Queensland Fire Department
Status
Permanent Full-time
Classification:
FCHIEF
Salary: $181,966.53 - $184,696.19 per annum
Division:
Rural Fire Service QLD
Region/Directorate:
STH WEST REG
Work Unit:
Darling Downs
Location:
Charlton
Closing Date:
Midnight 1 March 2026
Reference No:
QLD_QFD_21303
Current Queensland Fire Department employees and volunteers must apply via their internal careers site
About us
The Queensland Fire Department (QFD) provides fire prevention, preparedness and response services to fire in the built and landscape environments, as well as scientific and specialist capabilities to Queensland communities. The QFD provides a multi-hazard emergency response, including road crash rescue, bushfire, hazardous material, technical and vertical rescue, severe weather incidents, remote and swiftwater rescue, and provides a number of functions supporting community safety outcomes.
The department encompasses Queensland Fire and Rescue (QFR), Rural Fire Service Queensland (RFSQ), as well as the broader department which work together to pre-empt, prevent, mitigate and manage the consequences of fires and other emergencies on Queensland communities and support our large volunteer membership across the state.
The QFD is an organisation that is focused on reframing the department's relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities, and organisations through the Path to Treaty, Closing the Gap and building our cultural capability.
Purpose of the role
The RFSQ, as bushfire experts, lead and manage a range of operational and organisational functions primarily directed at supporting approximately 33,000 volunteers and rural fire brigades. These brigades provide fire management, mitigation, and response services for rural and semi-rural communities and some urban fringe areas across the state.
In addition to responding to fires and supporting other brigades and emergency services during emergency disasters, volunteer brigades undertake a range of planning and preparation activities. These activities ensure communities are well prepared for the bushfire season and include community education, hazard reduction, and mitigation activities aimed at reducing the risk from fire to people and property. The Permit to Light Fire system ensures the controlled use of fire in the landscape across the state is largely implemented by volunteer fire wardens.
As the senior fire leader for your District, you're right at the heart of bushfire mitigation, community readiness and emergency response. You'll bring people together to guide strategy, implement plans and champion the volunteer brigades who fight to keep Queensland's rural and regional communities safe.
Your remit will include overseeing complex prescribed burns, supporting the Area Fire Warden Network, working closely with First Nations experts around traditional cultural fire initiatives – and a great deal more. And as you draw on your expertise to shape strategic and operational plans and manage budgets and assets, you'll be building deep connections to the communities you serve.
This is an important, hands‐on, different‐every‐day role where you'll influence, guide, inspire and make numerous highspeed calls and decisions that save lives and make a measurable impact in others.
Your extensive experience in modern bushfire management is vital, but it's your passion and your ability to lead with heart, clarity, energy and purpose that make the real difference.
Key requirements
Mandatory requirements
* Hold a current valid Blue Card (from Blue Card Services).
* Minimum C Class Driver's licence (non-restricted).
QFD Applicants
* Internal applicants must provide evidence that they are eligible for appointment in accordance with the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Employee Award –State 2016.
External Applicants
* External applicants must have suitable contemporary fire and organisational management experience within an emergency service or fire management agency to the satisfaction of the Commissioner, QFD.
Highly desirable requirements
* Postgraduate qualification relevant to the role and senior officer rank, while not mandatory will be highly regarded.
* Demonstrated ability to provide operational leadership and management control of large‐scale rural fire incidents.
* Demonstrated strategic leadership skills with a capacity to understand the needs of volunteers, in a geographically diverse organisation with changing environmental, social, and demographic pressures.
* Demonstrated management and leadership skills to continually improve service delivery and organisational capabilities in line with government priorities to meet future demands through the effective management of human and physical services delivered through a regional service delivery model.
* Experience with the concepts, strategies and issues associated with managing rural fire service / bushfire prevention and or control organisation particularly in a volunteer environment, including knowledge of or experience in resource management appropriate to volunteers for the prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery phases in community support.
* Demonstrated ability and understanding of best practice policies and procedures when managing a diverse workforce incorporating volunteers, where strategic oversight and coordination has been utilised to assist with the continuity of service delivery and development of operational teams.
