Fire Safety Manager

Abingdon Rd, Culham, UK
Employees work in a hybrid mode
Full-time
Salary: £64,115 + excellent benefits, including outstanding pension
Division: Estates Division
Site Location: UKAEA Culham, Oxfordshire
Confirmed Grade: Grade I
Department: Estates

Closing date for entries: 20/04/2026

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Company Description

Fusion, the process that powers the sun and stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs. UKAEA leads the way in realising fusion energy, partnering with industry and research organisations to achieve ground-breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid by developing the power stations of tomorrow and the skilled workforce to deliver them.

Job Description

Fire Safety Manager, Duty Holder, and subject matter expert, leads the Fire Safety & Building Security Group within the Estates Compliance & Governance Unit. Responsible for managing an in-house team, supported by specialist contractors, to deliver planned and reactive maintenance and upgrades of fire safety systems across UKAEA’s multi-site estate, including Culham, West Burton, Rotherham, Whitehaven and satellite locations.

Core responsibilities

- Act as Subject Matter Expert and Competent Person for fire safety across UKAEA, providing authoritative advice and ensuring compliance with legislation.
- Develop and deliver fire safety strategy, policies and long-term plans aligned to regulatory and organisational requirements.
- Lead and manage the Fire Safety and Building Security team, ensuring effective capability, performance and continuous development.
- Ensure active and passive fire safety systems (and related security interfaces) are compliant, maintained and fit for purpose.
- Provide expert guidance on fire prevention, protection and risk management across complex scientific and operational facilities.
- Deliver fire safety programmes and projects to time, cost and quality, balancing compliance with operational needs.
- Lead training, awareness and cultural improvement initiatives to strengthen fire safety capability across the organisation.
- Build and maintain strong stakeholder relationships, driving collaboration and continuous improvement in fire safety performance.
- Lead incident investigation and assurance, ensuring corrective actions, lessons learned and robust governance are in place.
- Support emergency preparedness and crisis management, providing specialist fire safety input to organisational response planning.

Qualifications

- Chartered Engineer (or working towards) with a recognised body such as the Institution of Fire Engineers, or equivalent qualification in fire engineering.
- Member-level professional accreditation (e.g. Institute of Fire Engineers, Institute of Fire Safety Managers).
- Relevant fire safety qualifications, such as NEBOSH Fire Safety Certificate and passive fire protection certification (or equivalent).
- Broad technical engineering background across multiple disciplines.
- Significant experience in fire safety or fire engineering roles, with strong application of legislation, codes of practice and standards.
- In-depth knowledge of UK fire safety legislation, including the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, Building Regulations and associated health, safety and construction law (HSWA, MHSWR, Building Safety Act, CDM, DSEAR).
- Strong leadership and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence at all organisational levels.
- Understanding of fire safety and building security system integration to improve compliance and operational efficiency.

Additional Information

A full list of our benefits can be found on our website, but highlights include:

- £64,115 salary, inclusive of a £7,700 specialist allowance
- Final salary defined benefit scheme with an equivalent of 21.5% employer pension contribution
- 25 days’ annual leave, plus 3 days Christmas closure, 2.5 privilege days and 8 Bank Holidays
- Flexible and hybrid working options

UKAEA’s mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds to help us achieve this goal. We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce. We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM, including women and individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, while ensuring all appointments are made on merit. Further information can be found on our website.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

The improvement plan introduces several measures including:

*a dedicated Task Force: a new external remediation multidisciplinary team will mirror the BSR’s existing Innovation Unit’s success by streamlining communication and processing through dedicated account managers

*reduced caseloads: a recruitment drive to increase regulatory lead capacity, reducing individual caseloads from an average of 25 down to a more manageable level of circa ten to the benefit of both applicants and BSR processes

*flexible approvals: using ‘approval with requirements’, where appropriate, to allow projects to start safely while work continues to resolve any distinct technical issues

*new guidance for external remediation with further supporting information and resources over the coming months, in turn aiming to help industry to overcome challenges in the Building Control process for existing buildings

Addressing older and complex cases

Around 40% of ongoing external remediation applications rely on Government funding. While late 2025 and early 2026 applications are showing an improved picture, a high percentage of complex and older external remediation cases are taking longer for decisions to be made.

