Area Manager

Overview

Area Manager (FSINS) RFSQ - Northern - Continuous Applicant Pool

Location: Mackay, Townsville, Cairns, Atherton, Cooktown, Mt Isa, Charters Towers. Queensland Fire Department. Status: Temporary Full-time. Tenure: 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. Closing Date: Midnight 12 July 2026. Reference No: QLD_QFD_20908_25.

Purpose of specific work area and position: Rural Fire Service Queensland RFSQ Area Offices provide tailored support to Rural Fire Brigades and volunteers, connecting local needs with District Regional and State resources to enhance training, mitigation, asset management, and brigade operations. Areas provide seamless access to volunteers to ensure effective bushfire response. Each Area encompasses a cluster of Local Government Areas and includes operational and nonoperational staff, volunteers and Brigades who provide bushfire management mitigation and response services for rural and semi rural communities including some urban fringe areas.

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 and manage bushfire preparedness and response for the Area, contribute to planning implementation and evaluation of area wide programs and initiatives. You will be responsible for managing human and physical resources within the Area in accordance with departmental 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 in accordance with 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.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Area team in the execution of Regional strategic and operational plans to ensure service delivery to 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 ensure reform and uplift initiatives are embedded effectively.
• Undertake the role of Chief Fire Warden for the Area and work closely with the Manager Bushfire Mitigation to support the planning and execution of prescribed burns and the execution of the Permit to Light System.
• Work closely with the Regional Duty Manager to maintain operational awareness and oversight for the Area and where required respond to large scale rural fires and other emergency incidents to provide command leadership either on site or in incident control centres.
• Manage human and physical resources to ensure operational capacity and capability within the Area as well as readiness to support activities across the District and Region.
• Support asset management by authorising planned and unplanned maintenance in accordance with delegations and asset management frameworks to ensure operational readiness of equipment fleet and infrastructure.
• Attend Rural Fire Brigade and or Group meetings to provide timely updates, expert advice, assist with early resolution of issues, and support brigade governance requirements.
• Facilitate and or participate in forums and operational exercises including Area Fire Management Groups and Local Disaster Management Groups to support a collaborative approach to bushfire and emergency management.
• Lead activities in the Area to ensure that corporate systems are updated and maintained in accordance with RFS policies and procedures to enhance 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 appropriate skills knowledge are encouraged to apply.
• Volunteers and external parties with appropriate skills are highly encouraged to apply noting that they may be asked to provide additional information to satisfy internal policies.
• Have a proven commitment to maintaining bushfire competencies and operating in a regional team environment.
• Incumbents may be required to travel and work within their area of responsibility and may also be required to undertake intrastate and or interstate deployment and travel.
• This is a day work position yet may require flexible hours of work to meet functional demands including working at night on weekends as part of the role.
• Incumbents appointed to this position will participate in a personal professional development programme developed in conjunction with their supervisor.
• Incumbents must have proven commitment to maintaining competencies and operating in a team environment.
• Those appointed to a role within the QDMA Queensland Disaster Management Arrangements framework will undertake appropriate regularly training to maintain your role within RFS as a member of any QDMA appointed position.
• This Role Specification Statement is linked to the generic role description that provides the key accountabilities and capabilities to be addressed by the applicant. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review this role specification with the role description and consider the requirements when preparing their application.

Note: Where there is a conflict between the Role Description and the Role Specification Statement the Role Description will prevail.

How to apply

• More information on how to apply is provided in the relevant QFD Application Guide.
• The RFS Inspector Statement of Suitability docx template must be used in this process.
• Please refer to the Inspector FSINS Rural Fire Service Queensland generic role description.

Want more information contact Clint Tunnie Assistant Chief Officer on phone 0409 615 747 or email clint.tunnie@qfes.qld.gov.au. You can also visit our website to find out more information about joining our team.

Job details

• Seniority level: Mid-Senior level
• Employment type: Full-time
• Job function: Sales and Business Development
• Industries: Public Safety

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