Deputy Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents

Job summary

Are you looking for a role where you can improve safety at sea and make a difference to lives?

Can you lead and give direction to a team with your knowledge and experience in the marine industry?

Do you have an altruistic sense?

If so, we'd love to hear from you!

DfT is a high-profile department at the heart of UK government. We work with agencies and partners to support the transport network that helps businesses and gets people and goods travelling around the country. We plan and invest to make journeys better.

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 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 DfTc

Job description

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch’s (MAIB) purpose is to improve safety at sea. It has established itself as a world leader in its field and deploys investigation teams nationally and internationally from its headquarters in central Southampton.

As the Deputy Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, you will be responsible for managing the main operational activities of the Branch at all stages of its investigations, as well as dealing with a wide range of stakeholders in UK and abroad.

Much of the MAIB’s work involves tragic and often fatal accidents. The post-holder will become intimately involved in the detail of investigations, deploying to scene as necessary for more significant cases, and ready to engage at short notice with a wide range of stakeholders including bereaved relatives.

This role receives a Specialist Pay Enhancement (SPE) worth 7.5% of the G6AN pay range maximum. It is non-consolidated and non-pensionable. It is therefore not included in any calculation for pension or pay on transfer or promotion. External candidates should expect their salary upon appointment to be £96,140 subject to skills and experience. For existing MAIB employees, the usual pay rules should apply i.e. an existing G6AN base salary will remain the same plus and the DCI SPE will be applied. If successful on promotion the salary will be the higher of either 10% pay increase or the band minimum plus the DCI SPE. Additional recruitment and retention allowances may also be considered.

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

• Providing direction for the timely conduct of high-quality marine accident investigations.
• Ensuring the highest standards of governance and commercial management in relation to the procurement of the equipment, facilities, site management and technical support, as required for investigations and ongoing operational activities.
• Validating causal analysis conducted during investigations, overseeing the formulation of well-founded recommendations and quality assuring investigations and investigation reports.
• Developing and maintaining strong relationships with a wide range of industry stakeholders, including the sharing of good practice in the field of marine accident investigation.
• Alternating with the Chief Inspector on-call as the duty head of branch and deputising, as necessary, for the Chief Inspector to perform the legal and governance duties of that role and to represent the branch when engaging with senior stakeholders in the government, industry and overseas.

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 profilewhich 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

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

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• You will be expected to apply sound judgement under pressure and have both strong leadership and managerial skills.
• You will be highly motivated, inquisitive and a critical thinker who is able to engage with new, unfamiliar or controversial concepts.
• You will require considerable diplomatic skills, be comfortable engaging with people from all walks of life, and be empathetic when dealing with the victims, next-of-kin and others affected by marine accidents.
• You will have excellent verbal and written communication skills, and have the critical skills necessary to quality assure the work of others.
• You also will have good presentational skills and be confident and comfortable when engaging with a wide variety of audiences.

Additional Information

You will be required to undertake a Post Graduate Cert in Applied Marine Accident Investigation and Foundation e-learning module of the Contract Management Capability programme once in role, unless these accreditations are already held. Both qualifications are fully funded by the MAIB.

Important:

• Due to the nature of MAIB operations, you will be required to undertake physical activities and must be able to board vessels by pilot ladder and move around disrupted environments unaided.
• You will also be exposed to situations, information and material of a sensitive or traumatic nature and recordings that could be distressing.
• It is essential that you consider these requirements before applying for the post as you will be required to participate in a wellbeing and traumatic stress risk review if selected for interview.

We advise candidates to consider these requirements before applying. Please note also, that we will require successful candidates to undergo an internal health check assessment before starting in post. Candidates will be given more information on this assessment closer to the time by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch within Department for Transport. 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.

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

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

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 (the location 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 include international travel and 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

DfTc does not offer Visa Sponsorship for this role.

Licences

Full Drivers Licence Valid in the UK and valid UK passport.

Qualifications

• A professional background and experience at a senior level within the marine transport industry.
• A professional qualification in a recognised marine transport discipline. For example, Standards of Training and Certification of Watchkeepers (STCW) II/2 or III/2 (unlimited) qualification; or a recognised degree in naval architecture and associated chartered status.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• Technical – Applying Expertise and Technology (Accident Investigation Competence).
• Technical – Applying Expertise and Technology (Accident Investigation Competence).

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £96,140, Department for Transport contributes £27,851 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 pensionable salary (Special pay allowance is not included). Read more about Civil Service Pensions Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
• 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 DfT and its agencies (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, Ability, Experience and Technical skills.

How to apply:

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: Online tests

Stage 2: Sift of CV and personal statement

Stage 3: Interview

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

Stage 1: Online tests

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

1. Ability

After submission of the first stage of your application (personal details), you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Civil Service Verbal Test and a Civil Service Numerical Test. If you successfully pass the tests, you will be invited to complete the full application (please see ‘stage 2: sift’ for further information).

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended) to give yourself enough time to complete your full application (please see ‘stage 2: sift’ for further information). Both the online test and the full application must be completed by the closing date on the advert, otherwise your application will be rejected.

Guidance for the tests will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

There will be maintenance for online tests on Sunday 29 March - midday to 1pm, and 4pm to midnight. This means you will be unable to access the online tests between these times. Your progress will be saved, and you will be able to continue once the tests are available again.

Stage 2: 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 (750-word count). The personal statement must provide evidence of your experience of the following:
• A professional background at a senior level within the marine transport industry.
• Experience of managing multifaceted organisations and delivering at pace.
• Experience of inspiring a team to be fully engaged in their work and dedicated to their role.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the first criteria - A professional background at a senior level within the marine transport industry. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

The sift will take place week commencing 06/04/2026.

Stage 3: Interview

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

• Behaviours – (Making Effective Decisions, Leadership, Communicating and Influencing, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace)
• Experience
• Technical – Applying Expertise and Technology (Accident Investigation Competence).
• Strategy 1.1. Policy Context and Purpose Level 1: Developing
• Democracy 2.1. Working with Ministers Level 1: Developing

You will also be required to create and deliver a presentation and complete a policy exercise. Guidance will be provided if you are invited to interview.

The interviews will take place week commencing 27/04/2026.

This interview will be conducted in person at our Southampton office. 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

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.

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

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

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

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

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.

Pre-employment Checking

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

All External applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:

Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour

Threats or acts of violence

Illegal activity or substance misuse

Sexually explicit material

Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public.

Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It’s not about judging your personality or lifestyle—it’s about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture.

If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what’s being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

Feedback

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 security 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.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

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 : Rob Loder
• Email : robert.loder@dft.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: Visit the Civil Service Commission website Here

Attachments

15062 DCI role profile Opens in new window (docx, 90kB)15062 MAIB Medical Checks - Attachment Opens in new window (docx, 50kB)