Airside Operations Officer

Airside Operations Officers are regularly the first contact in communication with Air Traffic Control, Handling Agents and Airline Representatives. They communicate effectively at all levels orally and in writing, working effectively under pressure and without direct supervision is required. They play an active role in change management, to provide an efficient stand allocation, airfield information service and when dealing with the variety of enquiries and issues while on patrol on the aerodrome. The team are accountable on a 24-hour basis for maintaining a fully operational safe airside environment and operation, by carrying out functions to maintain a high level of airfield and apron safety, complying with statutory requirements, and local management instructions. Our Airside Operations Officers work 12 hour shifts, on a rotational roster, covering 24/7, 365 days a year, which includes dayshift, nightshift and cover shifts. These roles will work 42 hours/week.

Further information about the shift pattern can be provided at interview stage.

What you’ll be doing:

• Airside patrol and inspections: Edinburgh Airport adopts a 3 tier Aerodrome Inspection Policy. Airside Operations Officers constantly patrol the airfield and provide a presence on the aprons, providing a point of contact and communication with apron staff, alongside level 1 inspections of all airside areas, ensuring that safety is given the highest priority. These inspections are to comply with operational standards and audits. Ensure that fault reporting and follow-up actions are recorded.
• Wildlife Management: Carry out 24 hour bird dispersal, wildlife inspection and patrol. It is a requirement that Airside Operations Officers hold a valid and current shotgun and firearms license, renewal every 5 years. An understanding of habitat management is necessary and information is recorded to comply with statutory requirements and audit purposes.
• Aircraft Marshalling: Airside Operations Officers provide a 24 hour marshalling service to all aircraft and helicopter movement. This includes safety escorts to aircraft by providing Follow Me.
• Airport Operating System: Airside Operations Officers oversee the Airport Operating System, co-ordinating stand allocation.
• Airside works: Monitor and oversee the conduct and safety of all contractors and engineers working airside. Carry out site handover inspections and ensure that all relevant safety documentation and work in progress permits are in order.
• Aircraft Turnaround Inspection: Ensure that all personnel working airside comply with statutory instructions and local airport notices, and take appropriate action to maintain high standards of safety airside and minimise the environmental impact on airside operations, primarily by monitoring standards of aircraft turnaround.
• Winter Operations: Airside Officers provide information to the AODM advising on airfield surface conditions, including areas of frost/ice formation and cloud cover. On receiving instruction from AODM to commence anti icing airfield procedures, the officer will endeavour to maintain the airfield in an ice free environment, providing a safe condition for aircraft movement.
• Incident & Emergency Response: Carry out the initial investigation of all incidents and accidents airside. Complete the required documentation to capture all necessary information, photographic evidence including witness statements. Activation of OMNI Crash and Drone Alert requires an immediate priority response.

What we’re looking for:

• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills.
• The ability to communicate effectively, particularly orally at all levels.
• Previous safety experience, ideally with a working knowledge of Safety Management, Risk Assessments and Business Continuity Planning.
• The ability to make decisions often under pressure and unassisted based upon interpretation of information.
• The ability to make decisions under pressure often without immediate support particularly during emergency situations and to work effectively, provide support and be a good team player in a relatively small group of staff.
• Significant experience in an airside environment, evidenced in your application.
• Hold an Airside Driving Permit at any UK station.
• Knowledge and understanding of Airside areas including aprons and manoeuvring areas.
• A good standard of education, preferably educated to ‘A’ level standard.
• Certificate of Professional Competence CPC Driving Licence. Please note, you must either hold a Category C license, or be willing to obtain a Category C license with a bonding agreement in place for the latter.
• The ability to obtain and maintain a Firearms and Shotgun Licence, including renewal every 5 years, a Disclosure Scotland certification, and an airside driving permit for Apron, Manoeuvring and Runway areas.

The following additional items are nice to have, but are not essential for the role:

• Previous experience of working in a customer focused role, ideally involving some form of project/process improvement and change management experience, would be a distinct advantage along with the ability to discuss often contentious incidents with third parties and internal customers with an appropriate level of diplomacy and understanding.
• A working knowledge of the statutory and airport operational documents including CEN/CED/AOI/AWI.

If your experience looks slightly different to what we’ve listed here, we encourage you to still apply. You could add something we didn’t know we needed.

What we’ll offer you:

• Pension scheme- employer contributions can be up to 7%.
• 32 days holiday, based on full time roles, increasing with service.
• Annual discretionary bonus.
• Supporting your health and wellbeing- private healthcare after 1 years’ service, access to our Employee Assistance Programme and occupational health services.
• Free car parking on site and when you go on holiday.
• We offer a range of other benefits.

Why EDI?

We are Edinburgh Airport, where Scotland meets the world. The success of the airport comes down to our people, and you can help us deliver even more big days for our passengers and colleagues. The development of your career is important to us, and we’ll support and encourage this every step of the way. We offer in-house and external training, both role specific and based on your objectives. As a business we’re driven by our values – they’re at the core of our culture and everything we do. We will ask questions based on our values during your interview, as we’re looking for people who will demonstrate these values day-in, day-out.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we are committed to ensuring applicants with a disability can participate fully in our recruitment process. Please let us know in your application form if you require any adjustments, such as parking arrangements or alternative methods of communication.

We work with Inclusive Employers, who are a leading organisation for employers committed to prioritising inclusion. We are supported by them through leadership workshops, a variety of resources and webinars, demonstrating our commitment to an inclusive workplace and ensuring all our employees feel valued.

This partnership is part of our wider Diversity and Inclusion strategy.

We give colleagues the opportunity to engage with different people and projects, within our business and beyond. You can get involved in a variety of different employee groups, including Diversity, STEM, Wellbeing, or create your own community – it’s important to us that you can share your interests and be yourself at work.