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A collage showing a rescue helicopter, a person working at a large bank of computer screens and a manual worker in blue coveralls and a hardhat

Working for the
Maritime and
Coastguard Agency

We work together to prevent the loss of life at sea and on the coast in the UK. We produce legislation on maritime matters and guidance to help follow maritime rules that govern the water.

Safer lives, safer ships, cleaner seas

Whatever skills you may have, we can support you in developing a rewarding career that makes a difference and contributes to saving lives.

What we do matters; our work affects people every single day. Whether at the beach, coast or sea, people rely on our 24-hour emergency service 365-days a year, whilst our Marine Surveyors operate to ensure high standards of safety for all boat users. Our staff understand the significance of their work and its contribution towards our vision to be the best maritime safety organisation in the world.

Whether you’re starting out on your career journey, changing paths, or joining us as an experienced professional, you’ll play a vital part in improving safety at sea. You could be dispatching search and rescue teams, inspecting ships, ensuring sea-goers are fit and properly qualified, enforcing or shaping maritime law, or developing how we communicate with people on the water.

You’ll have the chance to work in a location convenient for you. The MCA has offices based all around the UK, with our Head Office in Southampton, which has excellent transport links in and around the city.

From marine surveyors, IT technicians to operational coastguards, our people are highly skilled. We can always rely on the diverse capabilities of our teams to achieve our aims and keep the public safe. We want you to be the best you can be: we provide regular support, training and development opportunities for all of our staff.

Safety matters – join us and make a difference to people’s lives. From policy to enforcement, prevention to emergency response, communications to corporate services, we work together to create safer lives, safer ships and cleaner seas.

A photo of Rob Townsend. He is sitting at a desk and is dressed in a suit with a white shirt.

“I lead a team, which builds and maintains the vital communications infrastructure that links people out on the water with HM Coastguard. I feel massively proud to be part of this team; ultimately, we save lives at sea.”

Rob Townsend

Head of Radio, Navigation and Telecoms Services

Did you know…

  • our Marine Surveyors carry out inspections on ships of all types and sizes all around the world
  • we’re the only national 999 emergency service in the UK
  • you can become a Maritime Operations Officer without experience in emergency operations
Julie Ann Wood

“I’m proud to have achieved the highest rank in HM Coastguard. I have an amazing team of Coastguard Operation Officers who keep the UK coastline safe and make a difference every single day.”

Julie-Anne Wood

Head of Maritime Operations

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Does your job matter? What we do matters

The work of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) makes a vital difference to hundreds of people every single day.

A photo Of Kate Lockett the Learning And Capability Lead. She has long brown hair and is wearing a striped top under a navy blazer.

MCA supports flexible working and working families

Flexible working at the MCA is helping families to achieve a better work-life balance.

See all Maritime and Coastguard Agency vacancies