West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

An exciting opportunity has emerged for wholetime Group Managers and competent wholetime Station Managers (seeking promotion) to join one of the UK’s leading fire and rescue services. The outcome of our latest HMICFRS inspection includes eight ‘good’ judgements.

The following criteria must be satisfied to be eligible to apply:

• be a wholetime substantive and competent Station Manager (or above) in a UK Fire and Rescue Service.
• have no current/outstanding development action plans, performance improvement action plans or capability issues related to competency.
• be free of current formal disciplinary awards throughout the entire process.
• identified as showing potential for promotion as part of their Annual Review (AR) with a supporting statement from the Line Manager (Internal only).
• hold and maintain all qualifications required for their current role.
• have completed and maintained all role related courses within the required refresher periods.

The selection process will comprise of:

• Stage 1 – Identified as showing potential for promotion as part their Annual Review (AR) (Internal Station Managers Only).
• Stage 2 – Completion of an online application form and subsequent shortlisting.
• Stage 3 – Operational Command Assurance Assessments.
• Stage 4 – Real World Leader Assessment.
• Stage 5 – Career Progression Gateway.
• Stage 6 – Interview/role suitability exercise.
• Stage 7 – Pre employment checks.

Successful candidates will be held on a successful applicant list in grade/score order and will be offered a promotion development role, as soon as a suitable vacancy arises. This successful applicant list will remain in place until a new promotion process is undertaken up to a maximum of 18 months. Applicants still on this list will need to reapply and undertake the promotion process again if a new promotion process for that rank is commenced.

• Applications close: Sunday 6th December 2026
• Shortlisting: by end of week 11th December 2026
• Break for Christmas period and notification of shortlist decisions
• Command Assurance Development sessions 6th to 8th January 2027
• Command Assurance Assessments: Various dates between 13th and 22nd January 2027
• CPG e-learning 25th January 2027 to 5th February 2027
• Real World Leader Assessments 25th January 2027 to 31st January 2027
• Online CPG testing: 8th to 10h February 2027
• Real World Leader validation interviews between 8th February and 19th February 2027
• Interviews/role suitability exercise: Week Commencing 22nd February 2027.

Applicants must complete and submit an online application form using our e-recruitment system.

The closing date for applications will be midnight on Sunday 6th December 2026.

All offers of employment will be subject to a skills gap analysis, references, medical, fitness test, security clearance, DBS checks.
Please note we do not accept CVs. If you are viewing this vacancy on ‘jobsindeed’ or other external platform, the only way to apply for this vacancy is to visit www.wyfs.co.uk/careers