Special requirements
* The incumbent may be a member of the Incident Control Centre, Regional Coordination Centre or a Liaison Officer as directed by their RFSQ Supervisor.
* Be an active member of the Local and District Disaster Management Groups and/or equivalent Disaster Management authorised committee and represent the RFSQ and QFD to support the development of initiatives and activities that support the disaster management strategies of Queensland.
* Hours of duty applicable to this role are pursuant to the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Employees Award – State 2016 and QFD Certified Agreement 2022.
* Work hours are flexible to meet functional demands – for example, positions that require flexible arrangements for working with volunteers and other shift workers.
* It is expected that the incumbent may participate in an out-of-hours on‐call roster during emergency operations. This may require work outside of normal hours (e.g. night shift), including weekends, working extended hours and may include deployment to other parts of the state.
Your key accountabilities
Your part in the ongoing success of our department in providing frontline services for the RFSQ, will see you responsible for a variety of work, including, but not limited to:
* Lead, manage, and coordinate complex RFSQ operations and resources during large‐scale rural fires and other emergency incidents within Queensland as required.
* Represent RFS at complex multi‐agency events, provide strategic emergency management of the impacts on the community, and have full authority for the deployment of all resources within the region in which the incident is located.
* Undertake duties in managing the State Operations Centre and support with statewide management of bushfire operations involving activation of State and/or Regional Operation Centres or field as required.
* Support Executive leaders with the statewide management of bushfire operations and take a suitable leadership role at a departmental level during disaster operations to ensure interoperability across services and disaster management capabilities.
* Oversee state, regional or district operations and ensure the effective delivery of services through the best utilisation of the human, financial and capital resources of the operational unit.
* Lead the dissemination of communication within the workplace to ensure effective engagement across regions and areas, other emergency services providers, government and non‐government agencies, the media, and the community.
* Manage, prepare, and review complex reports, briefs, submissions, including confidential and sensitive rural fire management matters and/or issues in accordance with departmental policies, procedures, and processes.
* Provide expert advice to the executive leaders on service planning, development of standards, community awareness initiatives, corporate governance issues, and lead and guide staff in providing high‐quality support services to internal and external stakeholders.
* Provide strategic design input and lead the implementation of programs to provide increased staff and volunteer capability, capacity and performance, including the development of training standards and business rules that are consistent with operations.
* Manage human, financial (including budget and forecasting), and physical resources ensuring client service and performance management drives a culture of accountability and fairness and encourages and enables teams and individual staff to meet challenges, develop skills and achieve results.
Capabilities
To determine your suitability for the role, you will be assessed on the following Leadership Competencies for Queensland behavioural profiles that link to the "key accountabilities" for this role:
Leadership Competency Stream – Program Leader (leading teams and/or projects)
Vision
* Leads strategically
* Stimulates ideas and innovation
* Leads change in complex environments
* Makes insightful decisions
Results
* Develops and mobilises talent
* Builds enduring relationships
* Inspires others
* Drives accountability and outcomes
Accountability
* Fosters healthy and inclusive workplaces
* Pursues continuous growth
* Demonstrates sound governance
Once you join us we will want you to exemplify the QFD shared values:
* Respect
* Integrity
* Trust
* Courage
* Loyalty
To find out more about the behaviours and competencies required for this role, visit Leadership competencies for Queensland | For government | Queensland Government
Want more information?
Please contact Kym Cheatham, External Recruitment Partner on phone ************ or email ******************************.
You can also visit our website to find out more information about joining our team.
You can also visit the FESSN website for more information about our Psychological and Support Services. (remove if not required)
QFD are proud to be recognised as an employer of choice for women by Work180 and celebrate all diversity by committing to a culture where people feel safe, respected, valued and engaged
How to apply
Please refer to the QFD Operational Officer (Statewide) Application Guide for information on how to apply for this role.
Please refer to the generic Chief Superintendent (FSCSI) Rural Fire Service Queensland role description.
The RFS-Chief-Superintendent-Statement-of-Suitability.docx template MUST be used in this process and submitted with your application in Nexus.
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