Assistant Director of FRS Strategy, Improvement and Assurance - West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service

Assistant Director of FRS Strategy, Improvement and Assurance - West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service

Contract Type: Permanent Full-Time

Politically Restricted Post: Yes

Location: County Hall, Chichester a typical week will combine homeworking with attendance at the office or visits around the County. This is led by the needs of the service.

Make a lasting impact. Lead change that protects lives.

West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is proud to serve our communities with commitment, professionalism, and innovation. We're on a journey of transformation, with our newly opened, state-of-the-art Horsham Fire Station and Training Centre symbolising our investment in people, capability and service excellence.

Your Role

As a key member of our Principal Officers Group, you will work alongside the Chief and Deputy Chief Fire Officers to:

Drive forward our strategic vision, performance and governance agenda
Lead key corporate services, including assurance, finance, digital & ICT, fleet, logistics, and technical services
Lead the service through the development and delivery of disaggregation and devolution plans
Champion and embed a culture of continuous improvement and performance across the service
Ensure we meet the highest standards of statutory compliance, value for money, and organisational resilience
Lead collaboration across blue light services and public sector partners
This is a highly visible leadership role that will influence and shape WSFRS at local, regional, and national levels.

About You
You are an experienced senior leader with a strong track record in Fire & Rescue service environment. You will bring:

Strategic leadership experience and the ability to lead high-performing, multidisciplinary teams.
A deep understanding of national governance, inspection, and regulatory frameworks for fire and rescue services.
Proven experience in successfully delivering complex programmes and organisational transformation.
Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills at executive and political levels.
Financial acumen, with experience managing substantial budgets
Passion for innovation, partnership working and driving change that improves outcomes for communities.
You'll also be resilient, highly organised, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced, politically sensitive environment.

Key Requirements

Extensive experience in a senior leadership role within a Fire & Rescue service.
In-depth knowledge of the statutory framework and national performance measures in FRS.
A commitment to public service values, WSCC leadership behaviours and the FRS Code of Ethics.

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