Cadet programme support officer jobs
Location: Homebased or Southwest Area Office, BS3 2NS
Contract: Part time, two days/14 hours per week, fixed term until 31 December 2026
Salary: £10,600 per annum, pro rata (£26,500 full time equivalent)
Closing Date: 18 January 2026
Interview: w/c 26 January 2026
Are you a Training Support Officer looking for a new opportunity?
The Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC) is the leading maritime charity for youth development and lifelong learning. We are a vibrant and growing charity inspiring young people to achieve their potential through challenge and nautical adventure and enabling seafarers and maritime professionals to realise their potential through learning and career development. Working with our employees, cadets, and volunteers, we have built a strong vision and five-year Future Ready strategy to meet the growing demand for what we provide, both for young people, seafarers and maritime professionals – and the thousands who aspire to be the sea cadets and marine professionals of the future. It is also about equipping them to achieve their potential and thrive in a rapidly changing world, while growing our charity to benefit even more people – including those from under-represented or marginalised groups.
We are currently looking for a Training Support Officer to join our team.
About the role
This role provides tactical and targeted support to our District teams as we seek to enable our volunteers to deliver training to both cadets and volunteers in line with the Sea Cadets Learning Strategy. This post is responsible for supporting the delivery of the district training, including Royal Marine Cadet (RMC) training activity at Troop level. The work location can be flexible (home or office-based) requiring regular evening and weekend working supporting our volunteers by attending virtual meetings and delivering online training.
Responsibilities
- To provide functional support to our area Training Managers and District and RMC Troop Teams, ensure the district training plans are delivered, amended as necessary throughout the year, to the training plan and in line with identified training needed to best support the delivery of the Sea Cadet Experience.
- To support specific District Teams including the District Training Officer (DTO), District Recreational Officer/ Deputy District Officer (DRO/DDO), District Staff Officers (DSO), and RMC Troop Commanders (Trp Cdr) identified as requiring support under our change management process.
- To work closely with all District Officers to increase the number of certificated, current and competent instructors, and develop the capability and capacity of District Instructors to deliver training to cadets and volunteers across all Districts.
- To support the ATOs/DTOs/RMC Troops in all training matters (including uniformed and unit management teams) with a specific focus on Districts/Troops that need support.
- Support our Programmes and Virtual Training Manager with the co-ordination the of delivery of appropriate MSSC and other approved training packages (including BTEC, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award) appropriate to the age and experience of cadets across the organisation.
- Work under the leadership of our Assistant Director Sea Cadet Learning monitor performance against set targets set by the National Support Centre to ensure equitable access for cadets and adults to the Sea Cadet Experience.
Requirements
-
- Experience in working with youth groups and awareness and understanding on the challenges young people face.
- Experience in coordinating and supporting a programme of training activity.
- Experience in coaching and mentoring volunteers.
- Experience of drawing data to create support plans for delivery of activity.
- Experienced trainer with the ability to deliver engaging and impactful training.
Benefits
-
- 25 days annual leave per annum, pro rata for part time employees, increasing with length of service
- Hybrid working for many roles
- Volunteering Leave
- Life assurance (4x salary)
- Private medical insurance
- Generous pension (employer contribution up to 10%)
- Cycle to work scheme
- Access to the Marine Society Digital Library
- Wellbeing portal and EAP with 121 counselling
- Employee development: We are investing in our employees' development and have an annual calendar of learning and development opportunities, designed to support employees to develop into their roles and stretch them to achieve their full potential.
Additional Information
MSSC positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates from all backgrounds. Equity, diversity, and inclusion really matters to us, so we can best serve our beneficiaries from every community. We work to ensure a fair and consistent recruitment process and aim to be a charity where diversity of experience, identity and skills are valued and welcomed. MSSC is an equal opportunities employer.
We recognise our responsibilities to safeguard and protect the young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We do all we can to promote their health, safety and wellbeing, and we expect our staff to share this commitment and work in line with safeguarding policy, the MSSC’s values and ethos of inclusivity. We adhere to safer recruitment practices and therefore employment is subject to detailed pre-employment checks for successful candidates, including references and criminal disclosure checks and the completion of a disclosure questionnaire.
All successful applicants are required to attend safeguarding training and undergo pre-employment checks including a criminal record check.
