Graduate Trainee Surveyor

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, our customers 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.
• 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 and a privilege day for the King’s birthday.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

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 (SMEs) 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.