Strategic Director

Role Overview

Fantasy Wings is the UK's definitive gateway for diverse aviation talent.

Over six years, we have built an unmatched ecosystem connecting 33,000+ aspirants, 800+ schools, and most major UK airlines, with over 6,000 graduates to date.

We are validated by government grants, industry partnerships with British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, easy Jet, MAG, NATS, and the CAA, and we are currently progressing a national Open Innovation Challenge designed to source low‑TRL aerospace concepts from the UK's most diverse talent pool.

We are at a pivotal inflection point and are seeking an exceptional senior leader for a secondment opportunity to drive our strategic revenue generation, high‑value partnership negotiation, public sector funding acquisition, and global expansion agenda.

This is a high‑impact strategic director position for an individual comfortable operating in ambiguous, high‑stakes environments.

The successful candidate will act as a trusted strategic director reporting to the CEO, leading complex commercial negotiations—including a potential £10m equity transaction, anchor government investment, and corporate sponsorship—securing multi‑year revenue contracts, and opening new international markets for our virtual ATPL programme.

Key Responsibilities

• Financial Product Procurement (ATPL Programme Loans)
• Lead the end‑to‑end procurement process to identify and secure a suitable financial product to fund loans for the ATPL programme.
• Develop a structured Request for Proposal framework, engaging banks, fintech providers, and alternative lending institutions.
• Conduct comparative analysis of financial products, assessing risk, terms, affordability for students, and long‑term viability.
• Negotiate favourable commercial terms that protect Fantasy Wings' financial position while ensuring accessibility for programme participants.
• University Partnership Agreement
• Assume lead responsibility for progressing and finalising our university partnership agreement.
• Understand and articulate the two distinct partnership pathways set out in our investment proposition:
• Option 1: Strategic Partnership – a five‑year, performance‑driven engagement at £400,000 per annum, delivering exclusive marketing access and a structured conversion pathway.
• Option 2: Strategic Equity Acquisition – a transformative capital investment of £10,000,000 for a 40% equity stake, securing permanent strategic influence and board‑level governance.
• Design and implement a robust governance and risk framework for the chosen partnership structure, addressing intellectual property, data rights, board representation, liability, and commercial terms.
• Act as chief negotiator, ensuring the agreement delivers mutual value while safeguarding Fantasy Wings' strategic objectives and valuation.
• National Open Innovation Challenge – Funding and Delivery
• Concept: Take forward the existing proposal for a national Open Innovation Challenge in which 500 young people (aged 13‑25, drawn from our 94% minority ethnic and 30%+ female demographics) solve real‑world industrial briefs derived from government aerospace and net‑zero roadmaps—hydrogen propulsion, lightweight structures, autonomous flight—developing 20 viable technology concepts at TRL 3‑4 for presentation to industry partners.
• Funding Strategy: Secure the necessary funding to launch and deliver this programme.
• Anchor Government Investment – Progress the £500,000‑£1m anchor investment proposition from government, identifying the most receptive department or agency, refining the investment case, and leading senior‑level presentations.
• Corporate Sponsorship – Approach aerospace manufacturers and airlines to secure matched private funding, leveraging government investment as credibility.
• Combined Authority Funding – Explore funding streams from Greater Manchester, West Midlands, and London combined authorities, aligning with levelling‑up and skills agendas.
• Philanthropic and Trust Funding – Identify charitable foundations and trusts with an interest in STEM education, diversity, or aerospace innovation.
• Delivery Oversight – Once funding is secured, oversee the programme's delivery, ensuring compliance, timely reporting, and successful achievement of KPIs (20 concepts, 500 participants, 85% progression into STEM education or employment).
• Corporate Sponsorship and Multi‑Year Revenue Contracts
• Develop the commercial business case and financial modelling required to secure multi‑year revenue contracts with corporate partners, airlines, and aerospace manufacturers.
• Leverage the Open Innovation Challenge model to approach corporate sponsors, building on anchor government investment to secure matched private funding.
• Establish a Strategic Partnerships Board to oversee long‑term commercial relationships.
• Create a negotiation playbook and lead discussions with corporate sponsors, training bond providers, and recurring‑service partners.
• Ensure Fantasy Wings secures predictable, recurring income streams to underpin long‑term financial sustainability and support our valuation narrative.
• Government and Organisational Revenue Generation (Broader)
• Conduct a comprehensive strategic mapping of additional revenue sources, including Innovate UK, UKRI, Department for Education, Department for Business and Trade, development finance institutions, and multilateral organisations.
• Design and lead the submission of evidence‑led grant and funding bids, building on our track record of securing competitive government grants in three of the last four years.
• Personally present business cases to senior government officials, ministers, and external investors, translating aviation training outcomes into policy‑aligned investment propositions.
• Global Expansion: United States, Asia and Africa
• Lead the strategic development of a virtual Fantasy Wings programme across the US, Asia, and Africa.
• Conduct regulatory and stakeholder mapping to identify key gatekeepers in each target region.
• Design a phased “hub‑and‑spoke” market‑entry strategy, identifying 2‑3 pilot countries per region.
• Secure Memoranda of Understanding with local regulators to accredit the virtual programme.
• Strategic Governance and System‑Building
• Develop a Responsible Expansion Framework to manage financial, operational, and reputational risk as Fantasy Wings scales internationally.
• Design and implement performance dashboards, governance metrics, and reporting systems to track revenue generation, partnership conversion, grant delivery, and global expansion progress.
• Build repeatable processes that embed revenue generation as a sustainable organisational capability.
• Support the CEO and Board in preparing for future funding rounds, investor due diligence, and governance enhancement.
• Programme Diversification – New Subject Areas
• Strategic

Objective: Expand the programme offering beyond aviation into new professional sectors, leveraging the existing talent pipeline and trusted brand to create new revenue streams and increase societal impact.

