Head of Risk and Resilience


Company:	Government Recruitment Service
Salary:	£57,515 - £57,515
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Southampton
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	13 Aug 2026
Closing date:	31 Aug 2026

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Summary

Can you lead the development of effective risk management, business continuity and resilience arrangements across a complex organisation?

Do you have the confidence to provide expert advice, challenge and assurance to senior leaders on organisational risk and corporate resilience?

Have you successfully embedded policies, processes and reporting frameworks that support strong governance and continuous improvement?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is seeking a Head of Risk and Resilience to lead our organisational approach to risk, corporate resilience and business continuity. This high-profile role sits within Corporate Services and is central to providing effective assurance to the Chief Executive, Executive Committee and Board. You will lead a small team, work closely with senior stakeholders across the Agency and the Department for Transport, and help embed a strong culture of governance, resilience and continuous improvement across the MCA. The MCA’s Risk and Resilience Team are responsible for the organisation’s risk and business continuity management, ensuring that the organisation is compliant with government guidance, maintaining policies and procedures and overseeing training.

Please note we are also recruiting for a Head of Performance and Planning which may be of interest.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

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), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King’s birthday
Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at: MCA Homepage | Civil Service Careers

As Head of Risk and Resilience, you will lead the MCA’s risk management, corporate resilience and business continuity functions, ensuring the Agency has robust arrangements in place to identify, manage and report risks. You will provide expert advice and assurance, develop effective governance and reporting processes, and work across the organisation to embed best practice and compliance with relevant government guidance driving a culture of good governance.

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

Providing effective leadership to the Risk and Resilience Team, building capability and supporting a high-performing culture.

Leading and developing the Agency’s approach to risk management in line with government guidance, including HM Treasury’s Orange Book.

Overseeing the Corporate Risk Register and produce accurate, timely risk reports for key governance meetings.

Developing, maintaining and testing business continuity policies, plans and procedures to support organisational resilience.

Ensuring risk and business continuity reporting supports effective oversight by the Executive Committee, Board and relevant committees.

Leading engagement with the Department for Transport on risk and business continuity matters, including escalation where required.

Working with Learning and Development colleagues to ensure appropriate risk and business continuity training is available across the Agency.

Supporting the administration of formal Agency governance meetings, including Executive Committee, Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee (ARAC) and Board meetings where required.

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills they need. We aim to empower line managers to create teams where people can flourish and deliver excellent outcomes for the public.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

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