About the job

Job summary

Would you thrive in a busy and varied environment where no two days are the same?

Do you have the ability to work autonomously to deliver high quality outcomes?

Can you build lasting relationships, influencing and directing stakeholders across all levels?

If so, we are looking for a Workforce Planning Manager to join us at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) 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.  

We welcome applications from all communities, and we don’t discriminate against any identity. We’re interested to hear from you, regardless of your background.   

Job description

HM Coastguard (HMCG) is the operational arm of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency with responsibility for 6 key functions: Search and Rescue, Pollution Response, Vessel Traffic Management, Maritime Safety, Maritime Security and Emergency and Disaster Management. There are three delivery disciplines within HM Coastguard: Maritime and Aeronautical Operations, which both task resources and coordinate activities from an operations room environment, and together form HMCG Network Operations, and; Coastal Operations, which manages resources and service provision on the coast. This role is part of Network Operations.

As the Workforce Planning Manager, you will lead and manage the team responsible for planning, scheduling and dynamically managing staff numbers and competency levels across the 11 stations that comprise the HMCG National Network, aligning operational staff numbers during a period of duty with agreed staffing levels, perceived operational risk and likely demand.

You will ensure that a functional level of Maritime network operational readiness is maintained by coordinating recruitment, scheduling attendance at training events from a network perspective, monitoring staffing and competency levels are maintained across the network and operational business continuity plans (BCP) remain fit for purpose and regularly exercised.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a driven and motivated individual to join the newly created work force planning team, here at the MCA. It will be fundamental for you to provide your input by creating and shaping polices and processed whilst liaising with staff all around the country. You will have the autonomy to establish new ways of working and make crucial resourcing decisions for a national emergency service.

Your responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Leading and coordinating the HMCG Workforce Planning Team to plan, schedule and deploy sufficient staff across the 11 HMCG Rescue Coordination Centres (RCCs) that comprise the HMCG National Network. To ensure that staffing meets or preferably exceeds the Recommended Staffing Level, and that all stations at all times have the appropriate spread and depth of operational numbers, and competence to effectively meet its mandated functions and match operational demand, whilst ensuring leave policies are followed and proactively identifying, highlighting and mitigating periods of emergent risk to the network, escalating those risks as necessary.
• Responsible for making and recording decisions on staffing matters that pertain to network operations, including all operational staff leave, shift patterns, shift changes, recruitment and onboarding. Ensuring all staff have access to accurate, updated watch-bills and that Network Commanders and RCC Managers Page 2 of 3 MSF5234 have access to quality network reports and data, and that the HMCG National Network meets its responsibilities towards the Working Time Directive.
• Researching and maintaining currency in workforce planning trends, products and innovations, designing and implementing workforce planning and management policies and processes, and producing and providing analysis of data-driven reports and workforce planning documents to senior leaders that contribute to workforce strategic planning and manager.
• Maintaining an oversight of HMCG operational Business Continuity Planning (BCP), co-ordinating regional and network-level BCP exercises, and updating network-level BCP guidance and arrangements in response to organisational development and learning.

For further information about the role and responsibilities, please see the attached role profile.

Person specification

About You

To be successful in this role, you will have experience of management in complex workforce planning across multiple work sites, preferably in an operational or emergency response environment.

Establishing, maintaining, and improving systems and processes in an operational delivery environment will be a strength of yours. You will be able to work autonomously and asses complex and dynamic situations, making critical decisions confidently.

You will enjoy collaborating and building effective relationships with stakeholders at all grades, from all over the country.

Additional information

Based at the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) the role holder will be required to work shifts that include regular evening shifts and will include working 1 weekend in 3.  

The role holder may also periodically rotate out of the watch rota to fulfil the requirements to undertake training or meetings or conduct project work.

When not scheduled for weekend and evening shifts, the role holder is anticipated to predominantly adhere to standard office hours, working a 37-hour week. Furthermore, consistent attendance at the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) is required to uphold communication with staff and fulfil line management responsibilities.

The role holder will be required to attend formal training events, and this may require spending time away from home and the normal workplace. 

This role is subject to health standard requirements.

About Operational Delivery Profession (ODP)  

  

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.  

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.

Click here to get a copy of the MCA Staff Benefits Brochure

Find out what it's like to work at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

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

How to Apply   

CV and Personal Statement:   

Within your CV and personal statement please demonstrate your knowledge and experience of:

• Management in complex workforce planning across multiple work sites, preferably in an operational or emergency response environment.
• Establishing, maintaining, and improving systems and processes in an operational delivery environment.

Your personal statement will be limited to a maximum of 750 words.  

It is essential when submitting your personal statement that you provide as much detail as possible, and utilise the full word count given, against the essential criteria outlined below as this will be used in conjunction with your CV to assess candidate suitability to move to the next round in the recruitment process.   

The sift is due to take place on 3rd & 4th January 2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held from w/c 15th January 2024.

This interview could be conducted online via Teams or face to face at our Fareham office. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.  

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.  

The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include:

• An interview.
• A presentation.
• A written exercise.

You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within. 

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 the How 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.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.