Fire National Resilience Senior Policy Advisers

Job summary

We are MHCLG

The Fire Directorate plays a vital role in keeping the public safe from fires and the harm they cause, as part of the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government’s vision to end the building safety crisis and transform the fire and rescue sector. Within Fire Directorate, the Fire Resilience and Workforce Reform Division lead critical work to manage national risks through enabling the work of fire and rescue services. Specifically, we provide specialist capabilities, personnel and resources through fire and rescue services which enhance the ability of the sector to respond effectively to large-scale or critical incidents. Those incidents may include natural disasters, industrial accidents or terrorist attacks.

We are recruiting two Senior Policy Advisers to support national resilience policy and capability development. One post will focus on the Marauding Terrorist Attack (MTA) capability, including supporting a full review of the capability that is ongoing and the development of practical delivery plans to ensure response to these incidents remains fit for purpose. The other post will focus on Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear capability, primarily supporting the Mass Decontamination (MD) capability review. Both postholders will build and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including the fire sector, Chief Fire Officers, senior representatives, operational partners and cross-Whitehall colleagues.

The roles provide an opportunity to work on high-profile national resilience issues and develop a strong understanding of the fire and rescue service and wider emergency services sector.

Job description

As the Fire National Resilience Senior Policy Adviser your responsibilities will include:

Marauding Terrorist Attack (MTA) capability

• Lead policy development for the MTA Review, using evidence, operational learning and stakeholder feedback to develop options and inform decisions.
• Work with fire sector MTA advisers and partners to deliver workshops, steering groups and task and finish groups, ensuring actions are tracked and progressed. Support programme delivery through effective budget management, governance, delivery planning, and management of risks, issues and dependencies.
• Prepare high-quality briefings, submissions and advice for Ministers, senior leaders and stakeholders.
• Build strong relationships across the fire sector, government and blue light partners to support successful delivery of MTA capability improvements.
• Provide flexible support to wider Fire National Resilience priorities across the Fire Directorate.

Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) capability

• Provide policy and project support for the MD capability review, contributing to the development of alternative options to strengthen and enhance national specialist mass decontamination capability.
• Coordinate project working groups, ensuring effective governance, clear documentation, strong communication and collaborative working with key stakeholders.
• Support policy lead contributions to research and development on other initial decontamination responses, including the Surge Decontamination Deluge Corridor model, assessing feasibility, operational benefit and delivery considerations.
• Prepare high-quality meeting notes, briefings, submissions and advice for Ministers and senior colleagues.
• Use evidence, data, stakeholder feedback and operational learning to support policy recommendations, identify risks and inform decisions.
• Provide flexible support to emerging Fire National Resilience priorities across the Fire Directorate.
• The successful candidate will need to be flexible, given the evolving nature of the risks and priorities for the Fire Directorate and Fire Resilience and Workforce Reform Division.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• An ability to quickly get to grip with highly technical policy areas or an understanding of the fire and rescue service, national security, national resilience, counter-terrorism, or the wider emergency services sector.
• Ability to work flexibly and collaboratively across a diverse portfolio of policy areas, often at pace.
• Strong policy skills, including a good understanding of the policy process, the ability to apply decision-making tools to model policy options, use data and evidence, work effectively with Ministers and understand how to manage risk.
• Exceptional attention to detail, particularly in project planning, producing high-quality meeting notes, and preparing accurate briefings and advice for Ministers and senior colleagues.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with a proven track record of successful internal and external relationship management and the ability to build and maintain good working relationships at all levels.
• Confident and clear communication skills, with the ability to adapt your style to different audiences, build trust and influence stakeholders across the fire sector and within the department.
• Confident decision-making skills, sound judgement and the ability to provide constructive challenge where appropriate.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £45,773, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £13,260 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Staff Benefits Scheme, Childcare Vouchers, and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Application and Selection

The application process will be split into 2 stages, testing the following Success Profiles:

Behaviours , Experience , Strengths

Please ensure your CV does not contain any personally identifiable information.

Note: We do not consider direct CV applications. All applications must be submitted via the provided application link.

Important: Your CV and Cover Letter must be merged into a single document before uploading.

Stage 1: Sift (CV & Cover Letter)

Experience: Your covering letter should be no more than 1 page referencing how you meet the criteria set out in the job description.

In your CV and covering letter, please include:
a. why you are interested in the role;
b. how you meet the essential skills and experience required

If you run into any technical problems when applying through Be Applied (for example, trouble logging in or submitting your application), their support team can help. Please contact them at hello@beapplied.com.

Stage 2: Interview

• Behaviours: Working Together, Making Effective Decisions, Communicating and Influencing and Seeing the Big Picture.

• Experience: Experience questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description.

• Strengths: The strength-based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.

*Candidates will be asked to prepare a 5-10 minute presentation, further details will be provided on invitation to interview.

Sift and Interview Dates

Sifting is envisaged to take place the week commencing 26th October 2026.

Interviews are envisaged to take place the week commencing 9th November 2026 and are currently being held remotely via videocall. This could be subject to change.

If you have any question regarding the advert, please contact:

Thomas.Pinchbeck@communities.gov.uk + Amanda.Sharpley@communities.gov.uk

Disability Confident Scheme (DCS)

We are a Disability Confident employer.

We apply a fair and proportionate interview process for all candidates. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to progress candidates who apply under the Disability Confident Scheme and meet the required minimum selection criteria.

However, where high application volumes are received, progression to interview may be limited to those who best meet the role criteria. In these circumstances, the benchmark required to proceed to interview may be raised for all candidates.

How We Recruit

Find out more about our recruitment processes here.

• Applying

• Sifting

• Interview

• Interview Results & Feedback

• Reserve List

• Near Miss

• Civil Service Grades

• We are a DCS, RIS & GPTWV employer

• Reasonable Adjustments

How to Apply

Find out everything you need to know before applying here.

You must review the following information from the MHCLG Career's Site before submitting your application. This step is essential to ensure your eligibility for the role and that your application is completed correctly.

• Security Clearance Requirements

• Civil Service Nationality Requirements

• Right to Work

• Civil Service Code and Recruitment Principles

• CV Declaration

• Sponsorships

• Salary and Grade

• Existing Civil Servants

• Conflict of Interest

• Location and Flexible Working

• Internal Fraud Database

• Appeals and Complaints

• Fixed Term Appointments for:

• External Candidates

• Existing Civil Servants (Including Loans)

• Secondments

• MHCLG employees

Security Clearance Requirements

National Office: + SC

London Office: + SC

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a standard (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Thomas Pinchbeck
• Email : Thomas.pinchbeck@communities.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@communities.gov.uk

Further information

If you are unsure about any part of the process or require additional information about the post to enable you to progress your application, you should speak to the Resourcing team - recruitment@communities.gov.uk. Candidates can appeal at any stage of the recruitment process if they believe there has been:

a procedural irregularity

an infringement of the Civil Service equal opportunities policy

exceptional circumstances which were not notified to the interview panel which might have affected performance on the day.

It is important to note that these are appeals about the process not the decision. In the first instance, an appeal should be directed to the MHCLG Resourcing Hub at recruitment@communities.gov.uk.