Introduction
The MCA is seeking a Non-Executive Board Member to join its Board as ARAC Chair. The successful candidates, through their membership of the Board, will provide challenge and support to a wide variety of management and operational issues and contribute to the effective strategic and operational leadership of the MCA.
Introduction from the Minister
Dear Applicant,
Thank you for your interest in the Non-Executive Director (ARAC Chair) role on the Board of Maritime & Coastguard Agency.
This is an important time for the Department for Transport. We are investing heavily in infrastructure and public transport to improve journeys, boost connections, support economic growth. Central to our mission is delivering transport that works for everyone in our society.
We are recruiting for a Non-Executive Director (ARAC Chair) to join our team on the Board of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency. The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) is an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport (DfT). The MCA is responsible for shaping and implementing the UK’s strategy for maritime safety and environmental protection, in close collaboration with the DfT and a wide range of customers and other stakeholders. On behalf of the Secretary of State it discharges many of the UK’s statutory duties as a Flag, Coastal and Port State under international and domestic law.
The position requires an ability to provide challenge and support to a wide variety of management and operational issues and contribute to the effective strategic and operational leadership of the MCA.
We strongly welcome applications from all backgrounds. As part of the Department’s commitment to diversity, we believe our public appointments should reflect our customers - the travelling public – who come from all walks of life and have different experiences. We very much welcome fresh talent, expertise, and perspectives, to help us better understand the needs of the communities we serve and support better decision making for all. This includes people who may have never applied for a public appointment – but could bring new ideas, insights and energy.
If you are interested in the role and work of MCA, I would like to encourage you to apply.
Our dedicated DfT Public Appointments Team would be happy to talk through the process and answer your questions.
Rt Hon Heidi Alexander MP
Secretary of State for Transport
Introduction from the Chair
As an island nation, the maritime sector plays a vital - though sometimes underappreciated - role in our prosperity, security and environmental future. Within that broader seascape, the MCA has a distinctive role in ensuring safety at sea for seafarers, passengers, fishing and shipping, as well as maritime environmental protection.
But the MCA also sits at the nexus of a changing and challenging economic, technological and regulatory maritime international ecosystem. It therefore has an important contribution to help the UK capitalise on significant opportunities - not only in our established maritime ‘clusters’ but as an international leader in next-gen innovation such as maritime autonomy, greener fuels and propulsion, and applied AI for meteorology and navigational optimisation.
To succeed over the next decade the MCA will therefore need to assess and support new technologies, frame smart regulation, and develop and credential future-facing maritime skills, while ensuring operational excellence in its core functions. The Agency’s non-executive directors serve as ‘critical friends’ and ‘force multipliers’ as it squares up to these challenges. If this sounds like the sort of opportunity where you could bring meaningful experience, sound judgement and personal energy then we greatly look forward to hearing from you.
Simon Stevens
Chair
Appointment description
As a Non-Executive Board (ARAC Chair) member your key responsibilities will be to:
- contribute effectively to discussions on the leadership and performance of the business at the MCA Board and Executive/Non-Executive meetings as required (6 MCA Board meetings per year/ 5 ARAC meetings per year/4 DfT MCA Sponsorship Board meetings per year).
- support the MCA to examine, challenge and support the operational delivery and commercial implications of policy proposals, major projects and programmes, strategic and organisational issues.
- work with the MCA and senior managers to scrutinise the MCA’s management information to ensure performance and delivery of the MCA’s Business Plan and other key objectives are ambitious and achievable.
- bring an independent perspective to the work of the MCA Board, as well as providing independent scrutiny.
- contribute as members, or chair of Board sub-committees within the MCA corporate governance framework.
Organisation description
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) is an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport (DfT). The MCA is responsible for shaping and implementing the UK’s regime for maritime safety and environmental protection, in close collaboration with the DfT and a wide range of customers and other stakeholders. On behalf of the Secretary of State it discharges many of the UK’s statutory duties as a Flag, Coastal and Port State under international and domestic law.
The MCA’s vision is to provide the best possible coastguard and maritime regulator services, to support growth of the UK maritime sector through its services and the UK Flag, and to help lead shipping decarbonisation and the adoption of innovative technologies.
This is given practical effect through education, prevention, regulation, inspection and - when required - by initiating and coordinating maritime Search and Rescue through HM Coastguard and other emergency responders. The Agency runs the economically important UK Ship Register and certifies seafarers. It provides survey and inspection capabilities to check the safety of ships operating in British waters and UK-registered ships abroad and administer the law in relation to wreck and salvage.
It has a dedicated team of some 1,100 professional staff and up to 3,500 Coastguard volunteers, and an annual budget of around £449m. Our people rightly take great pride in their work and are guided by our values of Safety, Professionalism, Trust and Respect.
Many of the activities of the MCA support the UK’s wider maritime sector which makes a direct contribution of at least £11bn to the economy while directly supporting more than 113,000 jobs and 6,600 businesses.
Further information about the MCA can be found at: