Job title: Marine Pilotage Manager
Department: Harbour Master Department
Grade: 1
Salary: £96,130 per annum (plus car allowance of £6,177 per annum)
Base: Gravesend, Kent
Closing date: 18th June 2025
Interview date: 26th June and 1st July 2025

Who we are:
The Port of London Authority (PLA) is the statutory harbour authority for the tidal Thames, overseeing the UK’s largest port - 95 miles of the River Thames from the Estuary to Teddington in West London. Our mission is to keep river users safe, protect and enhance the environment, and promote the use of the river for recreation, trade, and travel.

The role:
The Port of London Authority (PLA) is recruiting a Marine Pilotage Manager, operating from our base in Gravesend. The successful candidate will manage the Marine Pilotage Department which sits within the Chief Harbour Master’s Directorate providing a safe, compliant, reliable and efficient Pilotage Service for the UK’s biggest port by trade. The pilotage operation covers an extended estuarial commercial port ensuring an on time pilotage service to all types of vessels from Ultra Large Container Ships to smaller coastal vessels 365 days a year/24 hours a day via a number of pilotage stations.

The successful candidate will use their knowledge and experience to effectively manage a workforce of approximately 120 pilots and circa 15 support and management staff to ensure a high level of safety and service level is maintained. They will also be expected to develop strategies which ensure that operational efficiency is maximised and effective cost management is achieved.

Key Responsibilities
The Marine Pilotage Manager duties include:

• Responsibility and accountability for all matters concerning pilotage policy and strategic planning and implementation (including continual review and update), assist with formulation and implementation of Pilotage Directions in conformance with marine pilotage legislation.
• Responsible for ensuring the pilotage operation remains safe and compliant with all relevant legislation and guidance including but not limited to the Pilotage Act 1987, the Ports and Marine Facilities Safety Code (PMSC), Guide to Good Practice in Port Operations (GtGP) and Boarding and Landing Code.
• Responsibility for setting the Pilotage Department budget within the overall CHM budget and ensuring the budget targets set are achieved. Additionally, delegated responsibility for the negotiation and renewal of annual contracts.
• Identify and develop initiatives to deliver efficiency in operating arrangements to ensure that pilot operations are managed at least possible cost.
• Effectively lead the pilotage team to all team members deliver against organisational and department goals and objectives.
• Act as a member of the senior leadership team, working collaboratively across departments to deliver effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders to achieve departmental and business objectives.
• Maintain and manage successful working relationships with Union colleagues, responsible for consulting and negotiating on day-to-day working arrangements and resolving operational issues which present a barrier to delivery of service levels.
• Provide advice and solutions on all operational pilotage matters to ensure uninterrupted service and achieve the pilotage service level as set by the Board / Executive Committee (ExCo).
• Ensure an understanding of Port Tariffs and their application in relation to Pilotage Operations.
• Responsible for setting and maintaining pilot manning levels in the Port by direct selection, recruitment, training and development of marine pilots and department support staff. Additionally, chair and participate in the assessment and examination of Pilots to ensure satisfactory levels of competency.
• Responsible for delivery of a class-leading 24/7 planning team within the Port Control Centre.
• Provision of 365 / 24 out of hours availability to respond on own initiative to non-routine and crisis management enquiries including major incident response with specific 24 hour call-out responsibilities.
• Lead technical solutions to improve the pilot service in consultation with CHM and relevant departments and manage the implementation of such.
• Shared responsibility on Pilots’ remuneration levels and member of the PLA Charges Committee, for setting appropriate revenue.
• Member of Inquiries and Investigations’ panels, Departmental Promotion and Staff Assessment’ panels.
• Health & Safety responsibility for the Pilotage Department.
• Any other duties required by ExCo and the PLA Board for the efficient and safe running of the department.
• This role utilises all levels of internal and external communications to ensure performance targets are met, e.g. liaison with the Ports customers, ships agents, Naval Regional office, to Senior Management level and Principals, British Ports Associations, Chamber of Shipping, stakeholders, customers and other port authorities.

The ideal candidate will meet the following requirements:

• Experience as senior manager with operational and budgetary responsibilities for a complex 24/7 operation, ideally gained in a port or marine environment. 
• Well-developed person-management skills with experience in managing a unionised workforce.  
• Excellent influencing and communication skills using a range of techniques to best effect.  Must be able to make an impact and enthuse others of the need to change.  Ability to adopt a consultative style and be able to listen. 
• Strong personal credibility, able to demonstrate the value of business management interventions and be able to promote these with authority and conviction.  Must be confident in challenging others whilst at the same time maintaining a professional relationship. 
• Highly developed management skills.   
• Personal resilience and high drive to succeed.  
• Innovative and creative in approach to work. 
• An understanding of the overall makeup of the business end to end, its drivers, systems and internal / external influences would be a considerable asset.  
• Experience of organisational change, change leadership and transformational change at a senior level is desirable.

In return, we offer a competitive benefits package:

• 30 days of annual leave + Bank Holidays
• Private Medical Insurance
• Car allowance
• Generous pension scheme
• Access to Occupational Health, Mindfulness, Counselling, and Physiotherapy services
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Access to MyGymDiscounts
• Salary sacrifice Car Scheme

To discuss this role or if you have any questions, please contact James Stride, Chief Harbour Master.


The PLA are not registered with the UK Home Office and do not sponsor candidates who require a visa or work permit to work in the UK, therefore an offer of employment cannot be made unless you currently hold the rights to live and work in the UK.