The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is seeking a new chief executive for the Marine Management Organisation.
The role is based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, and the successful candidate will have responsibility for the day-to-day executive leadership, management, and performance of MMO, which is England’s principal marine regulator. The organisation consists of 500 staff and has an annual budget of £40m.
The UK gained full sovereignty over its coastal regions after leaving the EU in 2020. Sole responsibility for the UK’s seas and the biodiversity within them now rests on the shoulders of the MMO. According to the job advert this presents potential new leaders of the organisation with the opportunity to “solidify our newfound powers and... deliver reinvigorated policy ambitions.”
The advert adds that the chief exec “will need to ensure that MMO is well positioned to achieve its aspirations to become a world class fisheries regulator, including delivering on departmental priorities such as the 25-Year Environmental Plan.”
The SCS band 2 position boasts an annual salary of £120,000, plus substantial pension benefits including a £32,400 contribution towards a Civil Service Pension scheme.
In the candidate pack for the role, Hilary Florek, chair of the MMO, describes the ideal candidate as “a proven leader, capable of overseeing the seamless integration of policy, evidence and operational delivery to provide highly effective and efficient services to our marine users, while striking an essential balance to safeguard our marine environment. This leader will possess a genuine commitment to MMO’s mission and purpose.”
She describes the MMO as, “a small but impactful organisation with a global reach,” whose “expertise and dedication to delivering world class fisheries management have earned us recognition on the local, national and international stages.”
Applications close on 20 May.