Head of Fire Compliance | Full Time | UK Wide | Competitive Salary

Balfour Beatty is looking for a Head of Fire Compliance to support its Regional Buildings business.

This is a senior national role. It can be based anywhere in the UK, with travel needed to support regional teams and projects.

You will provide expert fire safety leadership across a portfolio of complex building projects. You will help make sure buildings are safe, compliant and performing as intended across their lifecycle.

The role sits within the Technical Function and reports to the Head of Construction Compliance.

You will act as Balfour Beatty’s subject matter expert for fire safety compliance. You will guide project teams, support technical assurance and help the business prepare for changes in fire safety law and standards.

So yes, this is one of those roles where “attention to detail” is not just something people slap on a CV and hope nobody checks.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Fire Compliance: Own and maintain the fire safety strategy for the Regional Buildings business.
• Set clear guidance: Help project teams meet design standards and legal duties.
• Support compliance: Define processes that support regulatory compliance.
• Review products: Help ensure products are certified, tested and suitable.
• Track legal change: Monitor changes in law, standards and guidance.
• Update procedures: Make sure business procedures reflect current requirements.
• Support the golden thread: Help develop systems that record and verify compliance across the project lifecycle.
• Engage project teams: Make sure teams understand and apply technical standards.
• Review competence: Oversee fire safety training needs and programmes.
• Manage specialists: Work with fire engineering specialists on reports, assessments and testing.
• Report risk: Provide updates on project issues, competence, golden thread records and legal change.
• Support procurement: Work with suppliers on compliant, tested products and solutions.
• Review innovation: Assess new fire-engineered solutions before they are used on projects.
• Support bids: Review fire safety risk at bid stage.
• Advise clients: Help clients understand fire safety risks where cost or design choices affect best practice.
• Audit designs: Review fire strategies and related designs before contract award.
• Support authorities: Help project teams engage with fire authorities and building control.
• Support construction: Provide or arrange technical support and peer reviews.
• Support inspections: Help teams develop inspection and test plans.
• Support defects work: Give technical input on fire-related defects after completion.

About You

Balfour Beatty is looking for someone with:

• Fire safety experience: At least 10 years’ experience in a related fire engineering or fire safety environment.
• Technical knowledge: Strong knowledge of passive and active fire safety measures.
• Regulatory knowledge: Understanding of current fire safety codes, rules and standards.
• Design understanding: Knowledge of how fire strategy links to design and construction work.
• Compliance focus: The ability to support safe, legal and well-documented project delivery.
• Communication skills: Clear written and verbal communication.
• Influencing skills: The ability to engage and influence teams, clients and partners.
• Collaboration: Experience working openly with internal and external stakeholders.
• Risk judgement: Confidence identifying technical and business risks.
• Leadership: Ability to guide teams and set clear standards.

It would also be useful to have:

• Fire engineering degree: A degree in fire engineering.
• Professional membership: Membership of a relevant professional body.
• CPD evidence: Evidence of continuing professional development.

What Balfour Beatty Offers

Balfour Beatty offers:

• Smart working: Flexible working, including staggered start and finish times where possible.
• Remote working: Up to 40% remote working where the role allows.
• Annual leave: 25 days’ paid annual leave, pro rata.
• Family leave: 28 weeks full pay for maternity or adoption leave.
• Partner leave: Four weeks full pay for paternity or partners leave.
• Pension: Access to a pension scheme.
• Share scheme: Share incentive plan.
• Volunteering leave: Time to support volunteering.
• Recognition: Employee recognition schemes.
• Major projects: Work on large and meaningful UK building projects.
• Sector variety: Projects across aviation, health, defence, education and development.
• Inclusive culture: A workplace focused on diversity, inclusion and removing barriers.

About Balfour Beatty

Balfour Beatty delivers major building and infrastructure projects across the UK.

Its buildings teams work across England and Wales. They create places where people live, work, learn, meet, receive care and spend time.

The Regional Buildings business works across complex projects in sectors such as aviation, health, defence, education and development.

Balfour Beatty is also a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to fair and inclusive recruitment.

How to Apply

Apply through Balfour Beatty’s recruitment process.

If you need support or adjustments during the recruitment process, you can contact:

candidaterecruitmentqueries@balfourbeatty.com

Balfour Beatty welcomes applications from a wide range of people. It also encourages applications from Armed Forces personnel, veterans and reservists.

Applicants with a disability who meet the minimum requirements for the role may be offered an interview.

Application Tips

For this Fire Compliance role, focus on your fire engineering, technical assurance and fire safety leadership experience. Give clear examples of how you have managed fire strategy, passive and active fire protection, regulatory compliance and technical risk. Show how you have worked with project teams, suppliers, clients, fire authorities and building control. Keep your CV senior, sharp and evidence-based. “Strategic leader” is fine, but only if you can prove it without summoning a fog machine.