Head of Offshore MSSC

Task requirements

The Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC) is a vibrant and growing charity delivering life changing nautical adventure for young people through the Sea Cadets to give them the best possible head start in life. We also provide personal and professional development opportunities for seafarers with the Marine Society.  Working with our staff, cadets and volunteers, we have built a vision and strategy to take us forward and further improve the astounding contribution already made through our work to the lives of thousands of young people and seafarers, while fully supporting our volunteers who are vital to our success.

The Head of Offshore (HoO) reports to the Director of Sea Cadets Learning.  Recognising the profile of the offshore fleet to the work of the charity, the post holder will work closely with other members of the Senior Management team as required. 

Occasionally the HoO will need to be at sea ensuring that appropriate standards are maintained. The role will require some weekend and evening work and the post holder will be expected to support operational issues, when necessary, to maintain the cadet voyage programme and to take part in and out of hours on call rota. Travel to vessels in UK and near continent ports, to contractors and suppliers, as well as to MSSC National Support Centre, will also be required.

Due to the nature of the work, this post is exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the post holder will be required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

KEY RESPONSIBLITIES

The primary purposes of the HoO are to:

• Manage and oversee offshore (including sail training) activity carried out by MSSC, so that it is delivered to clearly defined standards which meet the requirements of both the Sea Cadet Corps (SCC) and external governing bodies, including, but not limited to the MCA and RYA.
• Lead and manage the team (permanent employees, relief crew and volunteers) to perform as one team to maximise the effectiveness of MSSC’s offshore function to ensure its effective safe and inclusive delivery for Sea Cadets. 
• Management of the fleet of vessels to ensure they are effectively able to deliver safe and enjoyable voyage activity.
• Manage the annual maintenance of the offshore Sea Cadets fleet, together with the planning of refit, improvement and replacement as required, working closely with the fundraising team where appropriate to fund this activity.
• Work with the Head of HSE, Head of Safeguarding and the EDI lead, reporting where appropriate to the Senior Management Team and Safety, Safeguarding, Inclusion and Risk Committee to ensure the safety of our cadets, volunteers, and employees in an inclusive environment whilst offshore.  Also to ensure the full assurance and audit of the offshore fleet and its operations together with the appropriate processes, systems and facilities.
• Ensure the offshore team work to enhance our reputation and public perception in line with the Sea Cadets brand.  
• The following is a list of the principal (but not exhaustive) tasks of the post holder:

Leadership and people management

• To manage all aspects of MSSC offshore operations, including staffing, training throughput, quality control, safety, safeguarding, inclusion, material state and financial performance.
• To provide effective leadership to the offshore function of MSSC, allocating tasks and setting appropriate targets for team members.
• To manage the effective performance, professional development, and welfare of MSSC employees under their line management.
• To contribute to overall strategic and operational planning for the MSSC, through the Senior Management Team.

Training management

• To oversee the planning, co-ordination, and publication of MSSC’s Offshore programme.
• To identify and manage the achievement of annual targets for Offshore.
• To ensure the experience is consistent across the fleet, youth development and output focused, and has a distinct Sea Cadet ethos guided by the customs and traditions of today’s Royal Navy.

Asset and budget management and maintenance

• To manage the offshore training budget and funds allocated for offshore within authorised limits.
• To operate and administer MSSC’s offshore vessels and other offshore vessels allocated.
• To maintain appropriate levels of operational readiness, usage and safety in vessels allocated to them in accordance with relevant regulations and other directives.
• To manage and prepare for the annual winter maintenance period and any refit programme required for MSSC offshore vessels.
• To control and account for MSSC pay and travel resources allocated.

Safety, assurance, safeguarding and inclusion

To maintain and develop a safety management system (SMS) as part of the overall MSSC SMS for all offshore operations, seeking continual improvement, sail training and ensuring that the SMS is appropriately and regularly tested internally and audited externally by appropriate bodies.

• To monitor offshore training quality and standards.
• To promote and maintain a robust safeguarding culture across all offshore operations, where the right to challenge is championed and encouraged, in line with MSSC’s safeguarding policies.
• To promote and maintain a fully inclusive culture across all aspects of offshore operations, and across the fleet, in line with MSSC’s EDI statement and policies.

Promotion

To liaise with external organisations to promote national sail training opportunities.

To assist with the marketing of, and/or fundraising for, offshore (and sail) operations as well as to the benefit of MSSC as a whole in liaison with the Director of Fundraising and Communications.

Specialist

To provide advice to the Council, Executive Committees, Senior Management Team and CEO on all matters relating to their remit.

• To act as MSSC sponsor for the offshore section of Training Afloat Regulations (TARs).
• To act as MSSC RYA certification authority for offshore qualifications.
• To act as MSSC nautical publications and chart ordering authority.

OTHER DUTIES

• In order to deliver services effectively, a degree of flexibility is needed and the post holder may be required to perform work not specifically referred to above. Such duties, however, should not normally exceed those expected of an employee at that level.
• As part of the initial induction in order to get to know the Sea Cadets, the post holder will be encouraged to assist as a volunteer with evening activities within a local unit (details to be agreed) for a period of one month within the first year of employment.
• All employees are expected to take responsibility and comply with the MSSC’s policies, procedures and training requirements, particularly in relation to safeguarding, health and safety, data protection and equality, diversity and inclusion.  All employees must be familiar with and comply with all aspects MSSC policies.

OUR COMMITMENT

We recognise our responsibilities to safeguard and protect the young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We do all we can to promote their health, safety and wellbeing, and we ask our staff to share this commitment and work in line with our values and ethos of inclusivity. We adhere to safer recruitment practices and therefore employment is subject to detailed pre-employment checks for successful candidates, including references and DBS checks and attendance at relevant safeguarding training.

Essential competencies

Selection Process

Applications via:   Head of Offshore - MSSC

Terms of reference

HoOT - Job Description - March 2025 Final.docx – 683KB Opens in a new window
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