Assistant Director Resilience – Kent Fire and Rescue Service

Being the Assistant Director Resilience
The Assistant Director Resilience at Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) is a critical leadership role where your foresight will ensure our organisation is ready for any challenge. You will be the architect of our preparedness, driving the delivery of robust business continuity and emergency plans that keep our communities safe in times of crisis. You will not only lead our Fire Control function but also drive service improvement through organisational learning, ensuring that we evolve to meet the changing demands of modern emergency response. If you are a strategic thinker ready to translate complex legislative requirements into effective practice, we invite you to help us build a safer future.

What you’ll do

As the Assistant Director Resilience, you will drive the delivery of customer-focused resilience activities, ensuring the organisation is prepared to operate effectively in times of crisis. Your core responsibilities will include:

• Strategic Leadership
• Resilience & Planning
• Operational Learning
• Fire Control Leadership
• Interoperability
• Change and Collaboration
• Strategic Command

What you’ll bring:

We are looking for a leader who acts with unquestionable integrity and personal resilience. To succeed in this role, you will bring:

• Inclusive Leadership: A profound understanding of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) principles, with a track record of fostering high-performing, inclusive workplace cultures.

• Transformational Experience: Extensive experience in driving and managing complex transformational change projects from conception to completion, delivering measurable improvements in efficiency.

• Strategic Vision: The ability to think strategically and develop customer-focused strategies that address both corporate and operational risks.

• Communication Skills: Exceptional relationship management skills, with the ability to consult and negotiate effectively with unions, board members, and external partners.

• Sector Knowledge: A thorough understanding of the Fire Sector context, including the Fire & Rescue Services Act, Health & Safety legislation, and community risk analysis.
You are eligible to apply if you:

To be considered for this position, you must meet the essential knowledge and experience criteria in the job description / personal specification. You will also be required to have the following:
• Command Qualification: You hold a Strategic Incident Command qualification (ICS L4, SFJ Level 7) and a Multi-Agency Gold Incident Command (MAGIC) qualification.
• Management Qualification: You possess a professional management qualification or have equivalent management experience at a senior level
• Professional Membership: You are a member of the Institute of Fire Engineers (IFE) or are willing to obtain membership within 12 months of appointment.