Internal resource constraints and a high volume of older, non-compliant industry submissions are realising the BSR’s current caseload. To address this, the BSR plans to model its new external remediation multidisciplinary team on its successful Innovation Unit, which has been handling new-build projects since September 2025. This team will be supported by external remediation account managers. They will release capacity for technical regulatory leads by handling communications with applicants and addressing any portfolio concerns.

The BSR will also look to pilot the use of Building Control professionals from different classes to support case officers and regulatory leads. This will help to manage and significantly reduce workloads by allowing regulatory leads to focus on work that can only legally be carried out by them as direct employees of the BSR.

Streamlining the external remediation Building Control process

A new consistency process to be introduced will help to rapidly resolve any technical disputes between the multidisciplinary team and applicants. Further, the BSR is moving away from only written communications towards increased direct engagement with applicants, which directly reflects feedback from industry. This includes initial meetings for more complex projects and encouraging direct contact between the multidisciplinary team and applicants to clarify issues faster.

To manage the flow of work, the BSR will develop and publish a clear external remediation prioritisation structure. This will help to address frustration among those applicants who are unsure of where they sit in the assessment process.

Incomplete applications cause a significant portion of delays as they often lack basic technical information or the documentation required by law. This includes:

*insufficient evidence of fire-resistant properties for replacement cladding and related materials (for example, membranes), including assurance that products are available on the market that fulfil the required design or performance specifications

*lack of structural loading calculations (this includes wind loading, load transfer methods and confirmation that the building can support the new cladding design)

*insufficient explanation or evidence for cavity ventilation provision in external walls to prevent moisture build-up that could damage building fabric

*incomplete demonstration of thermal performance (ie U-values) of the new cladding system

Non-technical reasons

Other major non-technical reasons for delays include:

*incomplete design information: relying on statements of future intent, for example, “design details will follow later”, instead of finalised evidence

*unsupported ‘non-worsening’ claims: failing to provide comparative analysis demonstrating that standards will not be reduced

*poorly organised documents: failing to use clear folder structures, indexes or ensuring documents link up correctly

*retained combustibles: ambiguity regarding the extent of retained combustibles is a frequent cause for failure

To address application issues, the BSR has published initial external remediation-driven guidance. The guidance has benefits across all work to existing HRBs. The BSR will publish further improved feedback, resources and support targeted at these applicants over the coming months. This will include advice for applicants on unique challenges such as non-worsening provisions, gaps in existing HRB information and thermal performance.

The BSR is also working on enhancements to ‘digital visibility’, giving applicants the ability to track their application’s progress once submitted.

The BSR is also planning to improve data sharing with organisations managing Government funds, such as Homes England, to better track funding pipelines.

By December this year, the BSR is aiming to reduce average decision times for remediation applications to less than 12 weeks, with an aim to achieve approval rates of over 65%. This is still above the statutory milestone of eight weeks, but will be a major improvement on turnaround times for remediation applications.

Targeted package of measures

Lord Roe, chair of the Board at the BSR, said: “We continue to accelerate our decision-making for new-build applications, speeding up approvals for new-build and external remediation projects and increasing the supply of safe new and existing homes through the recent changes we’ve made to our processes.”

Lord Roe continued: “However, we recognise current determination times for remediation cases are falling short of statutory targets. This plan represents a targeted and achievable package of measures to reset the system and clear older legacy remediation cases. By doing so, and then focusing on more recent applications, we can ensure high-rise residents see essential safety improvements they deserve without any unnecessary or further delays.”

Charlie Pugsley, acting CEO of the BSR, stated: “As we enter an important new chapter as a standalone regulator, our focus is on strengthening safety, rebuilding trust and supportively collaborating with industry. Collectively, these measures will ensure current and future remediation applications can proceed as smoothly and quickly as possible.”

Pugsley added: “By launching a dedicated multidisciplinary team and introducing account managers, we are dramatically increasing our capacity to make faster decisions. Speed cannot come at the cost of safety. We will also publish further specific guidance and support to help industry submit higher-quality applications, thereby ensuring that thousands of residents can feel safe – and are safe – in their high-rise homes.”

A new qualification, the Advanced Level 5 Certificate in Fire Risk Assessment, is currently in development and will support learners to conduct specialist fire risk assessments in a variety of complex settings, including high-risk residential and mixed-use buildings, complex shopping premises, high-risk hospital buildings and sports grounds, for example.

Ahead of the Level 5 Certificate’s launch later this year, a consultation has now opened inviting stakeholder views in order to ensure that the qualification reflects Best Practice.

