Key Account Manager in Southampton

Can you provide clear guidance, inspire confidence, and deliver excellent customer service in a fast‑paced maritime environment? Are you passionate about supporting safer seas and delivering high‑quality outcomes that have real impact? Do you thrive in a collaborative team, building trusted relationships while supporting the standards that protect UK maritime? If so, we would love to hear from you!

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) plays a crucial role in keeping people safe on and around the UK’s coastline, implementing the government’s maritime safety policy and working tirelessly to prevent loss of life and pollution at sea. Within the MCA, the UK Customer Maritime Services (UKCMS) Directorate brings together several specialist teams, including the UK Ship Register, Seafarer Services, the UK Shipping Concierge, Key Account Management and the Maritime Innovation Hub. Together, they provide essential services to the maritime sector, supporting seafarers, vessel owners and industry partners while driving innovation and upholding the UK’s reputation as a world‑leading flag state.

Benefits:

• 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), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King’s birthday.
• Flexible working options to support work‑life balance.

Responsibilities:

• Continue to build relationships at an appropriate level with ship owners/operators and industry groups by holding customer meetings in accordance with the Stakeholder Map and attending industry events as required.
• Act as the dedicated focal point for administration and policy matters during the flag‑in process and continuing customer care after flag‑in is complete.
• Coordinate stakeholders’ responsibilities to ensure registration services are consistently carried out in line with agreed processes.
• Drive continuous improvement in all areas of the customer journey, including reviewing flag‑ing‑in instructions, policy, guidance, and application forms; take forward new initiatives and monitor the quality of the UK Flag.
• Communicate effectively with staff (internal and external) at all levels within the Agency and across shipping‑related companies, especially operational contacts such as Superintendents, Company Security Officers (CSOs) and/or Designated Persons Ashore (DPAs).
• Provide 24/7 customer support as required by business needs.
• Respond promptly and appropriately to external and internal customer enquiries by maintaining good and open communications with all customers and keeping up to date data using Customer and Stakeholder Relationship Management tools.
• Represent the MCA and UKCMS at national and international shipping events when required and promote the UK Flag and wider maritime offer.
• Support strategic leadership on stakeholder engagement, ensuring coherent and consistent messaging across UKCMS brands.
• Manage relationships with UK Flag customers and support engagement with other government departments.

Disability confident: A disability confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high‑volume, seasonal and high‑peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non‑disabled people.