Graduate Trainee Surveyor

Allscreens Nationwide Ltd; Colchester (VT); On-site; USD 37,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer pension contribution

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

Flexible working options

Job summary

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency invites graduates with a relevant degree to join as a Graduate Trainee Surveyor in Colchester. You will undergo a structured four-year development scheme to become an MCA Marine Surveyor, combining practical office work with formal training.

During the scheme you will progress from trainee to HEO Surveyor and, after assessment, to SEO Surveyor, gaining exposure to MCA survey, inspection, and enforcement activities while contributing to safer ships and cleaner

Qualifications

• Degree in marine engineering accredited to Chartered Engineer status.
• Strong interest in marine safety and environmental protection.
• Willingness to participate in a four-year structured development scheme.

Responsibilities

• Gaining understanding of MCA survey, inspection, audit and enforcement activities.
• Assisting Subject Matter Experts and Marine Surveyors in maintaining high standards of marine safety and minimising pollution.
• Attending Marine Office/HQ Operations Management meetings as required.
• Maintaining personal competence and training records; completing the development programme to a satisfactory standard.
• Attending relevant formal courses and modules to develop your skills and understanding.
• Treating all customers and stakeholders with respect and professionalism.

Skills

Marine engineering

Graduate scheme

Education

Degree in marine engineering

Job description

Have you recently graduated with a Degree in a marine engineering discipline accredited to achieve Chartered Engineering status?

Are you ready to embark on a bespoke development plan tailored towards your career goals?

Does a graduate scheme working for an organisation delivering vital maritime safety work excite you?

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

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) implements the government’s maritime safety and environmental protection policies in the United Kingdom, working 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, ourcustomers and our planet at the heart of everything we do.

We are committed to enabling all our colleagues to have purpose, professionalism and pride in what they 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 including, Women’s, Men's, HM Reserves, Neurodiversity, Parental, Positive Supports, 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 Maritime and Coastguard Agency - Department for Transport Careers

As a Graduate Trainee Surveyor, you will complete a structured development training programme to become an MCA Marine Surveyor and gain an understanding of the Government’s Maritime Strategy for ‘Safer Ships, Cleaner Seas’. You will assist MCA Surveyors in maintaining high standards of marine safety, to minimise loss of life amongst seafarers and coastal users and minimise pollution from ships of both the sea and the coastline.

You will embark on a four-year development Graduate Trainee Surveyor Scheme. Your first two years will be spent gaining practical experience of a variety of different MCA tasks in a marine office, alongside theoretical learning about the role of a surveyor and the legal framework in which surveyors work.

Following a successful assessment, you will progress to an HEO Surveyor, where your responsibilities will increase and you will undertake some survey and inspection tasks independently, gaining experience as well as confidence. You will continue to develop your knowledge, learning more about larger vessels. At the end of the four years, you will be expected to progress to SEO Surveyor.

Your responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Gaining an understanding of MCA survey, inspection, audit and enforcement activities, including but not limited to Flag State Work, Legal Frameworks, Auditing Techniques and Human Element, and Convention Vessels.
• Assisting Subject Matter Experts (SME’s) and Marine Surveyors in maintaining high standards of marine safety; minimising loss of life amongst seafarers and coastal users, and minimising pollution from ships of both the sea and the coastline.
• Attending Marine Office/HQ Operations Management meetings as required.
• Maintaining accurate and up-to-date personal competence and training records; completing all the required elements of the MCA Graduate Trainee Surveyor training programme to a satisfactory standard; undertaking training and development opportunities so that the skill and capability profiles of the post-holder are maintained as directed by the line management chain.
• Attending relevant formal courses and modules to develop your skills and understanding.
• Treating all customers and stakeholders with respect as well as a positive and helpful manner; valuing diversity and demonstrating positive MCA behaviours.

For further information on the role, please read the attached 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.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

Graduate Trainee Surveyor

Company: Government Recruitment Service Salary: £30,485 to £30,485 a year Hours: Full-time Location: Colchester Job type: Temporary Posting date: 27 Aug 2026 Closing date: 6 Sept 2026

About Disability Confident

About Disability Confident Disability Confident is a government scheme. It encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term health conditions.

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