On-Call Supervisory Manager Promotion Board

At Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, we are passionate about the communities we serve; we are committed to treating all with dignity and respect; and we are always looking for positive role models to join our leadership team. 

The right person

We are pleased to be recruiting to the post of On-Call Crew Manager and On-Call Watch Manager. We are looking for individuals who are focused on demonstrating outstanding leadership, and who value compassion, honesty, and integrity. 

You will be an integral part of the service delivery team and the right person will demonstrate they have the attitude, drive, and resilience to help support the crews they manage and the wider service. 

You will listen and engage with the teams you lead, strive for service improvement, and promote a fair, respectful culture, that prioritises staff development and well-being. 

The right role

At a time of ongoing reform of public services, it has never been more important to ensure we have the right people in the right roles, and successful applicants joining CFRS will be entering an engaging and empowering environment, building on our existing open and inclusive culture to seek continual improvement in performance across the Service. 

We are dedicated to improving outcomes for communities and driving our services forward to be the very best they can be. If you're looking to be a part of a progressive team, then an On-Call Crew or Watch Manager role in our service is the right step for your career.

As we move forward following a positive and improved HMICFRS inspection and focusing on delivering our Community Risk Management Plan, this exciting opportunity brings with it the chance to innovate, integrate, and do things differently. 

The right time

To apply for the Crew Manager role, you will currently hold the post of competent On-Call Firefighter and proof of competency will be required. 

To apply for the Watch Manager role, you will currently hold the post of competent On-Call Crew Manager, proof of competency will be required, and hold an in date ICL1 qualification. 

Following the completion of the promotion board, the Service will hold a ‘live’ list of individuals who are deemed suitable for temporary or substantive promotion opportunities. Individuals may be required to participate in further assessments to determine suitability for opportunities in functional departments.

We value the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects our communities in Cumbria. We actively encourage applications from all suitably qualified individuals, irrespective of people’s age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances. As women and ethnic minority employees are currently underrepresented in our management roles, we encourage applications from these groups.

Salary: 

Crew Manager

• Development - retainer £6,198 (or percentage of according to contracted hours) hourly rate £18.87

• Competent - retainer £6,466 (or percentage of according to contracted hours) hourly rate £19.68

   

Watch Manager

• Development - retainer £6,606 (or percentage of according to contracted hours) hourly rate £20.11
• Competent A - retainer £7,230 (or percentage of according to contracted hours) hourly rate £22.01

Contract: Permanent and fixed term opportunities

Workbase: Your On-Call Station

Recruitment Pack: We strongly advise candidates look at our Recruitment Pack for this process, please see it linked here (PDF) 

Modern and Inclusive Recruitment

We are committed to ensuring our Selection and Promotion processes are fair, inclusive, and allow all candidates to be their best selves on the day.

As a service, we have begun to introduce some measures that aim to reduce unconscious bias, remove barriers, maintain standards, and modernise how we recruit. This is on-going work and we will continually monitor changes made, seek feedback from all involved in the process, and review in line with national approaches.

What you can expect from this process:

• The use of NFCC recruitment best practice tools, including aligning our interview questions with the NFCC Leadership Framework, balancing the process for internal and external candidates.
• Confidential contact email to work directly with the Resourcing and Talent team to discuss adjustments throughout all stages of the process to remove any barriers for all candidates, but especially those who may be disadvantaged in any way. The team seeks consent on whether any of this is shared with the assessors or panel members.
• Established anonymised shortlisting practices are in place at CFRS, including having a balanced shortlisting panel of both operational and corporate leaders and staff to support thorough assessment of candidate suitability.
• Sharing of any assessment information and presentation requirements ahead of the interview day, and allowing candidates a minimum of ten minutes prep time with any panel interview questions. We want to help candidates present the best version of themselves.
• We are committing to offering engagement sessions during the process, enabling potential candidates to get to know the service in a friendly and informal way, and to share key information on the process, as well as asking questions directly to people working in CFRS and living in Cumbria.
• A mixture of assessments throughout the process for candidates to shine at their strengths, help them make the most of the experience, and support their development.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme 

CFRS has a Guaranteed Interview scheme for those whose most recent employer is the armed forces, for care leavers, and for those who consider themselves disabled. If you consider yourself eligible, please include this information when submitting your application to the Resourcing team, who will handle this confidentially. We encourage candidates to let us know so we can provide the best support and access throughout the process.

