The posting
Location: Operating from Fort Blockhouse, Gosport, PO12 2AB
Contract: Full time, fixed term until 30 September 2027
Salary: £31,000 to £33,000 gross per annum, depending on experience
Closing Date: 25 October 2026
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 five-year 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.
We are currently looking for an OOW and second in command for one of our power vessels, who should hold RYA Yachtmaster Power, or Master 200 CoC.
About the role
The primary purpose of the 1st Lieutenant is to act as the Second in Command. You will be supporting the Commanding Officer to deliver high quality sail training experiences to cadets aged between 12-18. The vessels travel throughout the UK and near continent between March and November each year. You will be responsible for ensuring the safety, discipline, morale, welfare and day-to-day employment of permanent crew members, embarked personnel and cadets. You will also act as the vessel’s Training Officer and Safety Officer.
Responsibilities
- To act as Officer of the Watch.
- To be ready to assume Command of the vessel.
- Ensure all activity is completed in accordance with the MSSC Offshore Safety Management System.
- To initiate and deliver the adult and cadet training programmes.
- To organise and run the ship's routine giving due regard to hours of work, rest and mealtimes.
- To act as part of the vessel’s emergency response team, managing the delivery of first aid or firefighting.
- To be responsible for the routine maintenance and serviceability of the ship’s upper deck equipment, seamanship equipment, sea survival equipment and tender.
- To coordinate and carry out general ship husbandry tasks and support winter maintenance tasks.
- To manage the crew, trainees and passengers onboard, including all requirements of the vessel’s certification and coding with regard to personnel.
Requirements
- Yachtmaster Offshore or Coastal (Power) or Master 200 - for up to 24m with commercial endorsement qualification.
- Demonstrable experience and confidence to take Command of the vessel in the absence of the Commanding Officer.
- Ability to gain and maintain an ENG1 Medical Certificate.
- RYA Powerboat Level 2.
- MCA approved First Aid Cert.
- Radio Operators Certificate.
- Radar training or demonstrable equivalent knowledge and experience.
For further information, please download theRecruitment Pack.
Benefits
- 104 days annual leave per annum (split between 84 days during the sailing season and 20 weekdays during the winter maintenance season).
- Life assurance (4x salary) for those that join the pension.
- Private medical insurance.
- Pension (employer contribution up to 10%).
- Wellbeing portal and EAP with 121 counselling.
- Employee development: We are investing in our employees' development and have an annual calendar of learning and development opportunities, designed to support employees to develop into their roles and stretch them to achieve their full potential.
- National staff conference: All employees come together once a year to reflect on the past year and celebrate success at our offsite staff conference. This is a great opportunity to listen to employees' views, and for employees to network, share information and socialise.
If you are interested in this vacancy, please apply now.
Additional Information
MSSC positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates from all backgrounds. Equity, diversity, and inclusion really matters to us, so we can best serve our beneficiaries from every community. We work to ensure a fair and consistent recruitment process and aim to be a charity where diversity of experience, identity and skills are valued and welcomed. MSSC is an equal opportunities employer.
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 expect our staff to share this commitment and work in line with safeguarding policy, the MSSC’s 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 criminal disclosure checks and the completion of a disclosure questionnaire.
All successful applicants are required to attend safeguarding training and undergo a criminal record check.
