Job Description

Career Pathway Description.

Are you ready to take the next step in your leadership journey within Sellafield Fire & Rescue Service?

We are inviting expressions of interest from capable and committed SF&RS Crew Managers (or those who have completed the Crew Manager Career Pathway) who are keen to progress into the role of Watch Manager through our structured Career Pathway process. This is a key opportunity for those ready to lead teams, manage operational readiness and uphold the highest standards of safety, professionalism and nuclear security across the Sellafield site.

Participation in and successful completion of the SL Leadership Standard Assessment is a mandatory step within the Watch Manager Career Pathway.

Once the pathway has been successfully passed, individuals will enter a holding pool until a Watch Manager position becomes available. If more than one candidate is in the pool when a vacancy arises, a structured scoring process will be applied using agreed criteria to ensure fair and transparent selection.

Full details of how the pathway works and the governance procedure can be found via the ‘Career Pathways’ tab on the ‘Security, Resilience and Emergency Management SharePoint Page’.

About the Role:

Watch Managers play a critical leadership role within SF&RS. Acting on behalf of the Station Manager, they supervise and develop teams of firefighters to ensure readiness for fire, medical, environmental and other emergency incidents. They provide incident command, manage safety-critical and SQEP training and oversee the inspection, testing and maintenance of fire and rescue equipment.

Watch Managers also support multi-agency coordination, apply JESIP principles and contribute to strategic site command operations, including liaison duties at the Main Site Command Facility (MSCF). The role demands resilience, sound judgement and the ability to lead by example in high-pressure environments. Responsibilities of a Watch Manager include:
• To lead and develop operational teams to maintain SF&RS emergency response capabilities.
• To act as Incident Commander and apply risk-based decision-making in dynamic situations.
• To manage the delivery of training, competence assurance and safety-critical activities.
• To represent SF&RS in multi-agency command environments and support site command centres.
• To uphold SL’s Nuclear Professionalism Standards and contribute to a strong leadership culture.

Who Should Apply?

• Substantive SF&RS Crew Managers who have a My Contribution ‘Performance Rating’ of ‘Meets Expectations’ or above and a ‘Potential Rating’ of ‘Potential to progress at a higher grade or zone in the organisation’.
• Substantive SF&RS firefighters who have successfully completed the Crew Manager Career Pathway. They must also have a My Contribution ‘Performance Rating’ of ‘Meets Expectations’ or above and a ‘Potential Rating’ of ‘Potential to progress at a higher grade or zone in the organisation’.
• NB: Individuals from either category above with a current rating of ‘Unable to rate’ will also be eligible to apply.

How to Apply:

Please submit your Expression of Interest including:

Q1. Developing people under operational pressure.

Describe how you would ensure your team continues to grow and develop whilst meeting operational demands, particularly when time or resources are limited. Your answer must explain the specific steps you would take and provide a recent example where you have successfully supported someone’s development in similar circumstances (maximum 500 words).

Q2. Creating a culture of continuous improvement & accountability.

Explain how you would build a culture of continuous improvement and accountability within your watch, including how you would measure whether your approach is working. Describe the behaviours, tools and approaches you would use and provide a real example of when you have already contributed to improving a system, process or team culture (maximum 500 words).

Q3. Leadership behaviours required of a Watch Manager.

What leadership behaviours do you consider essential for a Watch Manager at Sellafield Fire & Rescue Service? Provide specific examples of when you have demonstrated these behaviours (or how you have started developing them), including behaviours under pressure and in the routine working environment. Explain how your approach aligns with the company manifesto and organisational expectations (maximum 500 words).

Q4. Leading in challenging operational or developing scenarios.

Describe a time when you led or significantly supported a team during a challenging operational or developing scenario. Explain your role, the leadership actions you took, the decision‑making process you used and what you learnt from the experience. Include how you would apply that learning in the role of Watch Manager (maximum 500 words).

Additional information required for application:

• Please ensure you provide a summary of your relevant experience, skills and qualifications, including details of leadership or development activities (maximum 500 words).
• If you have any additional insights that you feel would strengthen your application or demonstrate your readiness for the role, please include them here (maximum 200 words).
• Applicants must obtain a written statement of support from their Fire Station Manager (maximum 200 words). This statement should outline the manager’s confidence in the applicant’s readiness for the Watch Manager Career Pathway and confirm that the individual has demonstrated the behaviours, performance and commitment expected for progression. Applications submitted without a line manager endorsement will not be considered. A PDF version of the Station Manager’s submission must be attached to the application by the candidate.

If you have any questions or would like an informal discussion about the Crew Manager Pathway, please contact either James Todhunter (Emergency Response Manager) or Matt Saulters (Station Manager).

The Profession has the right to withdraw the Expression of Interest advert at any stage.

Additional Information

• Career Pathway Opportunities
• Number of Vacancies: 1
• Contact/s: James Todhunter

Sellafield Ltd are recognised as a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3). Disability Confident employers offer an interview to disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for a vacancy. Sellafield Ltd define the minimum criteria as the ‘essential skills’ which are listed on the vacancy notice. Whilst completing your application form, you will be able to indicate if you wish to be considered under the disability confident scheme. If you would prefer to discuss this directly with us, please contact the GBS Recruitment team on recruitment@sellafieldcloud.co.uk

Please ensure that you save a copy of this advert for future reference if you make an application for this role.

The closing date for this pathway is Sunday 3rd May 2026.