Adjustments 

We strongly encourage any candidate who may require adjustments to make us aware as soon as possible by contacting the Resourcing Team directly (email below). We will have a confidential discussion with you. We take the approach of ‘you tell us what you require, and we will do our best to facilitate’. Where we are unable to make the adjustment, we will share this as soon as possible. 
Resourcing Team email: Recruitment@cumbriafire.gov.uk    

If you would like any further information on any of the above, please contact Resourcing and Talent via email: Recruitment@cumbriafire.gov.uk  

How to apply 

To apply for this process: 

• Join one of our engagement sessions to learn more about the role and requirements. Get in touch with resourcing team if you wish to attend (Recruitment@cumbriafire.gov.uk )
• Apply via the application form linked below.  

Crew Manager - Role Profile (PDF)

Crew Manager Application Form - Link (Forms)

Watch Manager - Role Profile (PDF)

Watch Manager Application Form - Link (Forms)

Applications must be submitted by midnight on Sunday 8th February 2026. 

If you have any accessibility issues, please contact Katie Norman via email: Recruitment@cumbriafire.gov.uk

Timeline

• Applications open - Monday 5th January 2026

• Engagement sessions -

  • Sessions 1 = Thursday  8th January 2026 - 6pm until 7pm

  Join the meeting now 

  Meeting ID: 370 514 691 886 43 

  Passcode: Xx78iM3y

  • Sessions 2 = Tuesday 20th January 2026 - 6pm until 7pm

    Join the meeting now 

    Meeting ID: 325 132 715 949 02 

    Passcode: c5is7uX6

• Applications close - midnight on Sunday 8th February 2026
• Shortlisting - week commencing 9th February 2026
• Assessment Day -  week commencing 23rd February 2026
  • Applicants will be assessed against the NFCC Leadership Framework, found here (link to PDF)
• Candidate Feedback Sessions available week commencing 16th March 2026 

Assessment Day Additional Information 

Drill ground assessment, you will be expected to lead / deliver a number of standard drills to a satisfactory standard.

For CM these will be chosen from:

• H1 - To get a branch to work using one line of hose from a hydrant with a crew of four
• L1 - To Slip and Pitch a 9m and 10.5m ladder with a crew of four
• L2 - To Slip and Pitch a 9m and 10.5m ladder with a crew of three
• L3 - To Slip and Pitch a 13.5m ladder with a crew of four

For WM these will be chosen from:

• H5 - To get a branch to work aloft using a line with a crew of four & P5 - To get a pump to work from a hydrant using soft suction with a crew of four (one delivery)
• L5 - To Pitch a 13.5m ladder in a restricted space with a crew of four
• PL1 - To get a hose-reel to work aloft via a ladder from a pump with a crew of four
• PL2 - To get a line of hose to work aloft via a ladder from a pump working from a hydrant using soft suction (one delivery) with a crew of four

For CM who are applying but do not hold an in date ICL1 skill there will be a practical, assessment of potential to deliver the duties of an incident commander at ICL1 level.

Pension information  

Please note, if you have been employed as an operational firefighter and are in receipt of a firefighter’s pension, your pension may be abated if you are appointed. Abatement will occur if your pension plus your new salary adds up to more than your previous salary upon retirement – further details can be provided on request. It is also worth noting that you may also be affected by HMRC rules and should check with the HMRC to see if this applies to you. 

Using AI 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are becoming more common, and we understand that some people may use them when preparing job applications. As a service, we are looking at the use of AI and data because we know how important these technologies are for the future.

However, when you apply for a job with our service , it’s important that your application is your own. While AI can be useful for things like checking spelling, grammar, or helping to structure your answers, relying on it too much, especially to write your answers, could reduce your chances of being shortlisted. What makes an application stand out is authenticity. Ultimately, we’re hiring people, not AI tools, so we want to hear about your real experiences and achievements, not what AI thinks we want to hear.

If you choose to use AI to support your application, we have created some guidance on how you can use AI tools in your application in a way that we consider acceptable. Using AI in ways that go beyond these guidelines could affect the outcome of your application or interview. 

Use of AI in our Recruitment Processes (Link - PDF)