Senior Coastal Operations Officer

Kirkwall, Lerwick

Job Summary

Can you operate as a high energy and resilient individual in an emergency service?

Do you have a passion for developing people and love to build and support others to achieve their best?

Have you got experience of leading operational teams in an emergency response environment?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

The 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 are committed to giving all our colleagues purpose, professionalism and pride in what we do. We work in supportive, diverse and inclusive teams.

We want everyone to feel valued and supported to achieve their potential at MCA.

This culture of inclusion is underpinned by our staff networks groups covering, Women’s, LGBTQI+, Race, Carers, Mental Wellbeing, Veterans Network and volunteer Respect Ambassadors.

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 the Maritime and Coastguard Agency - Department for Transport Careers

Job Description

As Senior Coastal Operations Officer, you have the responsibility of the management, administration, readiness, and safety of Coastguard Rescue Officers (CRO’s) within Coastguard Rescue Teams. This will be under the supervision of the Coastal Operations Area Commander to ensure that the Operational Area is at a state of constant readiness.

You will also be responsible for the supervision, management and administration of operational equipment, vehicles and estate belonging to a number of Coastguard Rescue Teams.

Your Responsibilities Will Include, But Aren’t Limited To:

• Leading and managing a number of teams allocated by the Coastal Operations Area Commander. You will act as mentor and coach to Station Officers, ensuring that there is a consistent standard of leadership and compliance with policy across the teams they are allocated.

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 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.

As Senior Coastal Operations Officer, you have the responsibility of the management, administration, readiness, and safety of Coastguard Rescue Officers (CRO’s) within Coastguard Rescue Teams. This will be under the supervision of the Coastal Operations Area Commander to ensure that the Operational Area is at a state of constant readiness.

You will also be responsible for the supervision, management and administration of operational equipment, vehicles and estate belonging to a number of Coastguard Rescue Teams.

Your Responsibilities Will Include, But Aren’t Limited To:

Representing HM Coastguard at operational level in local liaison and multi-agency partnership working.

Ensuring that the MCA safety culture and safe systems of work are implemented within the teams they are responsible for

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 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:

• A valid passport for international travel
• A full UK driving license
  
  

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:

• Demonstrated good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Managed individuals either full-time or in the voluntary sector.
• Demonstrated command, control and management of operational teams in a pressured environment/situation.
• Worked independently or remotely (from your manager), managing your time against conflicting demands.
  
  

Additional Information

Candidates must not have been dismissed by the MCA within the past 24 months for failure to pass the required training for operational posts within HM Coastguard.

Please note that this is a uniformed role and uniform will be required to be worn at all times when on duty. 

Successful candidates will be expected to undertake a physical medical and mental health questionnaire for this role. 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.

Working Hours, Office Attendance And Travel Requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week. There will be a requirement to work occasional evenings and weekends. Travel to other locations in the UK will be required, which may 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

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

UK Full Driving Licence

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing

Changing and Improving

Managing a Quality Service

Working Together

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 DfT and its agencies (opens in a new window).

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, Strengths and Experience.

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 and personal statement

Stage 2: Written Assessment, MCA Maths Test, Interview and Presentation

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

Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement

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.

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 (1000 Word Count). Please Provide Evidence Of Your Experience Of The Following:

• Where you have demonstrated good communication and interpersonal skills
• Managed individuals either full-time or in the voluntary sector
• Demonstrated command, control and management of operational teams in a pressured environment/situation

Worked independently or remotely (from your manager), managing your time against conflicting demands

Please note: the sift may be completed on a rolling basis whilst the campaign is still live, so you may receive your sift scores before the advert closing date.

The sift will take place from 17/02/2026.

Stage 2: Interview, Presentation and Assessment's

At the assessment stage, you will be invited to complete 2 assessments. This will consist of a written exercise and an MCA Maths test.

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

• Behaviours – Communicating and Influencing, Working Together, Managing a Quality Service and Changing and Improving
• Strengths
  
  

You will also be required to create and deliver a presentation to assess the Behaviours Communicating and Influencing, Working Together and Changing and Improving.

Guidance will be provided if you are invited to interview.

The interviews will take place from 01/03/2026.

This interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

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.

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 the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

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 : Dave Sweeney
• Email : Dave.sweeney@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