Area Manager Learning and Professionalism - Kent Fire and Rescue Service

Area Manager Learning and Professionalism - Kent Fire and Rescue Service

The Area Manager Learning and Professionalism 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 technical learning offer, driving the delivery of excellent services to our operational workforce and beyond. You will not only lead our training 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 Area Manager Learning and Professionalism, you will drive the delivery of customer-focused learning activities within the Training Centre environment and supporting the development of centres for excellence for learning on every station. Your core responsibilities will include:

• Strategic Leadership: You will take an active leadership role as a member of the Strategic Leadership Board, shaping strategic decisions and setting organisational direction. You will ensure service wide priorities are understood and delivered consistently across the service.
• Resilience & Planning: You will ensure the service has robust learning and development plans in place and oversee the development of a learning culture across KFRS.
• Operational Learning: You will drive service improvement by supporting the organisation's operational learning functions, including incident quality assurance and debriefs to inform policy and procedure.
• Strategic Command: You will undertake Strategic Command Fire and Rescue duties as part of the Duty Command Rota, covering a seven-day period every four weeks.

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 an Advanced Incident Command (ICS L3) qualification.

You will be required to secure a Strategic Incident Command qualification (ICS L4, SFJ Level 7) and a Multi-Agency Gold Incident Command (MAGIC) qualification within 12 months of starting the role.

• 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.

You must be willing to work flexibly, including occasional evenings and weekends, and can travel throughout the county and nationally as required.