Marine Compliance Officer

Department: Harbour Masters

Reporting to: Marine Compliance Manager

Grade: 6

Salary: £53,174 per annum

Working Pattern: Monday to Friday, 35 hours per week

Base: Gravesend, Kent

Closing Date: Friday 13th March

Interview Date: Tuesday 24th March

Who we are:

The Port of London Authority is the statutory harbour authority for the tidal Thames and responsible for 95 miles of one of the UK’s most iconic and dynamic waterways, from the Estuary to Teddington Lock in West London. Every day we work to keep river users safe, protect and enhance the environment and champion the Thames for trade, travel and recreation. As part of our duties under the Ports and Marine Facilities Safety Code, we manage and maintain the port’s navigational safety management system and marine emergency planning function, ensuring safe, sustainable and resilient use of the river for everyone.

The role:

Based in our Head Offices at Gravesend you will join a small, established team of specialists who provide vital services in support of the PLA’s core safety functions.

• You will coordinate a small team of internal Port & Marine Facilities Safety Code (PMSC) auditors, ensuring that all operations comply with established safety standards and regulations, tracking findings and assigned actions through to completion at all levels of PLA Management.
• You will contribute to the day-to-day operation of the Marine Safety Management System (MSMS) and the navigational risk management database, which are critical for identifying, assessing, and mitigating potential risks.
• You will support the development of the PLA’s Marine Safety Plan and the tracking of related objectives at all management levels of the PLA in order to meet its targets and the demands of the changing river.
• You will contribute significantly to the ongoing development and maintenance of an effective safety management system, risk assessment processes, compliance assurance and supporting regulatory framework and enforcement regime, whilst providing statistical analysis and reports on a routine and as‑required basis.

What we are looking for:

• Hold a STCW (OOW Unlimited) CoC or equivalent, or relevant marine/ports management experience (e.g., navigational safety management, risk assessment, training, emergency management).
• Strong understanding of the PMSC and the Guide to Good Practice.
• Solid knowledge of Safety Management Systems, marine risk assessment, auditing, compliance monitoring, and document management.
• Advanced Microsoft 365 skills, particularly SharePoint, Excel, Power BI and Word.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and writing skills.
• Able to work effectively under pressure and adapt to changing priorities.
• Confident representing the PLA at national, regional and local forums.

In return, we offer a competitive benefits package:

• 28 days annual leave (plus Bank Holidays)
• Medical Cash Plan (Westfield Health)
• Generous pension
• Onsite parking with electric charging
• Access to Occupational Health, Mindfulness, Counselling and Physiotherapy
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Car‑leasing scheme (Tusker Cars)
• Access to MyGymDiscounts

For further information or if you would like to have an informal discussion about the position, please contact the team on marine.compliance@pla.co.uk.

The PLA are not registered with the UK Home Office and do not sponsor candidates who require a visa or work permit to work in the UK, therefore an offer of employment cannot be made unless you currently hold the rights to live and work in the UK.