As is the case with the existing suite of qualifications, the Level 5 Certificate is aligned with BS 8674 and the Building Safety Act 2022 and will, following approval, be submitted to BAFE for inclusion on the SP205 qualification register.

Professional competence

Phil Dean, managing director of WFST, has supported the development of the new qualification. He commented: “The new suite of SFJ Awards Fire Risk Assessment qualifications up to Level 5 represents a step-change in professional competence, aligning fully with the requirements of BS 8674 fire risk assessor frameworks, while also advancing significantly beyond the baseline expected by the British Standard.”

Dean continued: “The qualifications are underpinned by a rigorous training needs analysis and built with environmental fidelity at their core. Each pathway contains units tailored to the real‑world complexities of specific fire risk contexts that ensure assessors develop domain‑specific expertise. This structure enables organisations and individuals alike to target the exact competencies required for specialised environments, dramatically improving quality, consistency and assurance across fire risk assessments.”

Important development

David Higham, managing director at SFJ Awards, informed Fire Safety Matters: “The expansion of the fire risk assessment-focused suite of qualifications is an important development that supports learners to operate at an advanced level of practice. Not only does the suite provide flexibility and specialist learning at every stage, but it also goes beyond current requirements to drive up safety standards even further.”

Higham concluded: “Taken together, the qualifications suite helps to set a new benchmark for professional fire safety education, which will support improved standards in fire risk assessments in the long-term.”

*The aforementioned Level 5 Certificate in Fire Risk Assessment-centred stakeholder consultation is now open and inviting representations from across the sector to help shape the next stage of fire risk assessor training and competence development. To find out more visit: https://sfjawards.com/fire-risk-assessment-suite-expanded/#consultation

Delivered in partnership with the British Security Industry Association (BSIA), the joint UK Pavilion will highlight the strength of UK expertise across both fire safety and security, reinforcing the increasing convergence of these critical systems within modern buildings.

Co-located with Melbourne Build Expo and the InstallerSHOW Melbourne, the gathering provides a major international platform for showcasing innovation, collaboration and Best Practice across the built environment.

The FIA’s involvement reflects its ongoing commitment to promote UK fire safety excellence on the global stage. The UK is currently ranked third worldwide for fire safety exports, with manufacturers and service providers recognised for their quality, innovation and adherence to high standards.

Central hub

The UK Pavilion will act as a central hub for visitors looking to explore how integrated fire and security solutions are evolving. As buildings become more connected, the alignment between fire detection, life safety and electronic security systems is playing an increasingly vital role in protecting people, property and assets.

Chris Tilley, head of commercial at the FIA, commented: “The Fire Industry Association is proud to support the UK Pavilion at The Fire Safety Event Australia in Melbourne as part of our global partnership with Nineteen Group and an ongoing commitment to champion UK fire safety expertise on the global stage.”

The FIA and the BSIA have been long-standing partners of the European editions of The Fire Safety Event and The Security Event. Their joint involvement in Australia marks an important step forward in extending this successful collaboration into new international markets.

*Further information is available online at www.fia.uk.com

The series of qualifications includes the Level 3 Award in Fire Risk Assessment, the Level 3 Certificate in Fire Risk Assessment and the Level 4 Certificate in Fire Risk Assessment, each of them suited to different levels of experience ranging from new entrants to fire safety through to highly experienced professionals working in complex environments.

Successful candidates of the Level 3 and Level 4 Certificate in Fire Risk Assessment will also gain access to the IFE’s Fire Risk Register and meet the academic requirements for the Technician (TIFireE) membership grade.

The IFE will formally announce the qualifications at The Fire Safety Event 2026, which takes place at the NEC in Birmingham from 28-30 April. Delegates can meet with members of the IFE’s team on Stand A90 in Hall 4 to gain further information about the qualifications.

The second day of the show will feature IFE CEO Steve Hamm and IFE member and education services director Jo Tedd in the Compliance Theatre. They are due to explore professional standards and how the IFE’s qualifications support the next phase of regulatory change.

Critical time

Speaking in advance of The Fire Safety Event, Steve Hamm said: “Our new fire risk assessment qualifications have been carefully developed by the IFE and our team of fire risk assessment and fire safety specialists from across the private and public sectors.”

Hamm continued: “These qualifications launch at a critical time and support the BS 8674 tiered framework – Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced – ensuring that assessors demonstrate the skills, knowledge and behaviours required to meet nationally recognised competency benchmarks.”

