Area Manager

Overview

Employer: Queensland Fire Department
Status: Temporary Full-time
Tenure Period: Varying periods for backfill
Possibility Of Extension: Yes
Classification: FSINS
Salary: $6,160.38 - $6,252.79 per fortnight
Division: Rural Fire Service QLD
Region/Directorate: NORTHERN REG
Work Unit: NORTHERN REGION

Location: Mackay, Townsville, Cairns, Atherton, Cooktown, Mt Isa, Charters Towers

Closing Date: Midnight 12 July 2026
Reference No: QLD_QFD_20908_25

Current Queensland Fire Department employees and volunteers: must apply via their internal careers site

Purpose of the role

Rural Fire Service Queensland (RFSQ) Area Offices are responsible for providing tailored support to Rural Fire Brigades and volunteers. Areas connect local needs with District, Regional, and State resources to enhance training, mitigation activities, asset management, and brigade operations. The Areas provide seamless and responsive support to volunteers to ensure the effectiveness of operational bushfire response. Each Area encompasses Local Government Areas with operational and non-operational staff, volunteers and Brigades who provide bushfire management, mitigation, and response services for rural and semi-rural communities, including some urban fringe areas across the state.

Reporting to the Executive Manager, District Coordination, you will be a member of the District Leadership team and work closely with volunteers and other Area, District, Regional and State stakeholders. You will manage bushfire preparedness and response for the Area, and contribute to the planning, implementation and evaluation of area-wide programs and initiatives. You will oversee human and physical resources within the Area in accordance with policy and procedures, to provide high quality support to staff, volunteers and Rural Fire Brigades, and respond to large scale rural fires and other emergency incidents, providing on-site command and direct operations as required by QFD legislative requirements.

Mandatory requirements

• Must meet the mandatory requirements and attributes as outlined in the generic RFSQ Inspector role description.

Highly desirable requirements

• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders from rural and remote communities.

Primary duties / Responsibilities

• Lead the Area team in the execution of Regional strategic and operational plans to ensure high levels of service delivery to support brigades and volunteers in protecting the local community from bushfire and other emergency incidents.
• Manage organisational change programs through regular consultation with staff, volunteers, the community and other stakeholders to embed reform and uplift initiatives.
• Undertake the role of Chief Fire Warden for the Area and work with the Manager Bushfire Mitigation to plan and execute prescribed burns and the Permit to Light System.
• Collaborate with the Regional Duty Manager to maintain operational awareness and oversee the Area; respond to large scale rural fires and other incidents to provide command leadership on-site or in incident control centres.
• Manage human (staff, volunteers, and stakeholders) and physical (fleet, equipment, infrastructure) resources to ensure operational capacity and readiness to support District and Region activities.
• Support asset management by authorising planned and unplanned maintenance in line with delegations and asset management frameworks.
• Attend Rural Fire Brigade and/or Group meetings to provide updates, expert advice, resolve issues, and support brigade governance.
• Facilitate and/or participate in forums and operational exercises to support collaboration in bushfire and emergency management.
• Lead activities to ensure corporate systems are updated and maintained in accordance with RFS policies to improve data quality and reporting accuracy.

Additional information

• Be able to meet the attributes of the generic Inspector, (RFSQ) role description.
• Rural Officer Two (RFSO2) or applicants with equivalent industry experience are encouraged to apply.
• Volunteers and external parties with appropriate skills are encouraged; they may be asked to provide additional information to satisfy internal policies.
• Travel within their area of responsibility and intrastate/international deployment/travel may be required.
• This is a day work position but may require flexible hours, including night shifts on weekends.
• Participants may engage in a personal professional development programme with their supervisor.
• Commitment to maintaining bushfire competencies and operating in a regional team environment.
• Role may involve involvement in the Queensland Disaster Management Arrangements (QDMA) framework and related training.
• This statement links to the generic role description; review both when preparing your application.
• More information on how to apply is provided in the relevant QFD Application Guide.

Notes

• If there is a conflict between the Role Description and the Role Specification Statement, the Role Description will prevail.

Contact and applications

• For more information, visit Leadership competencies for Queensland Government.
• Want more information? Please contact Clint Tunnie, Assistant Chief Officer, on 0409 615 747 or clint.tunnie@qfes.qld.gov.au.
• You can also visit our website to find out more about joining our team.
• How To Apply: Refer to the QFD Application Guide Operational Officer [Statewide] Recruitment Process. The RFS-Inspector-Statement-of-Suitability.docx template must be used. Refer to the Inspector (FSINS) Rural Fire Service Queensland generic role description.

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