Training Advisor | Seafish

Training Advisor

Exciting opportunity for a highly motivated learning and development professional with excellent communication and project management skills.



Quick overview of the role 

  • Job status: This is a full-time, permanent post.
  • Location: Homebased (UK) or office-based in one of our offices in Edinburgh or Grimsby.
  • Salary: The starting salary for this role is £34,545 per year.  

What it’s like to work in Safety, Training and Workforce Issues at Seafish 

About Seafish 

Seafish is here to give the UK seafood sector the support it needs to thrive. Our work makes a huge difference. We collaborate with a wide range of partners – from seafood businesses and trade bodies to government, regulators and environmental organisations – and we engage in everything from research to campaigns, insight and training. 

About the Safety, Training and Workforce Issues Team 

In the Seafish Safety, Training and Workforce Issues team we coordinate safety and skills training courses and resources for people who work on UK-registered fishing vessels as well as providing a range of training, learning, and development opportunities for individuals and shore-based businesses.  Seafish approved courses offer specific industry training which are delivered by our expert network of approved training providers so that participants can be confident that the material covered is relevant and of the highest quality. 

How we work 

At Seafish we have a trust and performance culture. Performance driven results mean having autonomy and accountability in equal parts, so you can work in the way that’s most effective for you, as long as you deliver your work to the expected standards. You’ll have a personal development plan that outlines the objectives and competencies for your role and learning and development goals. You’ll have regular catch-ups with your line manager, along with mid-year and end of year reviews to discuss your work and performance.   

photographs of groups of Seafish colleagues standing beside each other, sitting around tables at conferences and having lunch together
We have a hybrid working environment at Seafish with opportunities for staff to get together at internal conferences and events

Job role, responsibilities and relationships 

The purpose of this role is to coordinate and oversee the development, delivery, and quality assurance of our fishermen’s training qualifications. This includes advising stakeholders on training opportunities, developing and updating course content, and conducting audits to verify compliance with Seafish and relevant regulatory standards. The role also involves evaluating training effectiveness, approving new training providers, and supporting the continuous professional development of instructors to ensure that training meets diverse industry needs. 

The main dimensions of the role are: 

  • Provide information, advice, and guidance to stakeholders on the training requirements and opportunities available across the industry.
  • Develop and update content for training courses, qualifications and learning materials.
  • Undertake audits and observations of approved training providers and instructors to ensure that delivery complies with Seafish, and as required any other third-party requirements (such as the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) or Marine Management Organisation (MMO).
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of Seafish training to ensure that it satisfies the needs of industry across its various sub-sectors.
  • Evaluate and process applications from prospective training providers and instructors wanting approval to deliver training as an approved training provider.
  • Monitor and co-ordinate the continuous professional development of approved instructors. 

Key accountabilities will be: 

  • Act as the first point of contact for enquiries for specialist advice, information, and guidance regarding training within the industry.
  • Audit, monitor and support the Approved Training Provider (ATP) network to enable the delivery of cost effective and high-quality training.
  • Monitor and maintain an effective network of instructors and training providers for the delivery of training. 
  • Monitor, evaluate, and report on the quality of training organisations, administration, and delivery, providing clear and constructive feedback on required improvements.
  • Audit and evaluate the delivery of training by Seafish approved instructors to ensure good quality of service and compliance with quality assurance procedures and policies.
  • Develop training programmes, qualifications, training materials, instructor guidance resources and content in response to identified needs of the industry.
  • In collaboration with others, promote the learning and development opportunities available to those employed in the onshore processing sector and to UK fishermen to improve the take up of Seafish approved programmes.
  • Prepare feedback and/or reports for training groups relating to targets and achievements.
  • Support the submission of project proposals and applications for funding to support the development and delivery of both onshore training and fishermen’s training.
  • Promote and support a culture of continuous improvement amongst training providers and instructors.
  • Log enquiries and activities on Seafish’s customer relationship management system or training database. 

Key Attributes: 

  • Plan, undertake, and follow-up on a structured programme of training provider audits and instructor observations as guided by your line manager.
  • Plan, undertake, and evaluate the development/updating of Seafish training courses, learning materials, and online resources.
  • Respond timeously to requests for information, advice and guidance relating to training from internal and external stakeholders.
  • Identify, plan, deliver and evaluate projects, ensuring the timely and satisfactory completion of outputs.
  • Manage projects budgets in line with organisational requirements and within delegated limits of authority.
  • Understand guidelines and requirements with respect to our administration of external funding.
  • Decision-making ability regarding individual day-to-day projects and budgets within delegated authority as directed by their line manager.
  • Need to be aware of, follow and implement all Seafish’s internal policies and procedures. 

