Head of Fire Safety & Compliance (Grade VIII) - Fulltime, Permanent positionReference No: Directorate/Department: Infrastructure & Support Services DirectorateReport to: Occupational Health & Safety ManagerAccountable to: Director Infrastructure and Support ServicesRole Purpose:The Head of Fire Safety and Compliance is the designated senior professional responsible for the establishment, implementation, and maintenance of a comprehensive fire safety management system across the hospital campus. The role's primary objective is to ensure the statutory compliance of the hospital with the Fire Services Act, 1981, and associated regulations, while meeting the highest standards of safety and quality as set out by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).This role provides specialist leadership for all fire and life safety matters, integrates fire safety into the hospital's broader safety strategy, and manages complex fire safety infrastructure projects and contractor activities.Qualifications & Experience:Must have:Level 8 qualification in Fire Engineering (minimum).6 years' relevant experience with a minimum of 3 years Supervisory / Management experiencePractical experience of use of IT systems / packagesFluent command and understanding of the English language to include spoken and written word.Several years' experience in a consultancy or similar environmentExtensive experience in delivering fire Engineering & Operational solutionsBe aware of appropriate Irish fire safety legislation and design guidanceClear understanding of the total fire concept: from the client brief through to construction and operationThe ability to work on multiple projects concurrently, working to tight deadlines.Business development experience and an existing portfolio of clients/contacts in the industry would be of benefitExperience in negotiations with Local authorities and other key stakeholders.Desirable:Project management experienceStrong client-facing and presentation skillsKey ResponsibilitiesFire-Related Business Continuity & ResilienceBusiness Continuity Leadership: Take full accountability for fire-related business continuity planning. Develop strategies to ensure that critical clinical and operational functions can continue or recover swiftly following fire incidents.Risk Assessment & Mitigation: Identify fire-related risks to business operations. Develop and implement mitigation strategies that align with the hospital's enterprise-wide resilience objectives.BCP Integration: Collaborate closely with Business Continuity leads to embed fire engineering considerations and life safety infrastructure limitations into all hospital continuity plans.Testing & Assurance: Lead and coordinate fire-related continuity exercises and scenario testing to validate recovery strategies, ensuring compliance with relevant standards and hospital policy.Ownership of Life Safety Systems & Technical StandardsSystem Ownership: Act as the primary technical owner for all Life Safety Systems, including Fire Alarm and Detection, Emergency Lighting, Fire Suppression, and Firefighting Equipment.Standard Setting: Define the technical standards and protocols for all maintenance, testing, and inspections carried out by internal maintenance teams.Validation & Quality Assurance: Review and sign off on all fire-related work performed by internal trades to ensure it meets statutory requirements.Asset Integrity: Maintain the master asset register for all fire infrastructure, ensuring it is audit-ready for HIQA or Local Authority inspections.Tendering, Contracts & Commercial ManagementCommercial Leadership: Lead the technical specification, evaluation, and tendering process for all fire-related external service contracts and capital upgrades.Contract Management: Own and manage the lifecycle of external fire safety contracts. Monitor KPIs, audit service reports, and ensure all statutory certification is archived.Leasehold & Project Due Diligence: Provide fire safety oversight for new site acquisitions and leaseholds (e.g., Clondalkin Convent). Review lease terms to ensure fire safety standards are met and maintenance boundaries are clearly defined.Auditing, Inspections, and Incident ManagementAnnual Audits: Conduct comprehensive annual fire safety audits and provide formal compliance reports to senior management.Alarm & Incident Management: Review fire alarm activations and lead fire investigations to determine causes and implement corrective actions to prevent reoccurrence.Emergency Governance: Represent the Directorate in the management of the Hospital Major Incident Management Plan and Internal Incident Management Plan, owning all technical and infrastructure aspects of the response.Fire Training and PreparednessTraining Framework: Develop a fit-for-purpose fire safety training framework, including specialized Fire Marshal training, to meet organizational needs.Drills & Exercises: Lead and coordinate hospital-wide fire drills and evacuation exercises, maintaining meticulous records for regulatory inspection.The foregoing is not an exhaustive list of duties/responsibilities. The role will be reviewed on an ongoing basis in order to meet the needs of an ever changing healthcare environment.For more information and a full job description please contact Ms. Mairéad Holland Flynn at email -