The Role
Post: Director of Communications & Engagement
Grade: TMG A
Salary range: Up to £151,174 per annum
Contract type: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Application closing date: Friday, 31 May 2024 at 16:00
London Fire Brigade (LFB) is London’s Fire and Rescue Service – one of the largest firefighting and rescue organisations in the world. We are here to make London a safer city.
We employ over 5000 people, across our operational team (our firefighters), control (our call handlers who answer your 999 calls) and our non-operational team (our teams who work behind the scenes to support our front-line services, including HR, IT, Finance, Procurement, Communications etc.).
As laid out in our Community Risk Management Plan ‘Your London Fire Brigade’ we have been undergoing considerable change since the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower in 2017. We understand about our need to change and are committed to doing everything we can to learn the lessons from that tragedy, but we know that there is still more to do.
LFB has been on a journey of transformation and improvement over the last few years and this includes improving our culture.
The London Fire Commissioner is recruiting a strategic Director of Communications and Engagement and this is a great time to join the Brigade and be part of the change we are creating.
About the Role
Working with the London Fire Commissioner and Directors, the Director for Communications and Engagement will ensure that the LFB is trusted to serve and protect London. They will act as principal advisor to the London Fire Commissioner on all communications and stakeholder engagement matters.
Driven by LFB’s strategic priorities, the Director will focus on strengthening relationships across London, one of the world’s most diverse cities, and building a strong directorate with purpose and energy to enhance the reputation of the Brigade and build lasting partnerships which affirm its purpose and vision as a dynamic, forward-looking organisation of fully engaged people at the centre of the communities we serve, adapting to the changing needs of London.
Main Duties
Building a fully functioning directorate, driven by LFB’s priorities to ensure it has the communications and engagement management capability to support the delivery of the LFC’s strategic objectives.
Ensure that all communications and engagement are streamlined, driven by core objectives, strategic in their intent and achievement and contributes to common purpose of the vision, mission and beliefs of LFB.
Leading, supporting and directing teams within the Communications Department ensuring that they are managed efficiently and effectively and deliver their workplan across external , stakeholder engagement, internal, culture change and community engagement.
Achieving all this while forming and representing the LFB values: service, integrity, teamwork. Equity, courage, learning.
Further information about the main duties and responsibilities of the role are detailed in the job description.
To apply, please contact our search partner Sanderson King, by submitting your CV and covering letter to contact@sandersonking.com and quoting reference SK27362.
Eligibility
You will have experience of:
Leading and transforming communications and stakeholder functions in complex and politically driven organisations, including strategic management of issues in a challenging time.
Building, leading and directing a team of skilled professionals with diverse responsibilities to deliver alongside many stakeholders.
Managing budgets and effectively planning and delivering programmes; pro-active and reactive, creatively to best deploy public funds.
Operating across medium-sized, operational workforces with strong staff representation.
Applying of political acuity and acumen when operating in a complex political environment across multiple stakeholders, including central and /or local government, and the community.
Participating at senior executive or director level in a leadership team or management board to constructively deliver strategic goals across and for an organisation.
Additional Information
We value the diversity of our employees, and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects our diverse communities across London. The London Fire Commissioner is an Equal Opportunities Employer and we positively welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals, irrespective of people's age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances. We have guidance in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability.
Benefits of working for LFB
• 26 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
• Flexible working including job share
• Welfare Scheme
• Use of Brigade Medical Adviser/physios
• Season ticket loans
• Equality Support Groups
• Contributory Pension Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Opportunity to access affordable accommodation
In line with the Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) employment checks will be completed by successful candidates, which will include a Standard criminal records check. Successful candidate will be required to declare any convictions for offences and any offer of employment is subject to the LFC receiving a criminal records disclosure which it considers satisfactory.
Please note that all third-party applications will be forwarded to our exclusive search partner, Sanderson King.
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