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Chief Coastguard

UK Permanent View Job Description
The Chief Coastguard will lead a service with a proud history and a vital future role, shaping how the UK responds to increasingly complex maritime risks, environmental challenges, security threats, technological change and public expectations. Providing the opportunity to strengthen operational capability, modernise a nationally significant emergency service and ensure HM Coastguard remains ready, resilient and trusted for generations to come. 
  • To lead one of the United Kingdom's most important public services.
  • The opportunity to strengthen operational capability and modernise.

About Our Client

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is an executive agency of the Department for Transport with a clear and ambitious vision: to be the world's best maritime safety organisation. At the heart of that mission is His Majesty's Coastguard (HM Coastguard), the UK's national maritime emergency service and a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.

HM Coastguard is unique in the UK emergency service landscape. It provides a 24/7 national operational capability across approximately 11,000 miles of coastline and the UK's maritime domain, protecting life, safeguarding the marine environment and supporting national resilience. It works alongside emergency services, local authorities, the RNLI, independent lifeboats, UK Search and Rescue partners, industry and Government to respond to incidents ranging from individual life-saving rescues to major maritime, environmental and civil contingency events.

As the operational arm of the MCA, HM Coastguard delivers six critical Coastguard functions:

* Search and Rescue;

* Counter Pollution and Response;

* Vessel Traffic Management;

* Maritime Safety;

* Maritime Security; 

* Emergency and Disaster Management.

Delivery is organised through four operational disciplines. Maritime teams coordinate emergency response and operational activity from a national operations room environment. Aviation teams operate the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre from an operations room environment. Coastal teams provide a frontline emergency response around the UK coast through the Coastguard Rescue Service. Counter Pollution operates as the UK Competent Authority for counter pollution preparedness and response to at-sea pollution from shipping and offshore installations within the UK Exclusive Economic Zone, including management of UK Government stockpiles of specialist equipment and dispersant.

The scale and significance of the service are substantial. The Chief Coastguard has strategic operational oversight of around 600 staff and 3,100 Coastguard Rescue Officers, together forming a national workforce that must be ready to respond at any time, in any conditions and often under intense public, operational and Government scrutiny.

The role also carries responsibility for significant public resources, including a budget of £64m resource funding and £8m capital funding. To support operational delivery, the Chief Coastguard has strategic oversight of nationally critical assets that includes helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, S100 drones, approximately 480 response vehicles, spray aircraft and specialist counter pollution equipment.

This is a nationally significant operating environment, requiring sustained readiness, strong command capability, effective partnership working and the ability to lead a complex emergency service through immediate operational pressure and long-term transformation.

Role Purpose

The Chief Coastguard is the senior operational leader of HM Coastguard and one of the most significant emergency service leadership roles in the United Kingdom. As the professional head of the UK's national maritime emergency service, the role is accountable for the readiness, resilience, effectiveness and future development of a complex, nationally distributed operation that protects life, safeguards the marine environment and provides critical national resilience capability.

The role combines strategic leadership, emergency service command, organisational transformation and Government engagement. Operating at Executive and national strategic level, the Chief Coastguard provides leadership for a service that responds to incidents ranging from individual life-saving rescues to major maritime disasters, security incidents, environmental emergencies and civil contingencies.

The Chief Coastguard is responsible for ensuring HM Coastguard is appropriately structured, resourced and equipped to deliver the United Kingdom's Coastal State responsibilities and Government priorities, while preparing for future challenges including climate change, technological advancement, evolving security threats, increased maritime activity and changing public expectations. 

Job Description

The role requires an exceptional leader capable of inspiring a national workforce, influencing at the highest levels of Government, and providing strategic direction during periods of significant operational pressure, national emergencies and organisational change. The leadership challenge is significant: to sustain operational readiness across a geographically dispersed workforce; maintain morale, confidence and professional standards; lead cultural and operational change; and provide visible, credible leadership in moments of acute public, operational and Government scrutiny.

Reporting directly into the Chief Operating Officer, key responsibilities will include:

National emergency service leadership

  • Lead the United Kingdom's national maritime emergency service, ensuring delivery of a resilient, trusted and effective 24/7 operational capability.
  • Provide strategic leadership and command during major incidents, national emergencies and periods of heightened operational risk.
  • Maintain and strengthen HM Coastguard's role within the UK's emergency response and national resilience architecture.
  • Provide confidence to Ministers, Government and the public regarding the capability, resilience and performance of HM Coastguard.



Strategic leadership and transformation

  • Develop and deliver a compelling long-term vision for HM Coastguard, setting strategic priorities that keep the organisation fit for purpose in a rapidly changing risk environment.
  • Drive organisational transformation, innovation and technological modernisation while maintaining operational excellence and public confidence.
  • Balance immediate operational demands with long-term capability development, investment decisions and future operating model requirements.



Delivery of Coastal State responsibilities

  • Ensure effective delivery of the United Kingdom's statutory, national and international obligations across all Coastguard functions.
  • Maintain strategic oversight of Coastguard services, ensuring they remain effective, compliant, resilient and aligned with emerging risks, Government expectations and international developments.
  • Provide assurance on performance, capability and resilience to the MCA Executive Committee, Ministers and Government.



