Contract Lead – Hydrography 38 views

Do you have experience in contract and programme management?

Can you excel and build strong relationships with contractors and stakeholders?

Do you possess strong skills in budget and financial management?

If so, we are looking for a Hydrography Contract Lead 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.

This role will internally be referred to as the Hydrography Contract Lead.

We are seeking a motivated Contract Lead to join our ambitious and supportive team. Reporting directly to the Head of Hydrography and Meteorology, you will provide programme and contract management to successfully deliver the multi-million-pound UK Civil Hydrography Programme (CHP) and other survey initiatives. As a key player in the largest commissioner of sea-bed mapping in the UK, you will work with cutting-edge technology to explore and map previously uncharted areas.

In addition, this role will include financial management and budgetary responsibilities, and you will be required to oversee the financial payment milestones for CHP contracts and co-ordinate the reporting for the UK Technical Services Navigation (UKTSN) department’s finances.

The role will also involve participating in the tender evaluation panel and ensuring contract management documents are updated and compliant with procurement requirements and legislation. You will be required to measure and report on delivery metrics, contractor performance, contract assurance and ensuring governance compliance. You will also be required to support contract awards and renewals.

You will line manage the Hydrography Programme Coordinator and be expected to liaise and work closely with a variety of stakeholders (including Contractors, Project Managers, international customers and survey teams) on matters such as survey operation schedules and progress, and the monitoring of CHP deliverables and key performance indicators, and contractor performance management.

There may be a requirement for travel on official duty within the UK (which may require overnight stays away from home) and there is potential for overseas visits. We will therefore require the successful candidate to have a valid passport for travel.

Your responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Managing the long-term UK CHP contracts covering all hydrographic operations, maintaining oversight of spend, progress against milestones and deliverables, in accordance with the UK CHP Survey Specification and the contract terms and conditions.
• Liaising with the MCA Contracts and Procurement team in the management and implementation of the procurement process for the CHP and other ad hoc purchases.
• Acting as Key Account Manager for CHP contractors, and Deputy Key Account Manager for agreements MCA holds with the UK Hydrographic Office, British Geological Survey, Channel Coastal Observatory, Cefas, and others as appropriate.
• Ensuring all financial returns for the Hydrography and Meteorology team and UKTSN are completed accurately and on time including the month-end accruals and pre-payments, cash forecast, budget and resource profiling.

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

About You

This role requires an individual with a background in programme and contract management. You will also have knowledge and experience of budget and financial management, and we will train you to collate and report information in line with our standards and policies.

Although this role is in the Hydrography and Meteorology team, a hydrographic background or experience in this field is not required. This is an opportunity to learn about this industry while utilising your contract management and financial skills.

You will be able to build rapport with a variety of stakeholders both internally and externally and will possess strong communication skills. You will be confident in expressing yourself to a variety of audiences delivering messages and information in a professional and concise manner.

You will also be proficient in the use of Microsoft Office (particularly Word and Excel).

Additional Information

This role will be based in the Southampton HQ. 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.

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture