Head of Performance and Planning

Can you lead organisational planning and performance reporting that supports strategic decision making?

Do you have experience developing robust performance frameworks, business plans and reporting processes?

Have you worked with senior stakeholders to provide insight, assurance and clear performance information?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is seeking a Head of Performance and Planning to lead the development of organisational strategies, annual business planning and performance reporting across the Agency. This is a high-profile role within Corporate Services, providing assurance to senior leaders and supporting effective decision making through accurate, timely and meaningful performance information. You will work closely with colleagues across MCA, including the Data and Analysis and operational teams and the Department for Transport to strengthen planning, reporting and governance arrangements, helping the Agency remain focused on delivery and continuous improvement.

Please note we are also recruiting for a Head of Risk and Resilience 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: Maritime and Coastguard Agency - Department for Transport Careers

As Head of Performance and Planning, you will lead the Agency’s strategic planning and performance reporting function, ensuring robust frameworks, accurate data and clear insight are in place to support delivery, governance and assurance at Executive Committee, Board and Department for Transport level.

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

• Leading and developing the Performance and Planning function, fostering a high-performing and collaborative team culture.
• Overseeing the Agency’s performance reporting framework, ensuring timely, accurate and meaningful management information.
• Producing monthly and quarterly performance packs for senior governance forums, including Executive Committee, MCA Board and Sponsorship Board.
• Working with Data and Analysis colleagues and operational directorates to improve data quality, reporting consistency and insight.
• Overseeing the annual business planning process, ensuring plans align with MCA strategy, DfT priorities and wider government objectives.
• Developing reporting tools, templates and guidance to standardise processes and drive best practice across the Agency.
• Engaging with the Department for Transport on performance matters, ensuring effective escalation, alignment and resolution of issues.
• Supporting strategic planning, governance and formal committee activity across the Agency as 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.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

How to apply:

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's skills, and potential fit within our organisation.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement

Stage 2: Interview (On Teams)

Stage 3: 2nd stage Interview (In person)

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Stage 1: Sift

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Behaviours – you will be asked to provide a 250-word statement on the following Behaviours:

• Leadership

Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (1000-word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following:

• Experience of developing and operating robust Performance Reporting and Management Frameworks suitable for providing oversight at Board and executive level including development of tools and processes
• Experience of developing strategies and business plans, providing insight and clear understanding of strategic and corporate issues.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead Success Profile element, Experience - Experience of developing and operating robust Performance Reporting and Management Frameworks suitable for providing oversight at Board and executive level including development of tools and processes.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The sift will take place 01/09/2026

Stage 2: Interview (On Teams)

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

• Behaviours: Seeing the Big Picture
• Experience

The interviews will take place 10/09/2026

This interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

Stage 3: Interview (In Person)

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

• Behaviours: Leadership;
• Seeing the Big Picture;
• Communicating and Influencing;
• Delivering at Pace.
• Experience

You will also be required to create and deliver a presentation to assess the Behaviour Communicating and Influencing and Experience. Guidance will be provided if you are invited to interview.

The interviews will take place 18/09/2026

This interview will be conducted in person at our Southampton office (Spring Place, 105 Commercial Road, Southampton, SO15 1EG). Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site (opens in a new window).

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change.

Further information on the selection process

Feedback on your application can only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Adverts with a reserve list

We will also hold a 12 month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for.

Appointments for this position will be made in order of merit. If you are successful in the selection process but there are no further available posts for the advertised role, you may be contacted to discuss an offer for a lower graded role (with similar experience and responsibility requirements).

If you are unsuccessful in the selection process, your application may be considered for a lower graded position if your demonstrated skills and experience meet the requirements of the alternative position. Candidates will be considered in order of merit.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert or the information on our website, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

Pre-employment Checking

If your application is successful but you have been dismissed from the Civil Service, your application could be removed at the pre-employment checking stage depending on the nature of the dismissal.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

All external applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:

• Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour
• Threats or acts of violence
• Illegal activity or substance misuse
• Sexually explicit material
• Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public. Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It’s not about judging your personality or lifestyle - it’s about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture. If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what’s being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.