Inspecting Officer (Ground Safety) in Crawley

Salary: Up to £39,702

Contract Type: Permanent – Full time

Location: Gatwick – Hybrid

Visa Restrictions: This position does not offer visa sponsorship.

We are the UK\’s aviation and aerospace regulator and recognised as a world leader in its field. Our activities are diverse, enabling the aviation industry to meet the highest safety standards, and we pride ourselves on our ability to adapt to the constantly evolving aviation environment.

The Role

The Inspecting Officer (Ground Safety) role in Flight Operations will conduct oversight of entities to ensure they are operating in a safe and competent manner and in compliance with the applicable regulatory requirements, industry standards and best practice, including commercial air transport operators and ground handling service providers.

Please note this is a field force role where the successful candidate will need to travel domestically on a regular basis and will also need to complete regular office‑based oversight.

Oversight

• Conduct audits and inspections to ensure continuing competence of Flight Operations entities.
• Appraise, by audit and inspection, the suitability of applicants for the grant of an AOC.
• Decide appropriate remedial action without recourse to senior staff (e.g. Flight Operations Manager).
• Make independent decisions on remedial actions and communicate findings to entity senior management.
• Evaluate corrective actions and conduct follow‑up audits to verify effectiveness.

Technical Expertise & Support

• Provide specialist knowledge in Ground Safety.
• Advise Flight Operations Managers on current entity issues and assist in training inspecting staff.
• Undertake project work, participate in working groups, and deliver international outcomes for safety mitigation.

Enforcement Action

• Assess all enforcement options and escalate regulatory or criminal concerns through appropriate management channels.
• Make decisions on commissioning investigations for suspected aviation law breaches or Investigation and Enforcement Team (IET) recommendations.

Performance Based Regulation

• Capture and share safety intelligence from internal/external sources across CAA groups.
• Apply Performance Based Oversight principles to deliver outcome‑focused, risk‑based entity oversight.
• Escalate risks appropriately within Safety & Airspace Regulation Group (SARG) and hold industry Accountable Managers accountable for safety management.

About You

• Knowledge of ground handling operations gained through industry or regulatory experience such as Airport Operations, Auditor, Inspector, or subject‑matter experience in ground handling.
• Knowledge of aviation auditing techniques and experience in safety management or oversight.
• Understanding of relevant UK and global legislation (e.g. ICAO, FAA) and working experience with industry standards such as JIG, IGOM, IATA AHM.
• Excellent interpersonal skills suitable for teamwork and rapid, calm, correct responses to sudden needs.
• Polite, empathetic, and tactful manner.
• Ability to persuade others to modify thinking and procedures.
• A skillful organiser with initiative for planning and results.
• A robust decision‑maker who can take initiative but also identify when to refer to others.
• An enquiring mind geared toward identifying failings and improvements to current processes with a positive approach to practical actions.

Desirable skills for the role

• Aviation‑related degree or professional‑level qualification.

Additional Information

For many appointments within the CAA, these roles require access to operationally sensitive infrastructure and/or nationally protected information. Postholders must undergo National Security Vetting and achieve the appropriate level of clearance.

CTC – To be vetted, we will usually expect a reasonable period of residency in the UK so checks can be undertaken; for this role this will need to be 3 years.

If you do not meet these requirements, we may not be able to accept your application.

For more information on CTC clearance please visit – Vetting explained – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Relocation & Property

The CAA will be relocating from Aviation House (Our Gatwick Office) to new premises in a few years’ time. Our move is motivated by strategic, operational and environmental considerations.

We will be moving to a new local home, up to a 15‑mile radius of Aviation House, to minimise disruption for our valued colleagues and customers.

We are working with colleagues and visitors to understand what we need in our new office before we start our property search. We will sell Aviation House and land, vacate the site and move to new premises, but we do not expect to move before 2028.

Inclusivity

We are proud to be an equal‑opportunity employer and celebrate diversity, ensuring all backgrounds are included here at the CAA. As a member of the Disability Confident scheme, applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a role with us will be guaranteed an interview.

Benefits

• Flexible & hybrid working arrangements available.
• 28 days annual leave + public holidays (additional 5 days leave purchase scheme).
• Generous pension scheme (up to 12% employer contribution).
• Wellbeing Room at Gatwick.
• Mental Health and Suicide First Aiders.
• Employee Assistance Programme, talking therapies and neurodiversity support via Occupational Health & access to Headspace for colleagues and 5 dependents.
• Free onsite gym at Gatwick or discounted gym membership for London.
• EV charging points.
• Employee Development courses internally and via Skillsoft.

Our Values

Do The Right Thing, Never Stop Learning, Build Collaborative Relationships, Respect Everyone – For more information please Click Here.

Closing Date: Sunday 30th November 2025

Interview Date: W/C Monday 15th December 2025

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

No recruitment agencies please.