Maritime planning officer

Ready to make waves in a career where you’ll decide how the country’s seas and coastlines are used?

As a maritime planning officer, you’ll strike the balance between energy projects, fishing, transport and conservation.

You’ll create long-term plans that maximise Scotland’s seas and coastlines. A maritime planning officer may decide where offshore wind farms can operate, protect fishing or aquaculture areas and help manage shipping routes.

For example, let’s say you were working for an offshore energy project. You’ll make sure the wind farm complies with maritime regulations and doesn’t disrupt marine navigation or other sea users.

Your tasks might include:

• creating plans that decide how sea areas and coastlines are used

• assessing development applications to check they meet planning rules and policies

• using mapping tools to scope out marine areas and identify suitable locations for different activities

• working with communities, industries and environmental groups to gather views and avoid conflicts of interest

• examining how developments may affect marine ecosystems

• tracking the effectiveness of marine plans and improving them if necessary

Green job

In this job, you may carry out duties that help the environment. For example, you could work on a renewable energy project, like an offshore wind farm. Find out more about green jobs.

• Skills Development Scotland – explore our Career Opportunities in Scotland across Offshore Wind brochure

• GOV.UK – check out Stacey Clarke’s blog about working as a marine planning implementation officer