Certification Officer - Customer Service
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 4th January 2026
đź“Ť Location: Southampton (Hybrid)
đź’· Salary: ÂŁ26,607 - A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
🕒 Contract Type: Permanent – Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time
Available positions: 2
This role is within the Seafarer Operations team which provides gold standard customer service to the seafaring community. The Seafarer Operations Team ensures the appropriate standards of seafarer training are maintained and that certificates and endorsements issued to seafarers and vessels comply with the relevant requirements while also providing a high level of customer satisfaction.
This is a customer facing role which supports seafarers through their certification journey, providing a class leading customer service along the way. The role ensures certificates issued to seafarers and shipping companies comply with the relevant legislative requirements and are issued accurately within our service level agreements.
Top Responsibilities
* Answering telephone and email certification enquiries from seafarers, maritime colleges, and shipping companies, delivering excellent customer service.
* Reviewing physical and digital documents provided by seafarers applying for certification, assessing their eligibility against MCA and regulatory criteria.
* Assessing applications for oral examinations and issuing Notices of Eligibility (NoE) or Assessment (NoA), while providing clear feedback to those who do not meet requirements.
* Assessing and issuing Certificates of Competency (CoC), Flag State Endorsements (FSE), and other required certifications such as GMDSS and VTS.
* Maintaining high standards of certification quality, ensuring applications are processed accurately and in line with quality assurance processes.
Benefits
Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic 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
You will need the following experience:
* Experience using Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel).
* Experience working in a customer contact environment, providing excellent customer service via telephone and email.
* Experience in working with a high level of attention to detail to ensure work is of a high-quality standard.
Additional Information
The Seafarer Services phone lines are open to customers at the following times:
Mon - Fri 8.15am - 5.30pm
The role holder will be required to cover these opening hours on a rota basis and start/finish times may be variable subject to business need.
How to Apply
👉 Read the full job description and apply using the link provided.
This vacancy closes at 23:55 on Sunday 4th January 2026