Chief Officer

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 swift water 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.

RFSQ is the lead service for the control and prevention of bush and grass fires in Queensland and is proudly one of the largest volunteer-based organisations in Queensland. The service is supported by nearly 300 salaried staff and 27,000 volunteer members across 1,400 rural fire brigades who have well developed and strong connections to Queensland communities.

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 Chief Officer RFSQ is responsible for leading the overall performance and service delivery, delivering activities across the prevention, preparedness, response and recovery continuum. In this role you will also be accountable for leading improvements in the overarching performance and capability of RFSQ across the state.

The position requires exceptional professional leadership and management capabilities. This includes the ability to: lead and develop a volunteer-based service; deliver government and departmental priorities; work collaboratively with volunteer members; plan effectively to enhance service delivery across the State.

The Chief Officer, RFSQ is to provide high level leadership, particularly by working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders. You will also be responsible for overseeing the delivery of targeted prevention and preparedness activities that contribute to the community having greater resilience during fire events.

As an executive, your performance will be assessed according to the following four key accountability perspectives: financial; stakeholder and outcome; internal business; and learning and growth.

This position is accountable to the Commissioner, QFD.

Mandatory Operational Requirements
- rural firefighting experience; or
- rural fire incident control expertise; or
- rural fire prevention expertise.

Your key accountabilities

Your part in the ongoing success of our department, in providing key frontline services will see you responsible for a variety of work, including, but not limited to:
Financial
- Provide strategic direction and leadership within QFD and RFSQ to ensure the effective delivery of services through best use of the human, financial and capital resources, ensuring government and corporate objectives are met.
- Management of organisational capability and direction in response to contemporary performance expectations in liaison with our business partners.

Stakeholder and outcome
- Develop strategic partnerships and effective relationships with local government, volunteer-based organisations, other emergency service and state government agencies as well as Commonwealth and non-government organisations that contribute to the effectiveness and success of Queensland's disaster management arrangements.
- Develop strategic partnerships with state and national agencies in order to synergise the capability and interoperability of the RFSQ with Queensland Fire and Rescue and disaster management agencies.
- Develop and sustain internal and external relationships including, but not limited to the minister's office, across the public service and with a diverse range of significant external stakeholders including unions and associations.
- Provide executive leadership regarding local, inter-state, national and international trends, issues and initiatives relevant to RFSQ functions and services, including volunteerism, and oversee policies, considering emerging trends and identifying long term opportunities.
- Represent the interests of the state of Queensland effectively in public and internal forums and on a range of national forums that relate to RFSQ functions and capabilities.

Internal business
- Provide high level, visionary leadership within QFD and the community to ensure the delivery of contemporary RFSQ functions and services that are value-for-money, professional, preventative and responsive within a fire and emergency service context.
- Provide leadership and undertake strategic decision-ma