Essential working relationships will include: 

  • Advise and inform team members and wider Seafish colleagues of planned activities and requirements.
  • Maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring third-party compliance with Seafish and third-party procedures.
  • Training providers and instructors, fishermen and fishing industry representatives, officials from Government departments and agencies, sector skills bodies, accrediting and awarding bodies, includes negotiating with external suppliers of products and services.   
  • Build strong relationships with stakeholders, especially fishermen and Seafish’s network of approved training providers and instructors.
  • Liaise, communicate, influence, and build working relationships with external contacts and suppliers. 

Knowledge, skills and experience required 

To be a suitable candidate for this role you should: 

Essential: 

  • Holds Certificates of Competency in Fishing or equivalent maritime industry.
  • Good knowledge of work-based training and training delivery.
  • Prior experience in auditing in a training or educational setting.
  • Experience in developing / evaluating educational programmes or training courses (within a related industry).
  • Excellent communication, inter-personal and presentational skills.
  • Excellent computer skills (including Microsoft Office).
  • Excellent customer service skills, with the ability to respond quickly and clearly to both internal and external stakeholders.
  • Good project management skills and experience, including planning, execution, and evaluation, as well as meeting deadlines.
  • Familiarity with conducting audits, instructor observations, and evaluations to assess quality and compliance.
  • Able to plan and manage their work with minimal supervision. 

Preferable:  

  • Degree-level qualification or Certificates of Competency.
  • Recognised training qualification (e.g. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) or equivalent demonstratable experience).
  • Auditing qualification.
  • Knowledge of the fishing industry and its training needs.
  • Financial management and budgeting experience, specifically with the ability to monitor and manage project budgets.
  • Experience working with grants or funding programs, ideally where strict guidelines must be followed. 

Special features of the role: 

  • Regular travel within the UK and possibly some international travel on occasion.
  • Full clean driving licence is essential. 

Every role is Seafish is linked to our bespoke competency framework. The competency levels for this role are: 

  • Growing Expertise – Creates a learning and development environment
  • Embracing Change – Shows ability to adapt to change
  • Building Relationships – Builds links with others in order to develop and deliver the best solutions
  • Achieving Results – Overcomes challenging circumstances to achieve high quality results 
  • Influencing with Impact – Communicates Complex Messages 

Salary and benefits 

All roles within Seafish are graded and have defined salary bands. This role is a grade 4 post, and the starting salary is at £34,545.  A new member’s appointment on the pay spine is dependent on the experience they bring to the role when they start. New candidates normally start at the lower end of the range unless they can demonstrate considerable experience in the requirements of the role. 

Additional benefits include: 

  • 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays and wellbeing break when the organisation closes between Christmas and New Year (3 additional days). 
  • Optional five days per year paid volunteering leave for an activity of your choice.
  • Trust and Performance culture – you work in a way that suits you to get your work done to the expected standard.
  • A generous employer pension scheme – we'll double your contribution up to a maximum employer contribution of 10%.
  • A range of health and wellbeing benefits including the Cycle to Work scheme, private medical insurance, gym discounts and eye care.
  • Our unlimited employee assistance scheme is a support service available 24/7 – it offers confidential, impartial advice on anything you need such as work, family, finance support or anything else personal to you.  
  • A professional development culture with plenty of learning opportunities.
  • Rewards for high performance each year. 

Application process 

To apply for the post, you should email your application to recruitment@seafish.co.uk. Please include “Training Advisor” in the subject line of your email.  

Your application should include: 

  • A covering letter or a short video explaining why you are a suitable candidate.
  • A recent copy of your CV so we can find out more about your skills and experience. 
  • A completed copy of our recruitment consent form

The deadline for applications is 10 December 2024. 

Candidates invited to interview will be given at least one weeks’ notice of proposed interview date to allow you to prepare. At this stage you might be asked to complete a short task in advance of interview and then answer some competency-based questions during interview.  

If you need any accommodations or adjustments during our recruitment and selection process, please reach out to us. 

While we welcome applications from candidates around the world, applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK. 

Further information 

For any queries about the job description or the salary and benefits on offer, please email recruitment@seafish.co.uk