Assistant Director Technical Standards

Job summary

Are you experienced in leading specialist technical teams, managing risk and budgets, and turning strategic vision into measurable safety outcomes?

Do you want to play a pivotal leadership role at the heart of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, driving high standards, inclusion and regulatory excellence?

Can you shape the UK’s maritime safety and environmental standards on a national and international stage?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is seeking an Assistant Director Technical Standards. The 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.

This opportunity sits within the Directorate of UK Technical Maritime Services (UKTMS) which is responsible for the UK's Flag and Port State function including the survey and inspection operations, the UK's safety, security and environmental regulatory regimes, navigational safety, and civil hydrography programme. The Directorate is responsible for all vessels registered on the UK flag operating anywhere in the world, the UK's domestic passenger ship and fishing vessel fleet, and foreign flagged vessels in UK waters.

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: Maritime and Coastguard Agency - Department for Transport Careers

Job description

As Assistant Director Technical Standards, you will provide strategic leadership and oversight across the Technical Standards function within UKTMS, ensuring the development and implementation of effective maritime regulations and standards that promote safety, sustainability, and innovation.

You will drive high performance, foster a culture of accountability and inclusion, and ensure alignment with national and international maritime objectives. You will support the Deputy Director Technical Services in shaping strategic direction, workforce planning, and stakeholder engagement, while maintaining regulatory excellence and safety.

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

1. Responsibility for the Technical Standards team ensuring delivery of effective regulations and standards, building regulatory best practice within the team in the following areas:
   • Cargoes, Safety and Pollution Prevention
   • Clean Ship Operations
   • Fishing Vessel Safety
   • Ship Safety
   • Ship Construction and Equipment
2. Providing leadership to the team and the wider Agency and create an environment in which all staff embrace individual accountability and professional responsibility.
3. Work with the Deputy Director to develop strategic direction and priorities, ensuring alignment with wider MCA and UKTMS plans and objectives.
4. Developing the team to be able to effectively differentiate between the needs of different types of stakeholders (e.g. CEOs, Ministers, Customers) and tailor communication accordingly.
5. Contributing to the delivery of a regulatory climate that is clear, consistent and supportive of the UK maritime industries and ensures that the UK has standards and regulations which safeguard ships, seafarers , the environment, and the public.
6. Ensuring objectives, regulations, and guidance relating to technical standards are developed in accordance with the Government's consultation procedures in a timely manner.
7. Providing advice and decisions to industry and public in accordance with MCA standards and procedures.
8. Collaborating with other Assistant Directors to explore and develop opportunities enabling UKTMS to be at the forefront of creating, improving and implementing new and existing domestic and international Standards on safety, sustainability and innovation.
9. Providing leadership to UKTMS as the Directorate drives forward with fundamental changes and improvement to safety in the fishing sector.
10. Representing UKTMS and the MCA at stakeholder meetings at International, National, and Local Level.

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 licenses:

1. A valid passport for international travel

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. Demonstrable extensive experience of regulatory development, legislative and parliamentary processes and operating at a senior management level.
2. Experience of interpreting and reframing ideas and goals into achievable technical and regulatory objectives, against which options can be developed and outcomes identified.
3. Proven leadership skills and experience in managing a diverse team of staff and budgetary resources.
4. Experience of working with a range of senior stakeholders and decision makers (for instance ministers, non-executive directors etc.) and their organisational processes.
5. Experience of supporting others to identifying the cause of a problem and utilizing technical and regulatory knowledge to help solve.
6. Experience of working with ambiguity, uncertainty, and contrasting perspectives to make robust decisions and strategic judgements, marshalling evidence including the subject context from decision to delivery.
7. Experience of articulating the links between the subject matter area and strategic goals, and championing work with relevant stakeholders.
8. Experience of working with legislation and can identify key legal issues affecting subject matter areas.

Additional 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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkR_okX2T1U

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

Hybrid working available

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 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 to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

Licences

A valid passport for international travel

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £69,501, Maritime and Coastguard Agency contributes £20,134 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• 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).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at MCA (opens in a new window).

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's skills, and potential fit within our organisation.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement

Stage 2: Interview

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Stage 1: Sift

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (1,000-word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following:

1. Demonstrable extensive experience of regulatory development, legislative and parliamentary processes and operating at a senior management level.
2. Proven leadership skills and experience in managing a diverse team of staff and budgetary resources.
3. Experience of working with a range of senior stakeholders and decision makers (for instance ministers, non-executive directors etc.) and their organisational processes.
4. Experience of working with legislation and can identify key legal issues affecting subject matter areas.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead Success Profile element, Experience - Demonstrable extensive experience of regulatory development, legislative and parliamentary processes and operating at a senior management level. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Please note: the sift will be completed on a rolling basis whilst the campaign is still live, so you may receive your sift scores before the advert closing date.

The sift will take place week commencing 18/05/2026

Stage 2: Interview

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

• Behaviours:
  • Seeing the Big Picture
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Leadership
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Working Together
• Experience

You will also be required to create and deliver a presentation to assess the Behaviour Communicating and Influencing. Guidance will be provided if you are invited to interview.

The interviews will take place week commencing 01/06/2026

This interview will be conducted in person at our Southampton office (Spring Place, 105 Commercial Road, Southampton, SO15 1EG). Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site (opens in a new window).

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change.

Further information on the selection process

Feedback on your application can only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Adverts with a reserve list

We will also hold a 12 month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for. You can read more about our reserve lists here.

Appointments for this position will be made in order of merit. If you are successful in the selection process but there are no further available posts for the advertised role, you may be contacted to discuss an offer for a lower graded role (with similar experience and responsibility requirements).

If you are unsuccessful in the selection process, your application may be considered for a lower graded position if your demonstrated skills and experience meet the requirements of the alternative position. Candidates will be considered in order of merit.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance.

Further Information

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter.

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit theHow We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Rachel Millican
• Email : rachel.millican@mcga.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Click here (https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/) to visit Civil Service Commission

Attachments

Assistant Director Technical Standards_anonymous (1) Opens in new window (docx, 74kB)