National resilience and civil contingencies

  • Lead HM Coastguard's contribution to national resilience and emergency preparedness arrangements, including significant maritime incidents, environmental emergencies and major national events.
  • Work collaboratively with Category 1 and Category 2 responders to assess emerging risks, strengthen preparedness and maintain effective exercising, training and business continuity arrangements.



Operational assurance, standards and learning

  • Set and maintain clear operational standards, doctrine, policies and procedures across HM Coastguard, ensuring consistency, professionalism and compliance across all operational disciplines.
  • Provide robust assurance that HM Coastguard's operational capability, resilience, business continuity and risk controls remain effective and fit for purpose.
  • Ensure lessons from incidents, exercises, audits, investigations and reviews are acted on and embedded into operational practice, capability development and continuous improvement.
  • Champion a learning culture that supports safe, effective and accountable operational delivery across a complex national emergency service.



Strategic partnerships and influence

  • Build and maintain influential relationships across Government, industry and the wider emergency response community, representing HM Coastguard nationally and internationally.
  • Strengthen collaboration with partner organisations including the RNLI, emergency services, Defence, Border Force, devolved administrations, industry partners and international coastguard organisations.
  • Influence national policy, capability development and future resilience arrangements affecting UK maritime safety.



Leadership, culture and stewardship

  • Inspire a culture of professionalism, accountability, inclusion, wellbeing, continuous improvement and operational excellence.
  • Develop high-performing leaders capable of operating in complex and pressured environments and build organisational capability and workforce resilience for the future.
  • Ensure effective stewardship of significant public resources, infrastructure and operational assets, aligning resources and investment decisions to risk, demand and strategic priorities.
  • Deliver value for money while maintaining operational effectiveness, service resilience and future capability.

The Successful Applicant

What Success looks like:

  • HM Coastguard is recognised as a nationally respected and internationally credible emergency service.
  • The MCA, Ministers and Government have clear assurance that HM Coastguard is ready to respond to current and emerging risks.
  • Operational excellence is maintained while long-term transformation, capability development and technological modernisation are progressed.
  • The UK's maritime resilience and emergency response capability are strengthened.



Essential experience:

  • Significant Executive, Director or equivalent leadership experience within a large, complex, operationally critical organisation.
  • Proven experience leading within an emergency service, military, public protection, resilience, operational command or safety-critical environment.
  • Experience of leading complex operational delivery across multiple locations and stakeholder groups.
  • Demonstrable success in leading transformational change while maintaining operational performance.
  • Experience operating successfully at Executive, Government or national strategic level.
  • Exceptional leadership skills with a track record of developing senior leaders, building organisational capability and creating high-performing cultures.
  • Strong strategic thinking, political awareness and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to lead confidently through ambiguity, crisis and organisational change.



Desirable experience:

  • Maritime experience, including maritime operations, maritime safety, coastguard, shipping, ports, offshore operations or related sectors.
  • Experience within aviation, defence, search and rescue or other critical national infrastructure environments.
  • Knowledge of UK maritime governance, Coastal State responsibilities or international maritime frameworks.
  • Experience of working within multi-agency emergency response or national resilience structures.



Whilst maritime experience would be advantageous, applications are welcomed from candidates with a strong emergency service, operational leadership or resilience background who can demonstrate the capability to lead a nationally significant public service.

What’s on Offer

  • The package includes a £95,000 salary, an employer pension contribution of 28.97%, and a range of additional benefits.
  • Frequent travel to MCA HQ in Southampton will be required.
  • This role can be based at any HM Coastguard Rescue Coordination Centre listed below:



England

  • Bridlington (East Yorkshire)
  • Dover (Kent)
  • Fareham (Hampshire)
  • Falmouth (Cornwall)
  • Southampton



Scotland

  • Aberdeen
  • Lerwick (Shetland)
  • Stornoway (Western Isles)



Wales

  • Holyhead (Anglesey)
  • Milford Haven (Pembrokeshire)



Northern Ireland

  • Bangor (County Down)



Existing Civil Servants: Candidates moving on level transfer within the Civil Service will retain their existing salary. Civil Service candidates on promotion will have their salary increased by 10% or receive the starting salary for SCS PB1 whichever is higher.

Civil Service Behaviours: The Behaviours shown below will be assessed during the recruitment process however, all Maritime and Coastguard Agency employees are expected to meet the Civil Service Behaviours at their level.

  • Seeing the Bigger Picture
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Leadership
  • Managing a Quality Service
  • Changing and Improving



 

Contact
Rutesh Shah
Quote job ref
JN-112026-7139453

Job summary

Function
Operational & General Management
Subsector
Operational & General Management Subsector
Industry
Public Sector & Not-For-Profit
Location
UK
Contract type
Permanent
Consultant name
Rutesh Shah
Job reference
JN-112026-7139453
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Based in the UK, Rutesh has over 26 years' experience within recruitment across the Public Sector and Not for Profit, Financial Services, and Industry & Commerce.

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