Job Description
Join our team as a First Officer (Safety) and play a key role in ensuring the highest standards of operational safety, compliance, and risk management.
In this pivotal position, you will support the Captain and Safety Management team by monitoring safety procedures, identifying potential hazards, and promoting a proactive safety culture across all operations.
When assigned to the Inshore Protection Programme (IPP), you may act as Senior Boarding Officer, co-ordinating fisheries operations with the local Business Manager and leading a small team (coxswain and boarding assistant) to deliver inshore patrols and risk-based enforcement.
This is a leadership role requiring strong safety management, sound judgement, and the ability to balance operational, safety and fisheries responsibilities effectively.
Responsibilities:
- Act as Officer of the Watch and support the Commanding Officer in the safe and efficient operation of the vessel.
- Lead all onboard safety management, including drills, statutory compliance and risk assessments.
- Maintain safety records, product data sheets and files on all relevant fisheries legislation.
- Carry out British Sea Fishery Officer duties and support offshore fisheries enforcement operations.
- Ensure crew follow safe working practices in line with Directorate procedures.
- Programme and record all safety and anti-pollution exercises as required by regulations.
- Deliver vessel familiarisation and safety induction for new crew members.
- Investigate safety non-conformities and support corrective actions.
- When deployed to IPP, act as Senior Boarding Officer, coordinating inshore fisheries operations with the local Business Manager.
- Lead a small IPP team (coxswain and boarding assistant) to conduct compliant, risk-based inshore patrols and boardings.
Qualifications:
- Chief Mate (Unlimited) Certificate of competency.
- Valid ENG1 Certificate – Must declare limitations prior to taking on role.
- All relevant STCW qualifications.
Please confirm you hold these qualifications. If you do not hold all of these qualifications, your application will not be considered.
Success profile
Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of behaviours, experience and technical criteria (if applicable) that candidates will be assessed on.
Technical / Professional Skills:
- Connection and communication with Stakeholders – Working level
- Data and Insight – Working level
- Delivery and decision making as pace – Working level
- Adaptability to Change – Working level
You can find out more about the skills required here: ODP Competency framework
How to apply:
Apply online, providing a CV and supporting statement (of no more than 750 words) providing evidence of how you meet the behaviours, experience and technical skills listed in the Success Profile above. Both the CV and the supporting statement provided will be assessed against the criteria for the role.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
Please see our
candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.
Skilled Worker sponsorship is not available for this role. As a result, we are unable to appoint candidates who require Skilled Worker sponsorship now or in the future. Applicants must have an existing and ongoing right to work in the UK.
If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and presentation
Assessments are scheduled for w/c 17 August 2026 however this may be subject to change.
Apply before 23:59 on 4 August 2026. This post is open to internal candidates and Common Citizenship Organisations only (external candidates and staff from UK Other Government Departments are not eligible to apply for this vacancy).
About us:
The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.
Our staff are part of the
UK Civil Service, observing the
Civil Service Code and working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.
We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about
what we offerWorking pattern:
Your annual leave allowance is 175 days. Leave is calculated pro-rata based on the period of time employed. Typical trip lengths are 22 days on, 22 days off or 28 days on 26 days off.
Security checks:
Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).
Internal candidates may need to gain higher security clearance than they currently hold if successful in their application.
Equality statement:
We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.
Further information:
Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our
Careers Website Read our
Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.