Registered Charity 
101 - 500
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Location: MSSC NSC, 200B Lambeth Road, London, SE1 7JY (Hybrid Working)
Contract: Full time, permanent
Salary: £40,000 to £42,000 gross per annum, depending on experience
Closing Date: 8 February 2026
Assessment Day: 16 February 2026
Are you looking for a new opportunity supporting volunteers to give their best?
The Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC) is a vibrant and growing charity delivering life changing nautical adventure for young people through the Sea Cadets to give them the best possible head start in life. We also provide personal and professional development opportunities for seafarers with the Marine Society. Working with our staff, cadets, and volunteers, we have built a vision and five-year strategy to take us forward and further improve the astounding contribution already made through our work to the lives of thousands of young people and seafarers, while fully supporting our volunteers who are vital to our success.
About the role
We are currently looking for a Volunteer Support Manager to join our innovative Young People, Volunteer and Business Support Directorate. You will manage the Volunteer Support Team and develop and maintain efficient volunteering systems used by our volunteers. This is a key role focussed on supporting the charity’s volunteering strategy and championing best practice in volunteering.
This is an exciting time to join the Sea Cadets with the opportunity to make a real difference to the way volunteers are supported and recognised. The Volunteer Support Manager will be responsible for the effective and efficient administration of the volunteer processes via Microsoft Forms and Power Automate, as well as reviewing existing and implementing new systems to make them as effective and as volunteer friendly as possible.
Responsibilities
- To maintain, review and update volunteering systems, processes and approaches ensuring that they are efficient, up-to-date and as volunteer friendly as possible
- To line manage and support the Volunteer Support Team based at the MSSC Support Centre to ensure the delivery of effective and timely support to the volunteers
- To functionally manage and support the Area Volunteer Support Team based across the 6 Area Offices to deliver effective and consistent support to the volunteers
- To work with the Head of Volunteering to review MSSC volunteering policies, monitoring their appropriateness and effectiveness, making recommendations for changes as necessary
- To work with Volunteer Support Officers to develop systems and processes for managing the volunteer support workload and monitoring delivery standards
- To develop guidance and associated resources for the support of volunteers
- To manage the Volunteer Support elements of the Training and Admin website ensuring that the information is relevant, accurate and up to date
Requirements
- Experience of managing and motivating a large team
- Experience of managing, reviewing and refining complex administrative processes
- Experience of running effective CRM systems including the use of Microsoft Forms and Power Automate or similar products
- Experience developing processes which are targeted at both internal and external audiences
- Experience of delivering a first-class service to clients or customers
- An understanding of the voluntary and community sector, ideally within the youth field
Desirable
- Experience of managing or supervising a team based remotely
- Experience of being a volunteer
- Experience of managing an onboarding process with the understanding of the importance of safer recruitment
- Experience of empowering a team to deliver a first class customer service
- Experience of leading projects manging change with various stakeholders
- Experience of working with volunteers and the knowledge of how to ensure they are supported
Benefits
- 25 days annual leave per annum, increasing with length of service
- Hybrid working for many roles
- Volunteering Leave
- Life assurance (4x salary)
- Private medical insurance
- Generous pension (employer contribution up to 10%)
- Cycle to work scheme
- Access to the Marine Society Digital Library
- Wellbeing portal and EAP with 121 counselling
- Employee development: We are investing in our employees' development and have an annual calendar of learning and development opportunities, designed to support employees to develop into their roles and stretch them to achieve their full potential.
Additional Information
MSSC positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates from all backgrounds. Equity, diversity, and inclusion really matters to us, so we can best serve our beneficiaries from every community. We work to ensure a fair and consistent recruitment process and aim to be a charity where diversity of experience, identity and skills are valued and welcomed. MSSC is an equal opportunities employer.
We recognise our responsibilities to safeguard and protect the young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We do all we can to promote their health, safety and wellbeing, and we expect our staff to share this commitment and work in line with safeguarding policy, the MSSC’s values and ethos of inclusivity. We adhere to safer recruitment practices and therefore employment is subject to detailed pre-employment checks for successful candidates, including references and criminal disclosure checks and the completion of a disclosure questionnaire.
All successful applicants are required to attend safeguarding training and undergo pre-employment checks including a criminal record check.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.