Navy Command - Marine Service Support, Port Operations

Job summary

At Navy Command, we lead, support, and sustain the Royal Navy across every theatre of operations. We coordinate the people, platforms, and missions that keep the Fleet ready for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities. Together, we uphold centuries of naval tradition while driving innovation that ensures the Royal Navy’s readiness to protect our nation and secure our future.

As the authority for the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarine capability, the Submarine Directorate oversees one of the most complex and critical elements of UK defence. Covering everything from in‑service management to long‑term fleet modernisation, the directorate ensures the Submarine Flotilla remains safe, reliable, and ready to meet national security requirements.

You'll be based at HMNB Clyde, home to the UK Submarine Service. It sustains the nation’s continuous at-sea deterrent and supports the Royal Navy’s fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. As a centre of excellence for submarine operations, Clyde plays a critical role in national security and global stability.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Are you ready to lead complex marine operations and ensure safe, compliant, and high‑performing services at one of the UK’s most strategically important naval locations?

We are seeking a Marine Services Superintendent to join the King’s Harbour Master team. This is a pivotal role responsible for overseeing the delivery of essential marine services that support naval and dockyard operations. You will play a key part in ensuring navigational safety, environmental protection, and the smooth day‑to‑day running of port activities across the Clyde Dockyard Port.

In this position, you will act as the organisation’s expert lead for marine services, overseeing a contractor responsible for operating a range of essential vessels including tugs, pilot boats, workboats, passenger vessels, and barges. You will ensure the contract delivers a safe, reliable, and cost‑effective service, maintaining high performance standards while meeting the needs of complex and often competing operational demands. A key part of the role is to ensure full compliance with maritime legislation, port safety requirements, and environmental regulations, while providing trusted, professional advice to support senior decision-making.

Working closely with the King’s Harbour Master and Port Operations team, you will coordinate marine activity across multiple stakeholders, helping to manage scheduling challenges and ensure the safe and efficient use of the port. You will also play an important role in shaping future requirements, identifying the capabilities needed to support evolving operational needs. This is a dynamic role in a high‑tempo environment, where you may occasionally be required to provide support outside of normal working hours to maintain continuity of critical marine operations.

1. Oversee the delivery of marine services across the Clyde Dockyard Port, ensuring they are safe, effective, compliant, and deliver value for money
2. Act as the organisation’s expert advisor on marine services, providing clear guidance to senior leaders and stakeholders on performance, safety, and operational priorities
3. Monitor and manage contractor performance, including compliance with maritime regulations, safety standards, and environmental requirements
4. Coordinate and prioritise marine activity across the port, managing competing demands to support safe and efficient vessel movements Identify and manage additional service requirements, ensuring all non-core tasks are properly authorised, funded, and deliver value
5. Manage and raise additional tasking requirements to meet KHM and local customer demands. Ensure contractor responses meet the requirements and represent value for money.
6. Lead assurance and safety oversight by reviewing audits, investigating incidents, monitoring trends, and driving continuous improvement
7. Ensure environmental responsibilities are met, including acting as a subject matter expert for oil spill response and maintaining readiness with external partners
8. Represent the organisation in governance and stakeholder forums, leading performance discussions, supporting contract management, and resolving service issues where required

If you need to contact Defence Business Services (DBS) regarding this vacancy, please indicate that your vacancy is being handled by Resourcing Team 1. If you experience any technical difficulties with the CS Jobs system, please contact the Support Team at candidate@support.oleeo.com

Person specification

Desirable criteria:

• Strong understanding of marine operations, port safety, and maritime legislation
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.

Applicants must be able to apply previous knowledge of the marine industry to support the work undertaken. They will be expected to demonstrate experience in one or more areas such as design, construction, survey, maritime operations and administration. When submitting their application, the candidate is encouraged to read and follow the technical requirements for this vacancy as outlined in: Marine Intelligent Customer Framework.

