ILS & Sustainment Engineer

About Aquila ATMS

Aquila Air Traffic Management Services (ATMS) is dedicated to creating a workplace where innovation, collaboration, and excellence thrive. As a joint venture between NATS and Thales, we combine the expertise of leading air traffic control services and global systems integration to deliver cutting-edge solutions in air traffic management.

The Role

We are looking for an ILS & Sustainment Engineer to join our team permanently. This role provides an opportunity to contribute to the organisation’s goals and support the work of the wider team. In this position, you will help deliver key activities that support effective operations, continuous improvement, and positive outcomes for colleagues, customers, and stakeholders.

Your core responsibilities will include:

• Ensure the technical credibility of asset sustainment assumptions by providing independent challenge and assurance across lifecycle models, support strategies, and ILS inputs, strengthening safe and resilient service delivery.
• Contribute to real-time obsolescence and material state awareness by proactively highlighting emerging technical and supplier risks that could impact long-term service resilience.
• Assess third- and fourth-line support dependencies, OEM and supplier viability, and long-term support assumptions, highlighting vulnerabilities and recommending credible mitigation options.
• Deliver clear technical confidence statements that translate complex engineering and supportability considerations into decision-ready insight for Asset Managers and governance forums.
• Support whole-life sustainment realism by reviewing reliability and maintenance.
• Collaborate closely with Asset Managers, Engineering, Supply Chain, Service Management, Refresh and Projects teams to ensure sustainment risks and dependencies are understood, shared and addressed.
• Apply data, analytics and digital tools to improve the quality, consistency and presentation of sustainment insight, supporting more informed business and investment discussions.
• Provide trusted, independent technical assurance and influence decision making by clearly communicating sustainment risks, assumptions, and confidence levels to stakeholders.

This is a hands-on role where you’ll contribute to meaningful work and play a part in helping the organisation achieve its objectives.

About You

You’re an Asset Management professional who contributes positively to your team and the wider organisation. You work collaboratively, adapt to different situations, and bring sound judgement to your work. You communicate clearly, build effective working relationships, and approach challenges with a practical, solutions-focused mindset.

To be successful in this role, you’ll bring:

• Relevant experience as an ILS & Sustainment Engineer or in a similar Asset Management role.
• Knowledge of Availability, Reliability and Maintainability reports based on data analytics for mapping probability.
• Experience with Asset Management and inventory Tools e.g. Service now, SAP, internally developed tools.
• The ability to contribute to the whole life cost modelling supporting Aquila's Assess Refresh Programme.

You also:

• Promote Aquila’s Just Culture, reporting incidents, safety non-compliance, or potential issues in an appropriate and timely manner.
• Consistently demonstrate behaviours aligned with Aquila’s core values and leadership behaviours in all actions and decisions.

What We're Looking For

Essential Criteria

• Asset management or ILS (preferably within the Air Traffic Management Environment or equivalent airworthiness/regulatory/safety environment, but not essential).
• Experience with Service Management concepts, standards, obsolescence process, military standards, and frameworks.
• Experience in interrogating reliability block diagrams and probability mapping.
• In-depth understanding of the System Engineering lifecycle.
• Working knowledge of finance, with the ability to apply whole life costing and understand the financial implications of engineering and asset management decisions.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience with Air Traffic Management Systems covering Communication, Navigation Aids, Surveillance and Networks.
• Working knowledge of Def Stan 00-972, JSP 440, and JSP 886 (Supportability Engineering & Obsolescence Management).

If you don’t meet every requirement but feel you have relevant experience, we’d still like to hear from you. We support flexible working arrangements and encourage applications from candidates seeking hybrid roles.

Benefits

Core Benefits

• 201 hours (approx. 27 days) annual leave + 1 Company Day to be used at Christmas (Excluding Bank Holidays) – Prorated for part time contracts.
• Time off to volunteer (up to 3 days per annum).
• Company Pension Plan (Aquila contribution = employee contribution + 1%, up to 7%).
• Life Assurance (2x basic salary or up to 8x if in the pension scheme).
• Income Protection.
• Employee Assistance Programme with 24/7 support and counselling.
• Company paid Private Medical Insurance (Couple cover).
• Variable Compensation Plan (discretionary bonus).

Flexible Benefits

Through Aquila’s flexible benefits platform, you can tailor your package, including:

• Healthcare Cash Plan options.
• Additional PMI cover.
• Buy or sell annual leave.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Discounts at high street retailers.

Family, Wellbeing & Lifestyle

• Enhanced Maternity pay.
• Enhanced Paternity leave & pay.
• Enhanced Occupational Sick pay.
• Mental Health First Aiders.
• Recognition through Altair Award.
• Employee referral bonus.

Security Clearance Statement

Due to the nature of the work that we do, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions. This role requires you to be a UK National and achieve Security Clearance (SC) without any caveats. It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance before commencing employment. If approved by the MOD, a dual national from a Non-ITAR country may be considered.

Equal Opportunities, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Aquila is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate based on race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business need.