Fire National Resilience Senior Policy Advisers

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.

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.

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)

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: BPSS + SC

London Office: BPSS + SC

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