Location

Southampton

About the job Summary

Are you an experienced Marine Professional with an in-depth knowledge / understanding of Vessel Traffic Management and associated legislation? 

Are you looking for a role where you can utilise your fantastic communication skills and provide an excellent service to a wide spectrum of the UK’s maritime stakeholders? 

Do you want to work within a successful and inclusive, multi-disciplinary team as the subject matter expert, shaping decisions which will contribute directly to the safety of UK waters for maritime traffic?

Job description

We are looking to recruit an experienced Marine Professional who has the skills to join the Navigation Safety Branch as a Policy Manager Vessel Traffic Management (VTM). This role will be based on site in Southampton where the successful candidate will work under the direction of the `Head of Navigation' to help meet the Government's maritime strategy for 'Safer Ships and Cleaner Seas'.
 

Responsibilities

Your Key Responsibilities will include but are not limited to: 

• Representing the MCA and providing support to national and international Vessel Traffic Services working groups. 

• Development and maintenance of UK policies and strategies on traffic routeing, reporting and monitoring and the use of Vessel Traffic Services through liaison with and consideration of all stakeholders. 

• Maintaining UK training standards for Vessel Traffic Services personnel and the accreditation and auditing of UK Training Organisations. 

• Ensure that Vessel Traffic Services operated on behalf of the MCA, are operated satisfactorily and agreed standards are maintained. 

• To be our subject matter expert; to chair the Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) policy steering group and liaise with all customers and stakeholders in such a way as to convey a professional, considerate and flexible image of the organisation and provide an efficient and effective service internally and externally. 

About you 

You will be an experienced maritime professional with a proven track record within the maritime industry and ideally, time spent within a VTM/Port environment (management experience being advantageous). Are you looking for a chance to expand your knowledge (VTS/VTM) within an organisation that celebrates growth and change? Do you pride yourself on your excellent communication skills, in particular the ability to work in collaboration with training organisations, designated VTS authorities and VTS user groups towards the successful achievement of business goals and objectives? 

If so we would love to hear from you. 

You will have exceptional interpersonal skills and be able to communicate complex information to others, with the capability to provide guidance and informed decisions at all levels of the business. 

For this role, it’s essential to be able to proactively manage your workload whilst retaining focus on the key 

About us 

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) implements the government's maritime safety policy in the United Kingdom and works to prevent the loss of life and occurrence of pollution on the coast and at sea. 

Safer lives, Safer ships, Cleaner seas. 

Our vision is to be the best maritime safety organisation in the world. 

Find out what it's like to work at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency 

We are part of the Department for Transport (DfT). DfT is a great place to work, and our ‘one team’ approach really makes a difference. We value our staff and that’s why we’re committed to nurturing an inclusive environment across the Department. 

You’ll be part of an innovative organisation that invests in all our people, ensuring we have the diverse skills to deliver transport that moves Britain ahead now and into the future. 

DfT has been recognised for its leadership on workplace gender equality by being included in The Times Top 50 Employers for Women 2017. 

DfT’s inclusion is recognition of our commitment to make the Department a great place to work through our culture of equality and inclusivity and the great strides we’ve made to raise the number of women in senior positions.

Licences

Driving licence valid for driving in the UK is required.

Qualifications

List of minimum acceptable qualifications/experience for this role: 
a. IALA VTS V103 qualification with Ports/VTS experience or; 
b. MCA recognized STCW II/2 Master unlimited Certificate of Competency

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits Benefits

• Access to learning and development tailored to your role 
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options 
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity 
• A civil service pension 

There is scope for the right candidate to start their employment at the top of the SEO pay scale. The successful candidate will receive a £3,000 recruitment and retention bonus. 


SEO Salary Scale: From £37,428 - £41,173 

Retention Bonus: £3,000

Things you need to know Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

You will be asked to complete a CV and Personal Statement. Please tailor these to provide evidence of the following: 

your experience in the maritime industry 
your knowledge/experience of Vessel Traffic Management/Ports 

The sift is due to take place w/c 02/09/2019 

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held on 17th and 18th of September 2019. 

Interview location to be confirmed. 

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates. 

The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. 

As a result, your assessment could include: 
• an interview 
• an interview with one or more exercises 
• a full day of activities including interactive, written and timed exercises 

The Department for Transport alongside other Government Departments recruit using Success Profiles. This means for each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate in order to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. For further information on Success Profiles please click here 

Your interview may consist of a range of question types. These may include questions about: 
• what energises and motivates you 
• how you would manage situations relevant to the role 
• your previous experience 
• your professional skills and knowledge 

You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within. 
Further Information 
We have adopted anonymised recruitment. This means that your name, date of birth and other personal details will not be seen by the sift panel. 

We may hold a merit list for up to twelve months. During this time, if a similar role is identified and you have been placed on the merit list you may be considered for the post. Within the merit list period, your application form and selection information may be shared across the department and its agencies. 

Please see attached candidate notes for further information about our recruitment process. 

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe carried out. 

Reasonable adjustment 
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: 

Contact Government Recruitment Service via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional. 
Any move to the Department for Transport will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming childcare vouchers.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK, Commonwealth and European Economic Area (EEA) and certain non EEA nationals. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available here.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Apply and further information Contact point for applicants Job contact : Name :   Richard Bell Email :   [email protected]   Recruitment team : Email :   [email protected]