• Suffolk County Council
• Address: Beacon House, Ipswich IP1 5PB – Onsite
• Salary: Watch Manager (Control) in accordance with NJC Pay Scales
• Hours: 42 hours per week – Day Duty
• Contract: Permanent

At Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, every position offers the opportunity to make a meaningful difference. As a Watch Manager (Control) – Training & Policy within our Fire Control Team, you will play a vital role in shaping the support we provide to the communities of Suffolk. Join us and turn your drive for improvement into real, lasting impact.

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities

You will play a pivotal leadership role within our modern, high‑tech control room in Ipswich, supporting the delivery of an efficient, resilient, and highly professional emergency response service.

In this role, you will:

• Undertake core control functions including emergency call handling, resource mobilisation, and incident management, ensuring all actions are carried out in line with established service procedures.
• Support the Station Manager in designing, developing, and delivering high‑quality, control‑specific training programmes.
• Contribute to the review, development, and implementation of control policies, procedures, and processes that promote excellence and continuous improvement.
• Provide professional guidance, advice, and day‑to‑day support to watch members, helping maintain consistent, effective, and safe working practices.
• Assist in upholding high operational standards across the control environment.
• Play an active role in helping the service meet its statutory responsibilities, organisational objectives, and ongoing improvement ambitions.

This is a dynamic and rewarding position where the decisions you make will directly support the safety and wellbeing of communities across Suffolk.

Eligibility requirements

We welcome applications from green and grey book applicants who are:

• Watch Managers (Control) (or above) serving with a UK Local Authority Fire and Rescue Service.
• Competent Crew Managers (Control) serving with a UK Local Authority Fire and Rescue Service.

You will need to be:

• A competent substantive Crew Manager (Control) with evidence of competence provided.
• Qualified in Health and Safety, holding a recognised accreditation.
• Experienced in ICT Command and Control systems, including the effective use of radio communications.
• Able to demonstrate strong organisational values, emotional intelligence, and resilience, maintaining a calm and professional approach in high‑pressure, challenging, and fast‑moving environments.
• Skilled in decision‑making, resource management, and workload prioritisation within a risk‑critical operational context.
• An excellent communicator, with strong interpersonal and analytical abilities, capable of engaging, influencing, and motivating others.
• Committed to continuous improvement and professional development, supporting both individual and team performance to meet organisational objectives.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (Word). If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don’t meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The team

This role supports our state-of-the-art control room in Ipswich, which operates 24/7, 365 days a year. The control room is the critical link between the public and our frontline firefighters, ensuring that emergency calls are handled swiftly and resources are mobilised effectively.

Empowering Everyone

We are big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We are always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information

Please contact Group Manager, Darren Reeve, or Station Manager, Georgina Trownson, for a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling Darren 07766 781266 or Georgina 07825 011522 or emailing: darren.reeve@suffolk.gov.uk or: georgina.trownson@suffolk.gov.uk

Please visit our Suffolk Firefighters website (suffolk-firefighters.co.uk) to learn more.

How to apply

Step 1 – Read the Job and Person Profile (Word).

Step 2 – Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.

Step 3 – Upload a supporting statement indicating how you meet each of the criteria in the ‘Person Profile’ section of the JPP.

• You should use the Supporting Statement template.
• Please use Arial font size 11 and keep your statement to a maximum of two sides of A4.

Step 4 – Upload a CV (without name and personal details).

Please note: Without a supporting statement and CV, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.

We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences. Applications suspected of being generated by AI may be rejected. We encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the application process.

Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at: recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or 03456 014412.

You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages. If you’re invited to the next stage, you’ll have another chance to request adjustments.

Closing date: 11.30 pm, 4 March 2026.

Promoted as FJ (Featured Job) on Suffolk Jobs Direct.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Onsite

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We’re driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you’ll enjoy:

• up to 40 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata)
• membership of a competitive Firefighters’ Pension scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• eligibility for a Blue Light card
• a lifetime of support from the Fire Firefighters Charity for you and your loved ones
• family friendly policies, including enhanced maternity and paternity leave and pay
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• access to national training schemes facilitated by the Fire Service College, Women in the Fire Service and the Asian Fire Service Association
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

Plus lots more!

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk).