Head of Fire Safety Compliance

Your new company A large, complex organisation with a diverse property portfolio is undertaking asignificant programme of improvement across building and fire safety. With a strong focus on regulatory compliance, governance and long-term risk management, the organisation is investing in senior technical leadership to help shape a future‑proof fire safety strategy and drive meaningful, organisation‑wide change. This is an opportunity to join at a pivotal time, influencing strategic direction at senior level and leaving a lasting legacy across asset compliance and building safety. Your new role As Head of Fire Safety, you will provide senior strategic and technical leadership across the fire safety function on a 12‑month fixed-term basis. The focus of the role is on reviewing current arrangements, identifying gaps, and designing a robust, best‑practice operating model aligned to regulatory requirements and the organisation's long‑term asset strategy. Key responsibilities include: Leading a comprehensive review of existing fire safety processes, assurance and delivery models Producing a clear, evidence‑based position statement and a prioritised forward plan Defining long‑term requirements for fire strategies, fire engineering input and specialist technical support Redesigning the end‑to‑end Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) programme and follow‑on actions Improving data quality, reporting and insight to support risk‑informed decision‑making at senior level Leading the procurement and commissioning of FRA providers, specialist consultants and supporting systems Providing high‑level technical advice on complex and high‑risk fire safety issues Contributing to improved governance, collaboration and shared ownership of fire risk across the organisation Line managing senior colleagues within the function What you'll need to succeed You will be a senior fire safety professional with a strong strategic mindset and the credibility to operate at executive level. You will bring: Proven experience delivering large‑scale organisational change and embedding new governance and operating models Extensive experience undertaking strategic reviews, gap analyses and assurance assessments Strong ability to translate technical and analytical insight into clear plans, priorities and recommendations Deep technical expertise in fire safety legislation, fire engineering principles and FRA methodologies Experience commissioning, reviewing or assuring complex fire strategies and FRA outputs Senior leadership experience within housing, asset management or other complex property portfoliosYou will also hold: MIFireE or FIFireE status Fire risk assessment accreditation Strong working knowledge of relevant legislation and standards including the Fire Safety Act, Fire Safety (England) Regulations, PAS 9980, PAS 79, BS 9999 and BS 9991 What you'll get in return In return, you'll gain the opportunity to operate in a genuinely influential strategic role, working at the forefront of building and fire safety transformation. You'll be trusted to shape direction, challenge existing approaches and implement best‑practice frameworks that will stand up to regulatory scrutiny. The role offers: A high‑impact, senior interim/FTC opportunity Exposure to complex, high‑profile fire safety challenges The chance to leave a clear strategic legacy A competitive senior salary aligned to the responsibility of the role What you need to do now If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now. If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career. Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at (url removed)