Capability Development Officer

About us

As a department our purpose is to help the community to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from the impact of fire and emergency events.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) is the primary provider of fire, rescue and emergency management programs and services throughout Queensland. The department encompasses the Fire and Rescue Service, disaster management services, the Rural Fire Service and the State Emergency Service, and also supports other volunteer groups providing emergency response to Queenslanders.

QFES is one department with many services, many capabilities and many partners.

Purpose of the role

RFS are the bushfire experts, they lead and manage a range of operational and organisational functions that are principally directed in supporting approximately 33,000 volunteers and rural fire brigades who 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 of other brigades and emergency services, including assisting during emergency disasters, volunteer brigades undertake a range of planning and preparation activities to ensure communities are well prepared for the bushfire season. This includes community education, hazard reduction and mitigation activities to reduce 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.

Key requirements

Mandatory requirements
- Hold a valid Blue Card (Blue Card Services), with attached evidence to support.
- Possession of current Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and/or accredited tertiary qualification in adult education or equivalent.
- Minimum C class Driver's licence (non restricted).

QFES Applicants
- Must provide evidence that they are eligible for appointment in accordance with the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service Employees Award - State 2016.

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, QFES.

Highly desirable requirements
- Minimum qualification in QFES Rural Volunteer Learning and Development Framework (VLDF) firefighter Minimum Skills (FMS) and VLDF Crew Leader or equivalent qualifications in Certificate II Public Safety Firefighting Operations 20701 and Certificate III Public Safety Firefighting Operations 30701 or equivalent.
- Knowledge of or experience in holistic rural fire management where fire is used in rural land management as an essential tool in shaping and maintaining large areas of the landscape to minimise negative impacts on the community and ecosystems.
- Knowledge of or experience in resource management appropriate to rural fire brigades for the prevention, preparedness, response and recovery phases in community support.
- Knowledge of or experience working within a rural fire service/ bushfire prevention and or control organisation particularly in a volunteer environment.
- Highly developed conceptual, analytical and problem-solving skills with a proven ability to successfully research and develop training strategies, ensuring that programs include adult learning strategies as well as Language, Literacy and Numeracy are taken into consideration.

Special requirements
- May be required to be an active member of the Local and District Disaster Management Groups and/or equivalent Disaster Management authorised committee and represent the RFS and QFES to support the development of initiatives and activities that support the disaster management strategies of Queensland.
- 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.
- Hours of duty applicable to this role are pursuant to the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service Employees Award - State 2016: specifically, the spread of ordinary hours for Rural Fire Service staff are 0800 to 2200, Monday to Sunday. This position works 304 hours in an eight week cycle.
- Work hours are flexible to meet functional demands - for example, positions that require flexible arrangements for working with volunteers and other shift workers.
- Successful applicants will be required to undertake a services induction and or refresher upon appointment to ensure understanding of responsibilities and organisational priorities. This may include travel away from appointed location.

Your key accountabilities

Your part in the ongoing success of our department, in providing frontline services will see you responsible for a variety of work, including, but not limited to:

- Manage and motivate the team, including volunteer members,