Essential criteria:

Licences:

• Full UK driving license

Qualifications:

• Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) recognised STCW II/2 Chief Mate unlimited Certificate of Competency; or
• MCA Recognised STCW III/2 Second Engineer unlimited Certificate of Competency; or
• RN Ship Command Qualification or Engineering equivalent; or
• Honours Degree or equivalent in; Naval Architecture, Marine Engineering, Marine Technology or Port Operations.
• Recognised qualification in oil spill response management (e.g. MCA IMO Level 3 Harbour Masters certification)

Licences

Full UK driving license

Qualifications

a) Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) recognised STCW II/2 Chief Mate unlimited Certificate of Competency; or
b) MCA Recognised STCW III/2 Second Engineer unlimited Certificate of Competency; or
c) RN Ship Command Qualification or Engineering equivalent; or
d) Honours Degree or equivalent in; Naval Architecture, Marine Engineering, Marine Technology or Port Operations.
e) Recognised qualification in oil spill response management (e.g. MCA IMO Level 3 Harbour Masters certification)
Evidence of qualification will be required at interview. All qualifications/licences declared must be held at point of application and if applicable be in date.

Equivalent Qualifications will not be accepted (unless stated other wise)

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

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

• Technical – IC2 – Specialist Knowledge
• IC3 – Safety and Environmental Management (Awareness).

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• Technical – IC2 – Specialist Knowledge

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £63,290, Ministry of Defence contributes £18,335 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
• Market-leading employer pension contribution of 28.97%
• Personal & professional development
• Alternative working patterns for many roles
• Access to a confidential, professional support service
• Discount schemes
• Bicycle / season-ticket loans
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave
• Special paid leave to volunteer (up to 6 days a year)
• Assisted Travel Scheme

HMNB Clyde offers an impressive range of facilities set within one of the most picturesque regions of Scotland. With on‑site parking, a helpful internal bus service, and an assisted travel scheme, getting around is easy. Enjoy multiple cafés and convenience stores, an on‑site gym, and nursery provision. Extra touches such as a barbershop, access to worship spaces, and the Activities Hub offers a welcoming and supportive community feel.

In Navy Command we believe that everyone has the potential to make a difference and you’ll be supported through your learning journey and your career. This can include working towards membership of a professional body and/or undertaking an apprenticeship as part of your role.

You’ll have access to a variety of qualifications pathways ranging from GCSE/A-Level equivalent all the way up to master’s degree, depending on your role, your previous skills and your experience. Some qualifications even include “on-the-job” training which means minimal disruption to your working day but maximum impact.

Discover My Benefits:

Please follow the link to visit the Discover My Benefits site which showcases the benefits and discounts offered when working as a civilian for the MOD:

https://discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk/civilian/

This post does not offer any assistance with Relocation Allowances.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

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.

As part of Defence Reform, Navy Command continues to review and evolve its Target Operating Model to support more agile ways of working. In this context, the role and responsibilities of this role may develop over time to reflect changing business priorities and opportunities.

At sift you’ll be assessed against the following;

Experience

• Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history, qualification details and previous skills and experience.
• Candidates will be required to provide a personal statement. This should be a maximum of 500 words that sets out your motivation for applying and shows how your skills and experience meet the essential requirements for the role.

Behaviours

• Managing a Quality Service

Technical

• IC2 – Specialist Knowledge

At Interview you’ll be assessed against the following;

Behaviours:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together

Technical:

• IC2 – Specialist Knowledge (Awareness)
• IC3 – Safety and Environmental Management (Awareness).

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.

There may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all DCS candidates that meet the minimum criteria for the job. For example, in certain recruitment situations such as a high volume of applications, seasonal demand, or peak periods, the employer may wish to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both DCS and non-DCS applicants.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigation’s can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

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.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

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.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 : navysm-dirworkforcemgmnt@mod.gov.uk
• Email : navysm-dirworkforcemgmnt@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-ResourcingTeam1@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please see Further Information document attached.

Attachments

Further Information - External Opens in new window (docx, 34kB)Ministry of Defence – Revised Terms and Conditions of Service (TACOS) Opens in new window (pdf, 298kB)Defence Civil Service Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)MaritimeIntelligentCustomers_v1.2 Opens in new window (pdf, 254kB)