Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)

About us

We work to prevent the loss of life on the coast and at sea. We produce legislation and guidance on maritime matters, and provide certification to seafarers.

Who we are

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport (DfT). We provide a 24-hour maritime and coastal search and rescue emergency coordination and response service for the United Kingdom.

We produce legislation and guidance and provide certification to ships and seafarers. Through our survey and inspection regime, we enforce standards for ship safety, security, pollution prevention and seafarer health, safety and welfare. We promote maritime standards, encourage economic growth and minimise the maritime sector’s environmental impact.

Safer lives, safer ships, cleaner seas

Our vision is to be a world-leading organisation, accelerating the transition to sustainable shipping with non-negotiable safety standards. We put our people, our customers and our planet at the heart of everything we do. Our focus is on the themes of safety and sustainability, growth and innovation. Our values are safety, professionalism, trust and respect.

Working for MCA

We work together with our partners and stakeholders 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 the rules.

Whatever skills you may have, we can support you in developing a rewarding career whilst making a difference and contributing to saving lives.

• The importance of maritime safety

Maritime safety is a worldwide priority. 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 surveyors operate to ensure high standards of safety for all boat users around the globe. Our staff understand the significance of their work and its contribution towards our vision to be the best maritime safety organisation in the world.

• Benefits package

We are proud of where we work: we offer a competitive benefits package with an attractive pension scheme, generous holiday allowance plus much more.

• People at MCA

Our people matter: flexible working hours, wellbeing support and diversity training are just a few examples of our dedication to building an inclusive culture. You’ll also have the power to influence change through our staff networks. Whether you’re starting out on your career journey, changing paths or joining us as an experienced professional, you’ll be involved in saving and improving lives.

• A diverse workforce

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 our staff.

• Flexible working

We have a variety of options for flexible working to fit in with people’s busy lives. This includes opportunities to work part time, job shares, working from home, flexible hours and shift working arrangements. Our aim is to maximise the benefits of new technology, modernise our existing workspace and embrace flexible working practices in order to transform the way we work – while at the same time, enabling a better work-life balance.

• Apprenticeships and development

At the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, we are passionate about developing our staff and enabling them to reach their full potential. This could either be through a recognised apprenticeship programme, to achieve a formal qualification, or one of the many of internal development programmes which our staff benefit from.

• Safety is paramount

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, cleaner seas: our motto underpins everything we do.