Principal Marine Surveyor - Plan Approval

Job summary

Do you enjoy solving complex technical problems?

Are you passionate about leading and developing specialist teams?

Do you have experience of plan approval?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) plays a vital role in delivering the UK Government’s maritime safety policies, helping to protect lives, ships, and the marine environment.

The Statutory Services Delivery Team (SSDT), part of the UK Technical Maritime Services Directorate (UKTMS), supports the Government’s Maritime Strategy for “Safer Ships, Cleaner Seas.” Through surveys, inspections, approvals and certification activities, the team helps ensure high standards of maritime safety and environmental protection.

Working within the Survey and Inspection Network, you will join a team of experienced surveyors and business support professionals committed to delivering a high-quality service to customers and stakeholders across the maritime industry.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at: MCA Homepage , Civil Service Careers

Job description

As Principal Marine Surveyor – Plan Approval, you will lead and manage the Plan Approval function within the Statutory Services Delivery Team, ensuring effective delivery of MCA business objectives. You will drive a consistent, centralised approach to plan approval activities, working closely with surveyors and business support teams to provide a streamlined service across the S&I network. As the subject matter expert for plan approval, you will champion continuous improvement, ensuring processes, procedures, and ways of working remain efficient, effective, and fit for purpose.

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

1. Develop and coordinate an updated approach to plan approval within S&I to align with the needs of our customers and colleagues
2. Undertake plan approval tasks and (where qualified) stability assessment, for the most complex cases, to ensure compliance with UK and international requirements.
3. Act as subject matter expert (SME) for plan approval matters across UKTMS, providing authoritative technical advice.
4. Line manage designated surveyors, including conducting Performance Management Reviews (PMRs), objective setting, and development planning.
5. Mentor, coach and provide training to surveyors to maintain capability, competence, and performance in line with MCA’s Technical Training framework
6. Develop, review, and update technical standards, policies, and procedures based on operational experience and industry feedback. Share best practice across SSDT and UKTMS.
7. Maintain and assure the effectiveness of tools, guidance, and methodologies used in plan approval.

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills they need. We aim to empower line managers to create teams where people can flourish and deliver excellent outcomes for the public.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Person specification

Essential qualifications/licences:

1. A valid passport for international travel
2. A full UK driving license
3. Relevant Qualifications as detailed below

You will be required to provide evidence that you hold any essential qualifications/licenses at some point during the recruitment process. If you cannot provide evidence, your application will be withdrawn.

Required experience:

To be successful in this role, you will be an experienced marine professional who holds the appropriate qualification as detailed in this advert.

We are looking for natural leaders, who have the ability to engage with their team on a human level enabling them to achieve their best through encouragement and identifying where skills can be improved. You will celebrate your team’s successes whilst showing them how to learn where improvements can be made. You are approachable and have fantastic communication skills, you comfortably provide expert advice to industry partners and the public.

Please note, due to the nature of the role you will also be required to undergo a Counter-Terrorist Check (CTC) before commencing employment with us. Gaining CTC Clearance will normally require you to have been a resident in the UK for a minimum of 3 years, and only candidates who meet this requirement will be considered for the role. You will also be required to pass a medical - the health standards are attached to this advert.

Additional Information

Successful candidates will be expected to undertake a physical medical for this role. Please see the attached document for further information.

Operational Delivery Profession (ODP) is the largest and most diverse professional community across the Civil Service. Many of us will have an association with several professional communities or specialisms, ODP applies to all public facing roles / or a role that is primarily aligned to supporting the work of those with public facing roles. All critical to the delivery of UK public services.

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Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 22 hours per week.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

Regular travel to other offices will be required, which may involve overnight stays.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that we will only offer spons