Principal Specialist - Innovation Autonomy

Do you thrive on turning cutting-edge autonomous and maritime technologies into safe, practical solutions within a complex regulatory environment?

Have you led technical assessments, safety cases, systems engineering activities or engineering analysis for emerging technologies, influencing senior stakeholders and shaping strategic outcomes?

Can you translate complex technical concepts into clear guidance, working with industry, government and innovators to drive the future of maritime technology?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is seeking a Principal Specialist – Innovation Autonomy. Based in Survey Operations (within the UK Technical Maritime Services Directorate ‘UKTMS’); areas of work include providing assessment of safety submissions related to autonomy in support of applications for the certification of vessels using innovative marine technologies for autonomous vessels including providing advice to Marine Office staff, MCA internal and external stakeholders and producing guidance. We provide support to UKMS Policy teams and Maritime Technology Research and Development working closely with other Tech Ops teams to ensure consistency of approach. The role will include close liaison with the Directorate of UK Customer Maritime Services (UKCMS) relating to the UK Maritime Innovation Hub.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 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.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at: Maritime and Coastguard Agency - Department for Transport Careers, As a Principal Specialist – Innovation Autonomy, you will lead the assessment and integration of autonomous and emerging maritime technologies, providing expert technical assurance, policy support and regulatory guidance. Working closely with industry, government and MCA stakeholders, you will help shape safe, innovative and sustainable maritime operations, support complex certification and safety case projects, and contribute to the development of future-focused regulations, including those relating to decarbonisation and alternative fuels.

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

1. Contributing to the management of Survey Operations in the delivery of technical and management initiatives and assisting with the steering of cultural change in Marine Offices to fully implement MCAs operational and transformational business objectives.

2. Providing technical, innovate and operation advise within Tech Ops and the UK Maritime Innovation Hub, liaising across Agency, Government and external stakeholders.

3. Playing a key role in the management and processing of safety cases including MGN 664 work and associated Quality Assurance process

4. Supporting ISO accreditation and ensuring readiness for internal and external audits.

5. Providing detailed technical specialist support to UKTMS surveyors and Marine Office Surveyors with survey/certification issues or complex cases involving innovative technologies.

6. Supporting requests for information around other future/emerging technologies and their potential impact on regulation.

7. Representing the UK and providing specialist technical support at internal and external meetings, including drafting and presentation of substantive papers.

8. Contributing to MCA technical training programmes for surveyors and UKTMS/UKCMS business plan activities and objectives., Operational Delivery Profession (ODP) is the largest and most diverse professional community across the Civil Service. Many of us will have an association with several professional communities or specialisms, ODP applies to all public facing roles / or a role that is primarily aligned to supporting the work of those with public facing roles. All critical to the delivery of UK public services.

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Hybrid working available

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

There will be work/travel on official duty within the UK and short-term overseas visits, which may involve overnight stays away from home.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details)., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving, During your application, you should indicate which location(s) you wish to be considered for and, if successful, you will be placed on an individual list of candidates for each location. Candidates will be held on that list and drawn from it in merit order. We advise you to carefully consider which locations you wish to be considered for. If you decline an offer for a location you have expressed a preference in or have expressed an interest in more than one location and accept an offer, you will be withdrawn from any lists you may be held on. We may also offer candidates a location that they have not expressed a preference for where we have the requirement to do so but this will again be done on the basis of your place in the overall merit order and, in this event, you will not be removed from the list if you decline., As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes., All external applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:
• Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour
• Threats or acts of violence
• Illegal activity or substance misuse
• Sexually explicit material
• Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public. Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It’s not about judging your personality or lifestyle - it’s about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture. If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what’s being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

A criminal record is not necessarily a bar to obtaining employment.

Feedback Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check .

See our vetting charter . People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks., * UK nationals

• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

• A valid passport for international travel
• Driving licence valid for driving in the UK, To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:
• Engineering degree to Masters level (Meng, MSc) or equivalent experience of a technical specialism with proven experience of working with emerging technologies or experience and understanding of the maritime industry from working within a technical capacity in the industry and can demonstrate an understanding of relevant engineering concepts
• Carrying out detailed engineering analysis/modelling/research
• Working with risk-based assessment or safety case processes
• Communicating with a range of senior stakeholders and decision makers
• Working with ambiguity and articulating the links between your work and wider strategic goals with internal & external stakeholders.
• Knowledge of engineering systems relevant or transferable to maritime decarbonization/digitalisation.
• Working in the absence of defined/prescriptive processes and standards.
• Understanding and basic knowledge of the Maritime Regulation process at National and International level
• Proven ability leading on challenges within your specialist field.
• Translating complex technical content in an accessible and impactful way., 1. A valid passport for international travel

2. Driving licence valid for driving in the UK, * Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (750-word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following:

• Experience in carrying out detailed engineering analysis/modelling/research
• Experience of risk-based assessment or safety case processes
• Experience of working with ambiguity and articulating the links between their work and wider strategic goals with internal and external stakeholders.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead Success Profile element, Experience in carrying out detailed engineering analysis/modelling/research.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview., * Seeing the Big Picture

• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

You will also be required to create and deliver a presentation to assess the Behaviour: Changing and Improving. Guidance will be provided if you are invited to interview.

Pulled from the full job description

• Annual leave
• Employee discount
• Employee assistance programme
• Company pension, Alongside your salary of £57,515, Maritime and Coastguard Agency contributes £16,662 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides .

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at MCA .