Health and Safety Policy Lead

Job summary

Have you got the expertise to create health and safety policy, guidance and documentation working with management systems to drive compliance and continuous improvement?

Are you able to work effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, building trusted relationships to support effective health and safety practices?

Do you have a recognised health and safety qualification?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is seeking a Health and Safety Policy Lead. Reporting to the Head of Health and Safety within the Health, Safety, Environment and Sustainability (HSES) team, this role will play a key part in maintaining and developing MCA-wide health and safety policies, procedures and guidance. The HSES team oversees the Agency's health, safety, environmental and sustainability management systems, supporting MCA's mission to implement the UK's maritime safety policy, prevent the loss of life, and reduce pollution on the coast and at sea. The role sits within the People and Safety directorate, which forms part of the Chief Corporate Officer's corporate functions and supports the delivery of MCA's vision and strategic objectives. This role is internally known as Health and Safety Policies, Procedures and Guidance Lead.

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 a Health and Safety Policy Lead, you will play a key role within the Health, Safety, Environment and Sustainability (HSES) team, reporting to the Head of Health and Safety. You will be responsible for managing MCA-wide health and safety policies, standards, procedures and guidance, ensuring they remain effective, fit for purpose and aligned with relevant legislation and operational requirements.

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

1. Leading the development, review and continuous improvement of MCA-wide health and safety policies, procedures and guidance.
2. Collaborating with operational teams, subject matter experts and stakeholders to identify requirements, gaps and areas for improvement.
3. Ensuring all HSES documentation remains compliant with relevant legislation, regulations, standards and governance requirements.
4. Translating complex legal, technical and operational requirements into clear, practical and user-friendly guidance.
5. Developing standardised templates, document structures and controls to ensure consistency across HSES documentation.
6. Maintaining HSES management systems, document control processes and compliance with recognised standards such as HSG65, ISO 45001 and ISO 14001.
7. Supporting consultation, assurance and implementation activities, incorporating stakeholder feedback and producing supporting materials.
8. Monitoring project milestones, managing document updates and responding to business, legislative and best practice changes to ensure continuous improvement.

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/licenses:

1. A full UK driving license
2. A recognised health and safety qualification, e.g. NEBOSH Certificate and/or NEBOSH Diploma or equivalent.

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 need to have the following experience:

1. Experience working with safety and/or environmental related management systems and procedures.
2. Previous experience of writing Policies, Procedures and Guidance Documents for HSES systems

Additional Information

This post is offered on a Fixed Term Appointment (FTA) basis to complete a finite piece of work, however this may be extended or made permanent.

Permanent Civil Servants will be appointed on an inward loan and subject to the terms of the agreed inward loan. You must have your home departments approval to return to them at the end of the loan before you apply. Internal candidates will return to their previous post at the end of the loan period, which will need to be agreed with your line manager in advance. If your home department cannot agree to release you on loan, there is the opportunity for you to move across to the department on a fixed term appointment. In this instance the Department for Transport would become your home department and if there is no role available for you at the end of this appointment, you would be subject to the redeployment and redundancy process.

If you're employed by a non-departmental public body (NDPB) by moving jobs this will involve a change of employer and you may break the statutory rules on continuity of employment.

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 30 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.

Occasional 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 sponsorship for a skilled worker visa where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. Therefore, this role is not open to applications from those who require sponsorship – candidates must ensure they have the appropriate right to work in the UK before applying. Should you apply for this role and be found