About the job

Job summary

As the Director of People and Safety, you will report to the Executive Director of Corporate Services and be a member of the Executive Team. You will be responsible for leading the Communication, Health & Safety, Human Resources, and Property & Facilities functions.

Working alongside Directors and Senior Leaders, you will set the strategic people agenda for the MCA, attracting and developing the diverse range of talent needed by the MCA to deliver its core responsibilities. You will ensure our people have a working environment that encourages and embraces innovation and ultimately allows people to do a great job.

Job description

You will ensure the Agency follows all legislation and best practice with regards to the Health and Safety of all 1,200 MCA employees, 3,500 volunteers, estate and other attributable stakeholders and interested parties. You will also ensure that the MCA has a multi-channel communications strategy which maintains and grows the Agency’s media profile, lands successful safety messaging and promotes growth in the UK’s maritime economy, which is a key strategic goal for the organisation.

You will seek to provide effective support and challenge to Executive colleagues and MCA’s senior leaders to enable the delivery of MCA’s strategic goals.

Principle Responsibilities:

• Take an active part as a member of the Executive Team, leading the organisation and undertaking corporate duties and demonstrating, as an Executive Team member the highest standard of leadership inside and outside the Executive Team meetings.
• Provide effective and inspiring leadership to your functional areas within MCA. Fostering a high performing culture based on excellence and continuous improvement.
• Work with Senior Leaders in the MCA to make effective decisions and apply corporate governance, promoting and ensure compliance with legal, corporate, government standards, and controls.
• As an Executive Director fulfil any responsibilities assigned ensure that the Chair of the Board receives the information required to facilitate meetings and make decisions on behalf of the Board.
• Responsible for the development and delivery of the MCA People Strategy and the People related deliverables of the internal MCA Business Plan including Cultural change, Leadership Development, Talent management, Succession Planning and Diversity.

Person specification

We seek an exceptional senior leader with substantial expertise in leveraging the maximum potential of a complex organisation in a dynamic and multifaceted environment.

Candidates need not possess a maritime background and may have experience in the private sector, public sector, or both.

You will need to evidence the following essential criteria:

• Demonstrable leadership capability, being credible and authentic with the ability to articulate a vision and engage people to deliver results.
• Experience of successfully leading organisations through change, including cultural change.
• Experience of leading an HR function in a complex organisation
• Experience of leading Health and Safety in an emergency service or other complex operational organisation.
• An understanding of Estates Management. 
• A proven ability to positively manage Trade Union relations.
• Experience and an understanding of working with volunteers
• Highly developed interpersonal and influencing skills with a demonstrable ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders up to a senior level.
• A proven track record of delivery providing clear, balanced advice and professional leadership at Board and Senior Management level, in a way that inspires confidence and promotes effective decision making.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £85,000, Maritime and Coastguard Agency contributes £22,950 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Application 

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process by no later than 23:55 Sunday 21st April 2024

The application will include:​

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.​
• A Statement of Suitability (no longer than 1000 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification.​

Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.​

As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say’.​

All monitoring data will be treated in the strictest confidence and will not be provided to the selection panel. ​

Should you encounter any issues with your online application please get in touch with us via scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk​

Selection Panel 

The panel will also consist of: 

• Chloe Bowes. Director of Corporate Services
• Virginia McVea, Chief Executive Officer
• DFT Representative

Shortlist​

Your application will be acknowledged when it is received.  ​

The panel will select a shortlist of candidates whose applications best demonstrate suitability for the role, by considering the evidence provided against the essential criteria set out in the Person Specification.​ Candidates applying under the Disability Confident Scheme who meet the minimum selection criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview.​

Assessments

Psychometric Tests

Interview 

You will be asked to attend a panel assessment which will include an interview and presentation to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification. Interviews are expected to take place in person at our Southampton office and full details of the interview format will be provided to shortlisted candidates prior to interview. 

Outcome and Feedback

Due to the anticipated number of applicants, we are unable to offer feedback to those not selected at longlist stage. Shortlisted candidates who attend an interview will be offered verbal feedback from a member of the interview panel

The timeline contained in this pack indicates the dates by which decisions are expected to be made. All candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter, and we will advise on any delays.

We will offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for assessments or interviews. You are therefore asked to note the below timetable and exercising flexibility throughout the recruitment and selection process in order to meet the dates given.

Please note that these dates may be subject to change. 

The anticipated timetable is as follows:

Advert Close - 21/04/2024

Maritime and Coastguard Agency Sift - WC8th May 

Assessments - 13th – 17th May

Interviews - WC23rd May

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

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.