Head of Fire Safety

Foster + Partners

Role Definition

As the Head of Fire Safety, you will assume a leadership role at the forefront of our organization's commitment to proactive and comprehensive fire safety. In this pivotal position, you will drive a risk-based design methodology across projects, offering crucial support and creative solutions to achieve project fire safety objectives. The responsibilities encompass both strategic leadership within the Technical Design Group and hands-on involvement in providing fire safety advice during Technical Reviews, ensuring compliance with procedures, and maintaining records of professional development. Join us in shaping and sustaining a robust fire safety culture within our dynamic organization.

Job title: Head of Fire Safety

Reporting to: Head of Technical Design Team.

Responsibilities

• As lead of the Fire Safety Team, you will drive a proactive, holistic, and risk-based design methodology within the Architectural Studios and Engineering Groups.
• Provide support to the Architectural Studios and Engineering Groups and use creativity to assist in the development of solutions which fulfil the project fire safety objectives.
• Build and maintain strong positive relationships throughout the organisation.
• Contribute to the identification and addressing of fire-related constraints and opportunities for projects throughout their lifecycle using evidence-based methods.
• Cultivate and propagate an awareness of the impact of the fire safety design on construction, installation, commissioning, and maintenance.
• Contribute to the growth and promotion of the Fire Safety Team.
• Take a leadership role throughout the Technical Design Group and the organisation; identify and run cross-team and cross-function projects.
• Remain abreast of developments in national and international fire-related legislation, fire technologies, and materials and products - and feed this back to the wider team.
• Monitor and attend national and international fire and safety related events with the aim of increasing the expertise within, and the exposure of, the Fire Safety Team.
• Develop and describe fire safety design options for further discussion with the team.
• Assist in providing fire safety and fire engineering advice during the undertaking of Construction Reviews and follow up on requests for further guidance, information, or advice.
• Attend meetings as required; in some cases, international travel may be necessary.
• Give guidance and assistance on appropriate fire engineering approaches office-wide and, where applicable, interact with externally appointed fire engineers.
• Assist in the update and maintenance of the relevant F+P Guides.
• Maintain and provide records of advice given.
• Maintain a record and evidence of professional development and review this with the Deputy Head of Technical Design.
• Identify personal and Fire Safety Team training needs, stay up-to-date regarding training opportunities, and feed this back to the wider team.
• Review fire engineering reports/studies/strategies where provided by external consultants.
• To contribute, or otherwise assist, as required
• Thorough knowledge and compliance with Foster + Partners procedures and standards
• Equity, diversity & inclusion (EDI) is a core priority. To support and champion the embedding of this focus as a collective workforce responsibility, EDI should be integrated, where relevant, into all workstreams.

Qualities and skills required

• Chartered status with a relevant Institution.
• Extensive and demonstrable experience in a fire engineering, fire research, or related discipline role.
• Solid proven experience of applying engineering methods to safety. For example, qualitative and quantitative risk assessment, probabilistic risk analysis, and detailed deterministic analysis.
• Ability to use a variety of media in the development and documentation of a design project.
• Ability to take initiative in response to direction or instruction.
• Evidence of the ability to understand design decisions taken by others.
• Ability to manage own time to work well under pressure and meet expected timeframes.
• Awareness of and ability to use some of the following: MicroStation, InDesign, Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, FDS, CFAST, B-RISK, OZone, MACS+, and structural software packages.

Desirable

• Experience in the use of advanced engineering methods. For example, CFD-based modelling, FEA analysis, quantitative probabilistic and reliability analysis.
• Experience with the use of Matlab, Python, R, or similar, to carry out data analysis, automation, and/or model development.
• Demonstrated good network with the fire science, fire engineering, and wider community.

This description reflects the core activities of the role. It is not intended to be all-inclusive and other duties within the group/department may be required in addition to changes in the emphasis of duties as required from time-to-time. There is a requirement for the post- holder to recognise this and adopt a flexible approach to work. Job descriptions will be reviewed regularly and where necessary revised in accordance with organisational needs. Any major changes will be discussed with the post-holder.