Coastal Operations Area Commander 58 views

Are you an inspiring leader with experience of managing operational teams in a response environment?

Would you describe yourself as self-motivated, organised and approachable?

Do you want to manage a dedicated, dynamic team of life savers – where your job REALLY matters?

If so, we are looking for a Coastal Operations Area Commander 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 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 and volunteer Respect Ambassadors.

HM Coastguard (HMCG) is the operational arm of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency with responsibility for six 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 Operations and Aviation Operations, which coordinate activities from an operations room environment, and Coastal Operations, which manages resources and service provision on the coast.

We have an exciting opportunity to join our Coastal Operations group as a Coastal Operations Area Commander, where you will use your exceptional management skills to lead our team of dedicated Officers and Volunteers.

Based at Bridlington, the successful applicant will lead and manage Coastal Operation personnel, equipment, vehicles and estates from Ravenscar to Sutton Bridge.

Using your excellent interpersonal skills, you will ensure that your teams are fully trained and have the necessary tools and equipment to carry out their vitally important roles of saving lives at sea and on the coast; ensuring the economical use of budget.

The Coastal Operations Area Commander will collaborate with a variety of stakeholders from Coastguard rescue staff and volunteers to other emergency services and partners within the resilience world, weighing up risks and making effective decisions to deploy and direct resources to meet operational response needs.

This is a unique and varied role which brings with it a great deal of autonomy. It is a physically challenging and rewarding role, where you will directly contribute to saving lives and really making a difference.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Leading, participating or supporting assurance and investigation teams.
• Recruiting, managing, training, supporting, coaching and mentoring full time officers.
• Reporting to the Coastal Operations Divisional Commander, ensuring compliance with all governance requirements within their Area, including management of the Area budget.
• Leading, managing, and supervising volunteers within the Coastal Operational Area.
• Identifying, planning, resourcing and verifying the training need (Staff and Volunteers) within the Coastal Operational Area. Maintaining practitioner and instructor level skills in order to support, deliver and verify operations, training, and exercises.

For an in-depth insight into the role, please refer to the Role Profile attached to this advert.

About You

We are looking to be joined by an enthusiastic and motivated individual who has previous budget management experience and a background in managing operational teams in a response environment with the ability to engage and inspire a variety of Officers and Volunteers.

You will be someone who enjoys a physical challenge whilst organising and taking the lead in situations to ensure your team achieves successful outcomes.

Calm under pressure, you are resilient and able to see the bigger picture when making decisions and manage multiple workloads whilst coordinating teams to deliver effective Search and Rescue responses.

Your confidence and passion for collaboration will enable you to build positive relationships – engaging with a variety of partners, from training providers to the general-public.

You will come to us with experience of overseeing and delivering training and are keen to support others in their development as well as being eager to learn and develop your own knowledge and skills, willing to undertake appropriate Coastguard technical training in mud, rope, water and search, as well as training to gain a teaching or training qualification to level 3 or above, of the Regulated Qualifications Framework once in post.

Additional Information

This role will be based in the Bridlington Office.  MCA supports flexible working and operates a hybrid working model between home and office for this role, giving you greater flexibility over where and when you work.

The expectation is that you will spend a minimum 60% of your working time based at your principal workplace or out on official business. Details of the arrangement will be discussed further with your line manager.

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

Medical ​

Successful candidates will be expected to undertake a physical and mental health medical for this role, please see the attached document.