Maritime Operation Officer

481615 Maritime Operation Officer

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 18th October 2026

📍 Location: Lerwick

💷 Salary: £27,631

Up to £7,500 of additional allowances which includes: Night working – £2,250, Enhanced Allowance Night working- £2250, Rotating shift – £2,000 and Public holidays & weekend working – £1,000.

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

🕘️ Contract Type: Permanent – Full-time

🏆️ Available Positions: 1

Our Maritime Operations Officers come from diverse backgrounds and age groups, united by a shared commitment to maritime safety and security, and a desire to make a difference.

You are the first person mariners and coastal users speak to when they call for help in an emergency. Your role is crucial in providing immediate assistance and coordinating the necessary response efforts to ensure the safety and security of those at sea and along our coasts.

You will be operating through the phones, radios and various other systems in one of our Rescue Coordination Centres, so whilst you won’t be out at sea, that doesn’t make what you’re dealing with any less real.

You will be the first point of contact for people who need our help. This could range from a call that someone appears in distress in the waters and needs help, through to a ship that requires assistance, sometimes with life-changing consequences to everything in between.

Top Responsibilities

Act as the first point of call for all public contact.
Coordinate responses to both emergency and routine issues.
Work as part of a team to organise the response to emergencies.
Work with other Emergency Services to ensure the most effective and robust outcome is achieved.
Ensure that you work to strict operating procedures.
Accurately record, update and maintain incident logs, records and databases.

For more information on the role and responsibilities please see the full job advert on CS Jobs using the link provided.

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.

About You

This is an excellent opportunity to access a new career path, we don’t ask for you to be an expert in this role and you should rest assured that we will provide you with all the training you need. What we particularly need from you are a number of core skills such as:

Communication – you have to be a good communicator, you will be speaking to people who could be going through one of the most difficult experiences of their lives, they may be scared and panicked. You will have to keep them calm to be able to get the right information from them quickly and then effectively pass that on to others.
Resilience – this role can be challenging, as you will handle incidents that may not always have positive outcomes. This includes calming individuals in severe distress and dealing with situations that may result in fatalities.
Teamwork – you will be the first and sometimes only person a member of the public may speak to, but you will work with a team to coordinate responses. It’s essential that you’re the kind of person who can work effectively with others when it really counts.

Additional Information

Please note that this post is based in Lerwick, in the Shetland Islands.

This is a full-time post. The post holder is required to work a 12-hour shift pattern (both day and night shifts) to allow HM Coastguard to provide its 24-hour emergency service to the public, 365 days a year. On average the shift pattern equates to 37 duty hours per week over a 12-month period. As such, this position attracts several allowances to reflect the shift working and unsociable hours.

Please note that this is a uniformed role and uniform will be required to be worn at all times when on duty.

Successful candidates will be expected to undertake a physical medical and mental health questionnaire for this role. Please see the attached document for further information.

How to Apply

👉 Read the full description and apply here: https://bit.ly/3VT8iiG

This vacancy closes at 23:55 on Sunday 18^th October 2026