Watch Manager; Control - Training & Policy

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Job Description

• Suffolk County Council
• Address: Beacon House, Ipswich, IP1 5PB
  - Onsite
• Salary: Watch Manager (Control) in accordance with NJC Pay Scales
• Hours: 42 hours per week - Day Duty
• Contract: Permanent

At Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, every position offers the opportunity to make a meaningful difference. As a Watch Manager (Control) - Training & Policy within our Fire Control Team
, you'll play a vital role in shaping the support we provide to the communities of Suffolk. Join us and turn your drive for improvement into real, lasting impact.

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities

You will play a pivotal leadership role within our modern, high-tech control room in Ipswich, supporting the delivery of an efficient, resilient, and highly professional emergency response service.

In this role, you will:

• Undertake core control functions including emergency call handling, resource mobilisation, and incident management, ensuring all actions are carried out in line with established service procedures.
• Support the Station Manager in designing, developing, and delivering high-quality, control-specific training programmes.
• Contribute to the review, development, and implementation of control policies, procedures, and processes that promote excellence and continuous improvement.
• Provide professional guidance, advice, and day-to-day support to watch members, helping maintain consistent, effective, and safe working practices.
• Assist in upholding high operational standards across the control environment.
• Play an active role in helping the service meet its statutory responsibilities, organisational objectives, and ongoing improvement ambitions.

This is a dynamic and rewarding position where the decisions you make will directly support the safety and wellbeing of communities across Suffolk.

Eligibility requirements

We welcome applications from green and grey book applicants who are:

• Watch Managers (Control) (or above) serving with a UK Local Authority Fire and Rescue Service.
• Competent Crew Managers (Control) serving with a UK Local Authority Fire and Rescue Service.

You will need to be:

• A competent substantive Crew Manager (Control) with evidence of competence provided.
• Qualified in Health and Safety, holding a recognised accreditation.
• Experienced in ICT Command and Control systems, including the effective use of radio communications.
• Able to demonstrate strong organisational values, emotional intelligence, and resilience, maintaining a calm and professional approach in high-pressure, challenging, and fast-moving environments.
• Skilled in decision-making, resource management, and workload prioritisation within a risk-critical operational context.
• An excellent communicator, with strong interpersonal and analytical abilities, capable of engaging, influencing, and motivating others.
• Committed to continuous improvement and professional development, supporting both individual and team performance to meet organisational objectives.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (Word). If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The team

This role supports our state-of-the-art control room in Ipswich, which operates 24/7, 365 days a year. The control room is the critical link between the public and our frontline firefighters, ensuring that emergency calls are handled swiftly and resources are mobilised effectively.

Empowering Everyone

We're big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We're always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report
.

For more information

Please contact Group Manager, Darren Reeve
, or Station Manager, Georgina Trownson
, for a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling Darren or Georgina or emailing or geor
.

Please visit our Suffolk Firefighters website () to learn more.

How to apply

Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (Word).

Step 2 - Click 'Apply Now' to start your online application.

Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement indicating how you meet each of the criteria in the 'Person Profile' section of the JPP.

• You should use the Supporting Statement template.
• Please use Arial font size 11 and keep your statement to a maximum of two sides of A4.

Step 4 - Upload a CV (without name and personal details).

Please note: Without a supporting statement and CV, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.

We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences. Applications suspected of…