Marine Surveyor - Engineer

Job summary

Locations

For this vacancy we have vacancies available at the following locations:

Aberdeen AB11 5EZ, Cardiff CF24 5JW, Milford Haven SA73 3HB, Paisley PA3 2RB, Beverley HU17 9JB, Plymouth PL1 4RW, Falmouth TR11 4WZ, Southampton SO15 1EG, Dover CT15 5NA, Poole BH17 7BX, Weymouth DT4 8BG, Shetland ZE1 0AX, Whitby YO22 4HL, Cleethorpes DN35 8SE

For the purposes of selecting your preferred location Shetland will be classed as Lerwick.

Please note: Although we welcome applications from everyone, at the time of employment you will be required to reside within a reasonable commuting distance (45 minutes’ drive or 25 miles whichever is lower) from an agreed location within the geographical area supported by the office at your preferred location. Please be aware that we are unable to support relocation costs if needed.

Do you want to work for a company where having a good work life balance is important?

Are you an experienced Maritime Professional looking for a challenging and rewarding experience to further your career?

Are you a seafarer looking for their first job ashore or looking for a new role which offers variety and a structured career path?

If so, this is your opportunity to join a diverse team who are all working towards making a difference to maritime safety, and we’d love to hear from you!

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 a world-leading organisation, accelerating the transition to sustainable shipping with non-negotiable safety standards. We put our people, our customers and our planet at the heart of everything we do.

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 Maritime and Coastguard Agency - Department for Transport Careers

Job description

What is Survey & Inspection within MCA?

The Survey & Inspection Network, part of the UK Technical Maritime Service (UKTMS) Directorate of the MCA, supports the Government’s Maritime Strategy for ‘Safer Ships, Cleaner Seas’ by ensuring high standards of marine safety and environmental protection through consistent survey and inspection operations. Divided into North and South areas, each led by an Assistant Director, the Network includes several Marine and Satellite Offices. Qualified surveyors provide top-tier survey and inspection services, fostering positive engagement with MCA’s maritime stakeholders. Local Business Delivery teams handle survey/inspection allocation, while the National Business Unit manages financial transactions and budget oversight.

Who is the Marine Surveyor?

The primary responsibility of this role is to assist the Technical Manager and Business Manager in achieving the Marine Office's agreed MCA Business Plan (‘Big Picture’) activities and objectives. This involves inspecting, auditing, and surveying ships and maritime ship operators to ensure compliance with UK and international safety, management, welfare, security, and anti-pollution regulations. Additionally, when qualified as a Nautical or Engineer examiner, the post-holder will conduct oral examinations to ensure that seafarers possess the necessary training and competence, thereby upholding the highest standards of maritime safety and professionalism.

No two days are the same for our Marine Surveyors. You could be inspecting a ship in Hull ensuring its meeting UK and International Regulations one day, working from home the next, and assessing oral examinations for seafarers the day after.

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

1. Inspecting, auditing and surveying ships and maritime ship operators to safeguard that they meet UK, EU and international safety, management, welfare, security and anti-pollution regulations. Carrying out approval of stability information where qualified to do so. When qualified as a Nautical Examiner, undertaking oral examinations so as to ensure high standards of training and competence amongst seafarers.
2. Carrying out safety management audits in straightforward and routine cases under the International Safety Management (ISM) code of ship operators and their vessels for ISM Document of Compliance (DOC) & ISM Safety Management Certificate (SMC).
3. Carrying out inspections of ships and port installations in straightforward and routine cases to ensure compliance with International Conventions, EU legislation and UK statutory requirements.
4. As a qualified Port State Control Officer (PSCO) helping fulfil UK obligations under the Paris MOU Agreement and EU Port State Control Directive in the inspection of foreign registered ships calling at UK ports.

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 valid passport for international travel.
2. A full UK driving license.
3. Maritime Professional with the qualifications detailed in this advert.

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. You must be an experienced Maritime Professional with the qualifications detailed in this advert.
2. You should have proven customer service skills, the ability to make quick, effective decisions, and manage a varied workload with competing priorities.
3. Strong communication skills and the ability to build relationships with diverse stakeholders are essential.

Additional Information

You will need to undergo a Counter-Terrorist Check (CTC) and provide proof of UK residency for the last three consecutive years. At the time of employment, you must reside within a reasonable commuting distance (45 minutes’ drive or 25 miles which either is least) from an agreed location within the supported geographical area. Relocation costs are not supported.

Successful candidates will be expected to undertake a physical medical. 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

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

During the marine surveyor development scheme, first 12 months, the role is Full Time Only. After training, flexible working arrangements can be discussed with your Marine Office.