Further, Hamm noted: “The qualifications form the latest addition to the IFE’s online examination suite, which has been developed over the past two years. This forward-thinking approach ensures greater flexibility and inclusivity, enabling candidates across the globe to complete their qualifications at a time and place that suits them. By removing barriers to access, the IFE is making professional development more convenient, equitable and future-ready.”

Raising standards

David Escudier, chair of the IFE’s Education Panel, added: “Clear and recognised qualifications are essential for maintaining trust and raising standards across the sector. The IFE’s new fire risk assessment examinations provide a much-needed pathway that supports both individual development and the wider profession.”

The qualifications will launch in the IFE’s October 2026 examination session. IFE examinations adopt a self-study delivery model, providing candidates with a flexible approach to progress at their own pace, in turn making it easier for both newcomers and experienced professionals to build the required knowledge and understanding alongside their existing roles and responsibilities.

*Bookings for the October session open on 1 June 2. For further information visit www.ife.org.uk/qualifications

The long-term funding builds on the Waking Watch Replacement Fund, which closed on 31 March this year, and is a response to plans announced in the Remediation Acceleration Plan update last July.

The funding will support residents in eligible buildings to remain safe in their homes and, potentially, save leaseholders hundreds of pounds each month, protecting them from ongoing interim measure costs while they wait for remediation work to be completed.

The new scheme replaces the Waking Watch Replacement Fund, ensuring ongoing support to building leaseholders and residents throughout the remaining operation of the Government’s remediation schemes up to 2035, subject to eligibility and assessment.

Since first launching in 2021, the Waking Watch Replacement Fund has approved circa £71.7 million in grant funding to install alarms in 801 buildings across the country, helping to keep residents safe in their homes while their buildings await remediation and protecting leaseholders from the ongoing costs of Waking Watch patrols. It’s estimated that the Waking Watch Replacement Fund has saved those leaseholders who’ve benefitted approximately £273 per month.

Accelerating remediation

Following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Panel’s final report, the Prime Minister committed the Government to producing a plan for accelerating remediation. The Remediation Acceleration Plan was published in December 2024, setting out the Government’s plan for overcoming the most significant barriers that have been identified by stakeholders, delivery partners, residents’ groups and policy teams as delaying the pace of remediation.

The Remediation Acceleration Plan has three core objectives: to fix buildings faster, identify all 11 metre-plus buildings with unsafe cladding and support residents.

One of the key measures announced in the December 2024 Remediation Acceleration Plan as published was an extension of the current iteration of the Waking Watch Replacement Fund to 31 March 2026, alongside a commitment to confirm long-term plans for the Fund. Within the July 2025 Remediation Acceleration Plan 2 update, the Government announced plans to launch a new, long-term fund to run continuously for the remaining operation of the Government’s remediation schemes.

Homes England will deliver the new long-term fund via the Cladding Safety Scheme platform.

The CIC has been “made aware” of a document issued by the Department for Education which appears to be a specification for all new schools being built under the 2025 DfE contract and promotes a reversal of the school sprinkler policy.

Sections 9.1 and 9.2 of this document deal specifically with fire safety and, in the third paragraph of the first column on page nine, it states: “The use of BB100 (2007 version) is no longer required.”

Building Bulletin 100 (2007) has required new schools to be designed and built to include sprinklers unless it could be evidenced that the risk was low and that sprinklers would not be proportionate.

The CIC is “deeply worried” about the profound negative impact of this policy upon people and their local communities in cases where educational buildings are damaged by fire. The loss of those buildings can have a significant impact on individual welfare and the wider well-being of local communities as the unavailability of a given school building is likely to curtail a range of social and educational activities.

Significant challenges

In the event of a building being damaged by fire, the local authority and community is likely to face significant challenges and costs until the building can be repaired, rebuilt and returned to active use.

With the current review of Approved Document B of the Building Regulations taking place, the CIC feels that “the time is right” for Government to consider the wider impact of fire issues on people’s mental health and well-being “as a matter of urgency”.

The letter also requested the Equality Impact Assessment the Department for Education is required to undertake under its S149 Equality Act Public Sector Equality Duty in order to assess the impact of this policy change on SEND pupils (and, indeed, any staff of protected characteristics), as well as the potential impact on any other members of a given school and user community who have protected characteristics.

*Further information is available online at www.cic.org.uk

Over 99.5% of all relevant reported buildings have had a fire risk assessment carried out. 1,468 relevant buildings (ie 76.3%) are expected to be remediated within the next five years.

