Based within award-winning offices in Taunton, Somerset, the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has an excellent opportunity to join our Radio Navigation Warnings team and play a key role in ensuring the safety of mariners at sea.

The UKHO is a leading centre for hydrography, providing marine geospatial data to inform maritime decisions. We work with a wide range of data suppliers and partners to support maritime navigation, safety, security and marine development around the UK and worldwide.

The Radio Navigation Warnings team fulfils the day-to-day operational functions of NAVAREA I Co-ordinator and UK National Co-ordinator within the World-Wide Navigation Warning Service (WWNWS).  It also provides a separate bespoke service for the Royal Navy during peacetime.  To meet these requirements, particularly the timeliness targets for promulgating navigationally significant maritime information, the section is continuously manned by our team of watchkeepers, who work to a shift pattern including day watches, night watches, early watches and nights on call.

As a Watchkeeper your responsibilities will include:

• Assessing Maritime Safety Information received during the period of duty for NAVAREA Warnings
• Issuing appropriate Radio Navigation Warnings and Important warnings within specific timescales
• Delivering products and services required by the Defence customer
• Acting as the point of contact for the UKHO during silent hours

In addition, there may be a requirement to support the wider Impact Analysis team with assessment of navigation information.

This is a solo watchkeeping role, where independent decision making within a short time period is critical to our commercial and defence customers.  When issuing Radio Navigation Warnings, you will be directly representing the United Kingdom within its role as a Maritime Navarea, so you will need to be comfortable with this remit.

If you have a genuine interest in ensuring the safety of the Mariner at sea and the ability to work unsupervised whilst assessing safety information and taking appropriate action quickly and accurately we would be delighted to hear from you.

And in return?

We will actively empower you to develop yourself and provide flexible working practices for a healthy work/life balance. You will also benefit from a brand-new award-winning office, with use of our on-site gym, free parking and subsidised canteen.

For a full job description, including the competencies you will be assessed on in your application, please click the apply button to be taken to the UKHO website.  

Closing date: 21^st February 2020.

Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.