Maritime and Coastguard Agency

What we do at MCA We are the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), and we are one of the four executive agencies that make up the Department for Transport.

We are a team of 1,150 staff and 3,500 volunteers. Our headquarters are in Southampton and we have offices and co-ordination centres around the UK coast.

Whatever skills you may have, we can support your development throughout one of the many rewarding careers at the MCA, where we make a difference and contribute to saving lives.

Does your job matter? What we do matters. The MCA makes a vital difference to hundreds of 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 ships and seafarers 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. When you choose one of our MCA careers, you can be confident you are doing work that helps people every day.

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

Whether you’re starting out on one of our exciting careers at the MCA, 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.