Fire Safety Inspector - Clad Building Team

This role has a starting salary of 41,585 per annum, for working 36 hours per week. This is a 12-month fixed term contract / secondment opportunity.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) are looking for people to carry out the role of a Clad Buildings Team Fire Safety Inspector, based out of our Fire Safety Offices.

These roles will be based at Woodhatch Surrey Fire & Rescue Headquarters, Reigate and working at locations across Surrey. Service vehicles are available to complete work.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service (prorated for part time staff)
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents.

About the Role

Are you passionate about making a difference to the communities of Surrey?

As a Clad Buildings Team Fire Safety Inspector your role will be to inspect and audit 11 metre+ residential premises in Surrey that require remediation, work with partners to issue remediation orders in line with the drive to make these buildings 'Sustainably Safe' by 2030 and to ensure compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 on behalf of the fire authority.

You will also support the Protection Teams in Surrey Fire and Rescue to deliver the objectives of the Risk Based Inspection Programme, ensuring the buildings and people that use them safer through education and enforcement

You will be supported by an experienced team, made up of operational and civilian backgrounds and experience. The role will require you to obtain specialist and technical knowledge in fire safety and remediation orders and court process, which will be overseen by a Fire Safety Manager.

This role will involve engaging with various partners and responsible persons to lead and support people to lawfully resolve remediation issues and regulatory fire safety matters, ensuring compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order. You will also be responsible for educating businesses and fire teams ensuring shared understanding of risks for clad buildings.

As well as this, you will work independently to manage your calendar with the support of your manager in prioritising workloads. You may also be required to carry out consultations, inspection and audit regimes as part of the risk-based inspection programme. This may include follow up visits and deciding on appropriate enforcement levels based on audit outcomes for other non-clad building types.

A typical day in this important role will see the Business Fire Safety Inspector assessing progress on remediation, fire safety risks and hazards, evaluating measures in place to mitigate clad building risks. Your actions will protect people and premises, whilst influencing and supporting businesses to act on recommendations and, where appropriate, reporting breaches and taking required enforcement actions.

Job Details

You will need to be flexible, respond positively to change and be prepared for continuous learning and professional development throughout your career. The regulations governing the fire safety aspects of buildings are frequently evolving and you will need to ensure that you keep up to date.

You will have the interpersonal skills that give you the ability and flexibility to gain support and influence internal and external stakeholders. We work with businesses, partners, and the public to improve safety in the community.

You must be able to work effectively with technology and able to demonstrate competence with basic software and IT equipment. Accuracy and attention to detail are key skills.

You will be able to demonstrate a calm, confident and resilient approach to unpredictable, challenging or dangerous situations while maintaining respect for others. You will need to lead and support people to resolve all types of Regulatory Fire Safety matters legally and justifiably. This includes planning inspection and audit regimes, timescales for follow up visits, and deciding on appropriate enforcement levels based on audit outcomes.

A reasonable level of physical fitness and mobility is necessary as you will be required to inspect multiple areas of a building and take equipment with you to carry out your role. This can also include walking around the surrounding areas as well as reviewing a building internally. A Standard DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) will be required for this role.

Shortlisting Criteria

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our core code of ethics:

• Level 4 Certificate in Fire Safety
• Competent Fire Safety Inspector
• Experience of regulation or enforcement of fire safety legislation or similar
• Experience in the fire safety arena or delivery of fire safety linked activities
• Confident in communication and stakeholder engagement with people both internally and externally
• Have strong written communication and report writing skills
• People and team leadership and management skills, as the role will offer opportunities to lead Advisors or Business Education Officers
• Level 4 Diploma in Fire Safety or working towards

Application Questions

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 3 questions:

• Describe a time when you identified a safety or compliance issue in the built environment. How did you ensure your actions demonstrated integrity, fairness, and professionalism in line with the SFRS 's Ethical Principles, while influencing others to address the issue?
• Cladding remediation requires working collaboratively with residents, responsible persons, technical specialists and local partners. Can you provide an example where you effectively communicated complex fire-safety or similar concerns to individuals with different levels of understanding, ensuring transparency and respect throughout?
• Explain how you would approach assessing high rise residential buildings, particularly those with external wall system concerns, ensuring your approach supports evidence-based decision-making, aligns with the Regulators Code, and promotes public safety through proportionate enforcement.
• If successful, further training and qualifications will be provided to enhance and support your development.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 29/03/2026 with interviews to follow.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents!

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.