We want our Marine Surveyors to be the very best. In return we offer full training, specifically designed for the role. The surveyor training will be provided as part of marine surveyor development scheme, which includes several courses and on the job training, delivered by experienced surveyors, which can take place at any of the Marine Offices across the UK.

You will be required to work and travel on official duty within the UK and short term visits overseas or offshore, which may involve overnight stays away from home.

On occasion, there will be a requirement to work outside of ‘normal hours’.

Please ensure you meet the eligibility requirements before applying. Due to the nature of this role, you will need to have resided in the UK for the last 3 consecutive years. You will be asked to provide evidence of this at interview stage.

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 full UK driving licence and a passport valid for international travel are required. This must be held at point of application.

Qualifications

Engineer Discipline - The minimum academic qualification required is one of: Engineer Surveyor: MCA Recognised STCW III/2 Chief Engineer unlimited Certificate of Competency. `MCA Recognised' means certificates issued by a country whose seafarer training is recognised by the UK. A list of those countries can found on our website at www.gov.uk and search MCA CEC. (Those without UK issued STCW Certificates of Competency will need to complete UK LAP training at an early stage after entry).

Further details of essential minimum qualification requirements can be found on the Role Profile

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

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

• Understanding of the principles of the safe operation of large commercial ships - Level 2
• Understanding of the use of mandatory ships equipment on ships - Level 2
• Understanding of marine structural design and assessment on small vessels - Level 2

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £63,299, Maritime and Coastguard Agency contributes £18,337 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, Experience and Technical skills.

How to apply:

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

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV

Stage 2: Microsoft Teams Interview

Stage 3: Interview in Person

Stage 1: Sift

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Within your CV please ensure you outline your previous jobs including the company you worked for, job title, length of employment and a brief description of your duties and responsibilities. In addition, please can you list any qualifications you have including the full degree titles.

For guidance on the CV please click the following link: Candidate Guidance for CV.

The sift will take place week commencing 16th March 2026.

Should you be invited to interview you will be asked to provide proof of your qualifications and licenses in advance, Failure to provide these or not meet the standard required in the advert may mean your application is withdrawn.

Stage 2: Interview (Microsoft Teams)

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

• Technical – Understanding of marine structural design and assessment on small vessels - Level 2.
• Technical - Understanding of the principles of the safe operation of large commercial ships - level 2.
• Technical - Understanding of the use of mandatory ships equipment on ships - Level 2.

As part of your interview you will be assessed against Marine Surveyor Competencies (Level 2).

The interviews will take place week commencing 6th April 2026.

This interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

Stage 3: Interview (In Person)

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

• Behaviours – Communicating & Influencing and Making Effective Decision.
• Technical – Understanding of marine structural design and assessment on small vessels - Level 2.
• Technical - Understanding of the principles of the safe operation of large commercial ships - level 2.
• Technical - Understanding of the use of mandatory ships equipment on ships - Level 2.

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.

Interviews for this stage will be held in person, applicants that applied for locations in the North will be invited to our Glasgow office. Applicants that applied for locations in the South will be invited to interview at our Southampton office.

North - Aberdeen, Shetland, Whitby, Cleethorpes , Paisley, Beverley

South - Cardiff, Plymouth, Milford Haven, Southampton, Dover, Falmouth, Poole, Weymouth

The interviews will take place week commencing 20th April 2026.

Further information on the selection process

During your application, you should indicate which location(s) you wish to be considered for and, if successful, you will be placed on an individual list of candidates for each location. Candidates will be held on that list and drawn from it in merit order. We advise you to carefully consider which locations you wish to be considered for. If you decline an offer for a location you have expressed a preference in or have expressed an interest in more than one location and accept an offer, you will be withdrawn from any lists you may be held on. We may also offer candidates a location that they have not expressed a preference for where we have the requirement to do so but this will again be done on the basis of your place in the overall merit order and, in this event, you will not be removed from the list if you decline.

If you choose to relocate, you must still reside within the 25mile/45 minute drive (at the time of appointment, whichever is lower) from the marine office you are posted to for contractual purposes. Any relocation is done at the individuals’ expense.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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 : MCA HR Resourcing
• Email : HR.Resourcing@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: Visit the Civil Service Commission website Here

Attachments

SEO Marine Surveyor (All Disciplines) - May 2025 (1) (1) Opens in new window (docx, 69kB)MSF4989 R09.22 Recruitment Opens in new window (pdf, 598kB)Annex E - SI Health Standards Opens in new window (pdf, 512kB)