Lead Surveyor - Training and Technical Performance

Maritime and Coastguard Agency; Plymouth; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Location and Deployment Flexibility -

Operating in Hazardous Environments -

Civil Service Pension 28.97% employer

25 days annual leave

Job summary

Maritime and Coastguard Agency seeks a Lead Surveyor – Training and Technical Performance to support the delivery of technical training, assurance and performance oversight across UK Technical Maritime Services.

This role sits within the Training and Technical Performance team, helping ensure technical staff, including surveyors, are competent, consistent and supported to deliver safe, high-quality maritime regulatory outcomes.

Qualifications

• Experience leading technical workstreams and audits with data-driven improvement.
• Strong knowledge of governance, audit and quality assurance principles.
• Ability to evaluate training, quality assurance or operational processes and implement improvements.
• Ability to provide technical leadership and coaching for consistency and capability development.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical performance assurance activity, including monitoring, remote verification and oversight visits.
• Analyse assurance, training and performance data to identify risks, trends and improvement opportunities.
• Support development, delivery and evaluation of UKTMS training and capability-building initiatives.
• Provide technical leadership, guidance and coaching to ensure consistent interpretation of maritime standards.
• Maintain quality records, assurance evidence and management documentation to support audit readiness and accreditation.
• Prepare high-quality technical papers, briefings and recommendations for panels, forums and senior leaders.

Skills

Leading technical workstreams

Data analysis

Stakeholder management

Governance & QA

Coaching & guidance

Relationship building

Education

STCW II/2 Master unlimited (MCA recognised)

STCW III/2 Chief Engineer unlimited (MCA recognised)

Honours Degree in Naval Architecture/Marine Engineering/Marine Technology

Chartered Engineer (CEng) via RINA/IMarEST evidence of equivalent learning

Job description

477865 Lead Surveyor - Training and Technical Performance

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Apply before 11:55 pm on Tuesday 6th October 2026

Location: Aberdeen, Belfast, Cardiff, Plymouth, Southampton and Current MCA employees can remain in their current location. (This role is suitable for hybrid working)

Additional Allowances available:

Location and Deployment Flexibility - £1250

Operating in Hazardous Environments - £1250

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is seeking a Lead Surveyor – Training and Technical Performance to support the delivery of technical training, assurance and performance oversight across UK Technical Maritime Services. This role sits within the Training and Technical Performance team, which helps ensure technical staff, including surveyors, are competent, consistent and supported to deliver safe, high-quality maritime regulatory outcomes. You will provide specialist technical expertise, lead assurance and improvement activity, and work closely with colleagues and stakeholders to strengthen training, quality management and operational performance across the surveyor workforce.

As Lead Surveyor – Training and Technical Performance, you will support training assurance, technical performance monitoring and continuous improvement workstreams. You will provide specialist technical advice, analyse performance information and support governance, quality assurance and workforce capability development to help ensure consistent application of maritime standards, regulations and best practice across UKTMS.

Top Responsibilities

• Leading technical performance assurance activity, including monitoring, remote verification and oversight visits.
• Analysing assurance, training and performance data to identify risks, trends and improvement opportunities.
• Supporting the development, delivery and evaluation of UKTMS training and capability-building initiatives.
• Providing technical leadership, guidance and coaching to support consistent interpretation of maritime standards.
• Maintaining quality records, assurance evidence and management documentation to support audit readiness and accreditation.
• Preparing high-quality technical papers, briefings and recommendations for panels, forums and senior leaders.

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.

About You

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• Experience of leading technical workstreams, assurance activities, audits, evaluations or improvement projects, using evidence and data to identify risks, trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Sound knowledge of assurance processes, with experience of applying these to support operational delivery, compliance and continuous improvement.
• Experience of evaluating training, quality assurance or operational processes and implementing improvements that enhance performance, compliance and organisational effectiveness.
• Ability to provide technical leadership, guidance and coaching to colleagues, supporting consistency, capability development and best practice.
• Strong understanding of governance, audit, quality management and continuous improvement principles.
• Proven ability to build and maintain effective relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders, influencing and collaborating to achieve shared objectives.

Licences

1. A valid passport for international travel

2. Full Driving licence valid for driving in the UK

Qualifications

Previous experience as an MCA surveyor, having completed minimum of Core Competencies as per Marine Surveyor development Scheme (MSDS) within the preceding five years.

The minimum academic qualification required is one of:

(a) MCA Recognised STCW II/2 Master unlimited Certificate of Competency; or

(b) MCA Recognised STCW III/2 Chief Engineer unlimited Certificate of Competency;

(c) Honours Degree in Naval Architecture, Ship Science, Marine Engineering, Mechanical and Marine Engineering or Marine Technology.

(d) Applicants without the qualifications stated in a, b or c above, may also be eligible if they are Chartered Engineer (CEng) (through Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) or the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST)), but in such cases evidence of the equivalent level of learning plus marine industry experience will need to have be demonstrated to the satisfaction of an MCA S&I technical review panel.

This vacancy closes at 23:55 on Tuesday 6th October 2026