• Scope: Identify and develop new programme verticals in law, finance, engineering, technology and digital, healthcare and life sciences, and creative industries.
• Market

Analysis: Conduct comprehensive market research to identify high‑demand sectors with skills gaps, employer demand for diverse talent, existing competitors, and partnership opportunities.

• Partnership Development: Establish strategic partnerships with professional services firms, sector‑specific regulators, higher education institutions, and government departments.
• Programme Design and

Delivery: Oversee development of curriculum frameworks, virtual and in‑person delivery models, mentoring and work‑experience components, and assessment and certification frameworks.

• Revenue

Modelling: Develop commercial models for each new vertical, including fee structures, corporate sponsorship and employer funding, government grant and subsidy opportunities, and partnership revenue sharing arrangements.

• Pilot Programmes: Design and launch pilot programmes in 1‑2 new verticals within the secondment period, establishing proof of concept and generating early revenue.

Person Specification

Essential Experience and Skills

• Senior Director‑Level Experience – Proven track record of advising at executive or board level in complex, high‑scrutiny environments.
• Public Sector Funding – Demonstrated experience in securing government grants or investment, working with central government departments, Innovate UK, UKRI, or similar bodies; ministerial‑level engagement highly desirable.
• Strategic Negotiation – Ability to lead high‑stakes negotiations with government, financial institutions, or commercial partners, including equity or M&A transactions (desirable).
• Commercial and Financial Acumen – Experience in financial product analysis, commercial modelling, procurement of regulated financial services, or investment structuring.
• Stakeholder Engagement – Strong record of engaging and influencing senior stakeholders across government, academia, and the private sector.
• Policy and Governance – Experience designing governance frameworks, risk management protocols, and evidence‑led decision‑making systems.
• International Expansion – Experience in market‑entry strategy, regulatory mapping, or international partnership development.
• Written and Oral Communication – Exceptional ability to draft ministerial‑level briefings, investment memoranda, business cases, grant applications, and negotiation papers.

Desirable Experience

• Familiarity with ATPL programmes, flight training, higher education partnerships, or virtual learning environments.
• Secondment History – Previous experience in a secondment or loan role across government or public/private boundaries.
• International Regulatory Knowledge – Understanding of aviation regulation in the US, Asia, or Africa.
• M&A / Equity Transactions – Experience in due diligence, valuation, or structuring of equity investments.
• Grant Writing – Proven success in securing funding from Innovate UK, UKRI, or government departments.
• Competencies and Behaviours
• Strategic Thinking – Sees the bigger picture and translates ambiguity into clear, structured plans.
• Delivery at Pace – Maintains momentum in complex environments and delivers high‑quality outcomes against tight deadlines.
• Building Partnerships – Develops trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, negotiates effectively, and finds common ground across divergent interests.
• Making Evidence‑Based Decisions – Uses data and analysis to inform decisions; constructs robust business cases; challenges assumptions constructively.
• Leading Change – Drives innovation and improvement; builds buy‑in for new approaches; manages risk proportionately.
• Communicating with Influence – Delivers clear, concise, and persuasive communications at the most senior levels; adapts style to audience.
• Proposed Workplan (Indicative)
• Phase 1 – Diagnostic and Strategy (Months 1–2): Map financial products, government funds, corporate sponsors, and international stakeholders; deep‑dive into the Open Innovation Challenge proposal and anchor investment proposition; draft partnership governance framework; identify quick‑win grant and sponsorship opportunities.
• Phase 2 – Negotiation and Pitching (Months 3–4): Lead negotiations with one university partner and one finance provider; secure anchor government investment (£500k–£1m) for the Open Innovation Challenge; approach at least three corporate sponsors; submit at least two major government grant bids; initiate U.

S. stakeholder engagement; support CEO on equity investment discussions if pursued.

• Phase 3 – Closing and Handover (Months 5–6): Finalise ATPL loan product and secure at least one multi‑year revenue contract; secure funding for the Open Innovation Challenge; deliver a comprehensive Global Expansion Playbook for the U.

S., Asia, and Africa, including warm introductions and a clear 24‑month rollout timeline; provide strategic recommendations on the University partnership pathway.

How to Apply

• A current CV (maximum 2 pages).

• A short expression of interest (maximum 1 page) outlining

• How your experience aligns with the key responsibilities.
• Your approach to navigating ambiguous, high‑stakes environments.
• Your initial thoughts on sequencing the core workstreams, including your perspective on:
• The relative merits of the two University partnership pathways.
• The optimal government department to approach for anchor investment for the Open Innovation Challenge.
• How you would structure the corporate sponsorship pitch to complement public funding.
• Applications to: [Insert contact name and email]
• Interviews: [Insert date / week]
• Additional Information
• This is a secondment opportunity. The successful candidate will remain employed by their current organisation, with all salary and employment costs borne by that organisation.
• Fantasy Wings will provide line management, induction, and necessary operational support.
• Flexible working arrangements may be considered, subject to business need.
• The post‑holder will have access to sensitive commercial, financial, and grant‑related information and will be required to treat all information in strict confidence.

Fantasy Wings is committed to equality of opportunity and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

#J-18808-Ljbffr