Of the 2,723 buildings identified as having life-critical fire safety defects since June 2017, 970 (35.6%) have been remediated (or are completed and awaiting a new building works assessment).

The Regulator of Social Housing will continue to monitor the performance of social landlords in remediating 11 metre-plus buildings and the progress they are making against their plans.

Will Perry, director of strategy at the Regulator of Social Housing, said: “Landlords must act swiftly to address fire safety defects so that tenants are safe – and feel safe – in their homes. We will continue to closely monitor progress, engage through our regulatory work and follow up with any landlord whose plans or pace of remediation raise concerns.”

Relevant buildings

The data referred to in this latest publication were reported in the Q3 2025-2026 survey, which ran from 12 December 2025 to 22 January this year, with data being reported as at 31 December 2025.

Most relevant buildings reported (88.24%) have been assessed to have no outstanding or historic external wall system-related life-critical fire safety defects in any building works assessment since 14 June 2017.

For clarity, life-critical fire safety defects are defined as defects, shrinkages, faults or other failings in a building that give rise to fire safety risks identified by a fire risk appraisal of external wall construction or a fire risk assessment (or equivalent) undertaken to industry standards.

For its part, the Regulator of Social Housing advises caution in interpreting changes in data over time as they may be influenced by a change in the number of reported buildings and their assessment status at each quarter end.

In this latest quarter, one local authority landlord (ie the London Borough of Brent) wasn’t able to provide full information as a review of its data was being undertaken. As a result, only the Borough’s total number of relevant buildings, confirmed as being accurate as at 31 December 2025, was included.

As previously reported by Fire Safety Matters, the Government’s consultation focuses on three key areas:

*the future development of the fire risk assessor profession

*the powers required to regulate the profession

*implementation approaches for competency requirements

These proposals could significantly shape how fire risk assessment is defined, governed and delivered across the UK in times hence. The full consultation can be viewed online at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fire-risk-assessors-profession

FIA response and member engagement

The purpose of this FIA’s Special Interest Group is to gather detailed feedback from FIA members, identify key concerns, opportunities and practical implications and, further, develop an informed and evidence-based response to the Government’s proposals.

As such, the Trade Association strongly encourages members involved in fire risk assessment – whether as assessors, duty holders or those working alongside the profession – to take part and share their views.

Details on how to join the Special Interest Group and contribute towards the FIA’s response can be obtained by sending an e-mail to [email protected]

Review the consultation

In the meantime, members are encouraged to review the consultation and begin considering the potential impact on their organisations and the wider sector.

The FIA notes: “This is an important opportunity to help shape the future of the fire risk assessor profession. It’s vital that the industry speaks with a clear and informed voice.”

*Further information is available online at www.fia.uk.com

Multiple fire safety breaches were discovered at the Central Grill, and the first floor accommodation at the premises, during a fire safety audit conducted by inspectors from the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service.

At the time of the audit, the first floor was being used as sleeping accommodation. Zurel, aged 26, had committed multiple breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, placing residents living on the first floor at significant risk of death or serious injury.

At Truro Crown Court, Zurel pleaded guilty on five counts:

*failing to make a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment on or before February 2024

*failing to ensure the premises were adequately equipped with appropriate firefighting equipment, fire detectors and fire alarms

*two counts of failing to maintain the integrity of emergency escape routes

*ailing to comply with the terms of an Enforcement Notice issued by the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service

On 18 March, Zurel received a 16-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years. This was reduced from 20 months in recognition of early guilty pleas.

He was also ordered to complete 200 hours’ worth of unpaid work, pay £4,800 in costs at a rate of £200 per month and also pay a £154 victim surcharge.

Unacceptable risk

The appointed spokesperson for the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said: “Fire safety laws exist to protect lives. The failings identified at Central Grill created a wholly unacceptable risk of death or serious injury for those residing above the premises. Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service will always take enforcement action where serious breaches are identified.”

The spokesperson continued: “We welcome the sentence. This prosecution demonstrates that, while we strive to work collaboratively with business owners to uphold fire safety standards, our overriding priority is the safety of our communities. Prosecution remains a last resort, but when serious risks to public safety are discovered, we will not hesitate to act.”

In the aftermath of this case, the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service is now urging all business owners and ‘Responsible Persons’ to regularly review their fire safety arrangements and ensure that fire risk assessments are undertaken, kept up-to-date and always remain suitable and sufficient.