Watch Manager Development and Promotion (Internal only)

The opportunity has arisen for substantive, competent wholetime Crew Managers (CM) currently employed by West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (WYFRS) to apply to enrol onto the Watch Manager Development and Promotions process. The development programme is designed to ensure that WYFRS can identify, assess and select the best possible performing candidates. In addition, the process will ensure that all candidates are treated fairly and have access to equality of development and promotion opportunities. 

As part of this process, a development programme will be utilised to ensure that our people have the opportunity to develop the right skills, knowledge, behaviours and understanding in order to competently perform the role. 

Following an induction, successful candidates will embark on a development programme that will prepare them for the step up into the unique and key organisational role of WYFRS Watch Manager.

Eligibility

Individuals applying for development must:

• Be currently employed by WYFRS.

• Be a substantive and competent Crew Manager.

• Hold and maintain all qualifications required for their current role.

• Have completed and maintained all role related courses within the required refresher periods.

• Have no current/outstanding development action plans, performance improvement action plans or capability issues related to competency.

• Be free of current formal disciplinary awards throughout the entire process.

• Have completed an Annual Review (AR) in the last 12 months, with no concerns captured and that you wish to be considered for promotion/development. 

• Line manager has completed a Talent Assessment within the Annual Review system showing potential for promotion.

• Possess, IFE Level 3 Certificate pass in Fire Service Operations and Incident Command.

• Possess, IFE Level 3 Award pass in Fire Engineering Science OR IFE Level 3 Award pass in Fire Safety.

• Meet all the essential personal specification/shortlisting criteria. (Job Description / Person Specification).

Please note, the names of the IFE qualifications have recently changed. If you are unsure whether your IFE qualifications are relevant, please contact Learning & Development.

We are an organisation where everyone is encouraged, trusted, and supported to play their part in promoting safety and wellbeing across all communities in West Yorkshire. We are looking for candidates who are committed to our vision of making West Yorkshire safer and who demonstrate the values of team, responsibility, integrity, communication and learn.

We are an equal opportunities employer; we value and celebrate equality, diversity & neurodiversity and inclusion. We particularly welcome candidates from communities that are currently under-represented at WYFRS, including women, racially & ethnically diverse applicants and applicants with disabilities. We can offer support and adjustments for candidates and staff who experience barriers to work that result from health conditions or Specific Learning Differences, such as dyslexia

All applicants should make themselves aware of the FF-SM development process policy.

The selection process will comprise of:

1. Identifying Potential / Application Form.

2. Pre-Development (Phase 1).

3. Selection process for promotion.

4. Formal Appointment.

5. Phase 2 and 3 of the Development Portfolio.

6. Competent in role sign off.

Annual Review.

• Applicants must have completed an Annual Review (AR) in the last 12 months, with no concerns captured and that you wish to be considered for promotion/development. Candidate to confirm with their Line manager has complete a Talent Assessment within the Annual Review showing potential for promotion.

1: Identifying Potential / Application Form.

Applicants must complete and submit an online application form using the e-recruitment system which will require them to detail how they meet all the essential criteria for the role. 

Applicants should only write a maximum of 300 words for each criterion detailed on the personnel specification. When completing your personnel statement please number each example with the corresponding personnel specification.

To support you application please complete the following:

Emergency Response Driving Qualification and Experience Declaration – Fill in form

Shortlisting.

To be shortlisted, you must use clear, concise examples in your application to show how you meet each person specification criterion. Click here for Job Description / Person Specification.

Applications will be shortlisted where all essential criteria are evidenced. These criteria are essential because they provide the knowledge, skills and accreditation needed from day one.

If applicant numbers are high, longlisting and shortlisting may apply. In this case, only applications that also evidence the desirable criteria may be shortlisted. Desirable criteria are relevant to the role but may be achieved during the development period.

Following the closing date, submitted application forms will be forwarded to the Shortlisting Panel for consideration. All applicants will be advised via email as to whether they have been successfully shortlisted.

Temporary Promotion Opportunity.

Successfully shortlisted candidates may be invited to express an interest in undertaking a period of Temporary Promotion, subject to organisational need. Any expression of interest must be supported and endorsed by the individual’s line manager prior to submission.

Where the level of interest exceeds the number of available temporary promotion opportunities, a proportionate selection method may be applied.

Temporary promotion does not guarantee progression.

Expression of Interest for Temporary Promotion – Fill in form

2: Pre-Development (Phase 1).

During the pre-development stage Internal pathway candidates are required to complete phase 1 of the development programme which must be completed within 6 months.

3: Selection process for promotion.

Applicants will be required to prepare a 10-minute presentation, of which the title will be given beforehand and a 60-minute interview.

4: Formal Appointment.

Successful applicants will be held on a successful applicant list in merit order and will be offered a promotion role, applicable to that promotion process rank, as soon as a suitable vacancy arises.

5: Phase 2 and 3 of the Development Portfolio.

Successful applicants that are offered and accept a promotion role will be paid at development rate of pay and required to complete Phase 2 and 3 of the development programmes, with competent pay awarded on successful completion of the development pack and all associated courses.

6: Competent in role sign off.

On completion of phase 2 and 3 of the development pack, Learning and Development team will review the pack and subject to the quality and range of evidence provided being sufficient, the pack will be signed off and the candidate deemed competent in role, at which point competent pay will be awarded and the candidates role made substantive.

Timeline.

• Applications close: Monday 10^th August 2026 (midnight).

• Shortlisting: Tuesday 11^th to Friday 14^th August 2026.  

• Temporary Promotion Expression of Interest Process: Monday 17^th to Friday 21^st August 2026.

• Internal Portfolio Induction Phase 1 open: w/c Monday 17^th August 2026.

• Internal portfolio closed: Friday 12^th February 2027.

• Presentation and Interview: February 2027.

• Candidate Feedback: March 2027.

WYFRS are committed to having an inclusive and diverse workforce, if you feel you require any reasonable adjustments to participate within this recruitment process, please contact our People Team at Applications@westyorksfire.gov.uk

For an informal discussion about these roles, please contact: SM Dan Butterfield Daniel.Butterfield02@westyorksfire.gov.uk

Click here for Guidance Notes

Click here for Additional Guidance on our new E-recruitment System

All correspondence will usually be sent to your email account registered with the online recruitment system rather than by letter. Please check your email account regularly.

If after reading all of this information, you are interested in applying, please read the documents listed above for more details and click on 'Apply' for the application form.

Please note we do not accept CVs.  If you are viewing this vacancy on ‘jobsindeed’ or other external platform, please be advised this vacancy is only open to West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service employees.

For recruitment queries please contact Applications@westyorksfire.gov.uk