Senior ILS Engineer in Fareham

NATS is the UK’s leading air navigation service provider, handling over 2.4 million flights each year. We provide air traffic control services from two control centres and at airports around the UK. We also provide a wide range of commercial products and solutions internationally. Our people are at the heart of our purpose to advance aviation and keep the skies safe.

Purpose of Job

The primary purposes of this role are to ensure that the ILS process is applied to a delegated set of new and existing assets to maximise the cost effectiveness of support and maintenance arrangements, ensuring availability, resilience and safety consistent with safety and business goals. Manage a team of engineers and support staff responsible for delivering the ILS deliverables for Projects.

Principal Accountabilities

• Lead and manage a team responsible for undertaking the ILS activities for LTIP projects.
• Define, develop and maintain the NERL ILS BMS processes ensuring that they align with the set ILS policies meeting the business needs and are fit for purpose.
• Allocate resources to meet the demands placed upon the team.
• Negotiate the ILS Contract Work Packages for LTIP projects, ensuring they are resourced and funded, and then ensuring they are implemented in accordance with BMS procedures, meeting both timescale and budget.
• Influence the project design to ensure that cost effective support is included in the asset's design from its initial concept.
• Analysis of the asset's Life Cycle Costs including proposing alternative support strategies to minimise the support costs.
• Assessment of the impact of design changes on the proposed support model and costs.
• Define and agree the in-service support contracts for the new asset ensuring that use of existing contracts is considered where this can demonstrate good value for money.
• Maintain the standards of the ILS products by ensuring that all ILS deliverables conform to the set ILS policies and processes.
• Ensure that Life Cycle Costing (LCC) models are developed for the LMM and each project phase review.
• Undertake ILS activities in support of in-service assets to ensure that the asset is being effectively supported and can continue to be supported throughout its remaining life.
• Manage the asset support contracts with suppliers and manage these suppliers effectively.
• Monitor spares usage and consumption to ensure that sufficient spares are available at the point of need.
• Review fault reports, maintenance and repair records to identify performance trends and make appropriate recommendations.
• Regularly review equipment maintenance policies, and recommend changes where needed as part of the Asset Health Review process.
• Provide a help-line function for maintenance and Tech Ops staff for support issues.
• Manage obsolescence issues for in service equipment.

Scope of Job

The primary responsibilities of this post are three-fold: People Management, Establish, maintain and champion ILS policies and processes, Workload and resource management.

As a People Leader the Senior ILS Engineer will ensure that the team are competent to undertake their duties, and they are developed to their maximum potential. This is done through effective performance management, setting realistic and achievable targets, and developing individual and team development plans. Additionally, as a People Leader will ensure that there are effective communications within the section.

The Senior ILS Engineer is a major stakeholder in setting up the initial support contract during the project phase. Determining and implementing policies to ensure that engineering support of in-service equipment by Asset Health Reviews is provided as part of the Asset Operator of Logistics.

Specialist detailed knowledge of integrated logistics support analysis is required to enable the job holder to determine the most efficient and effective means of providing in-service engineering support on an equipment-by-equipment basis.

The output from this work includes a preferred maintenance policy with costed options which cover definition of maintenance and post design service support, spares, training requirements, etc.

Assessment of requested engineering changes is a significant part of the job. Specialist knowledge of the impact of requested changes on Logistics sites and services provided from these sites is required in order to advise the Change Authority on the acceptability of changes.

Trend monitoring of faults on in-service equipment is also a key feature. Regular analysis of data recorded on in-service equipment is carried out, and changes in maintenance are defined where necessary to correct adverse trends.

The production and maintenance of an in-service equipment database covering the required information is the responsibility of this job.

Experience, Qualifications & Skills

The applicant is expected to hold, as a minimum, an HNC (or an equivalent qualification) in an Engineering or Information Technology discipline and relevant experience in the field of Air Traffic or similar equipment maintenance. Applicants not holding the expected qualification but who have undertaken relevant lower-level qualifications/certifications in similar fields and have demonstrable relevant experience will be considered.

An in-depth technical knowledge of a range of equipment in service within NERL is required (e.g. Communications systems, Radar Data Processing, Information systems, etc).

Awareness and understanding of project management frameworks (PRINCE2, APM) and ITIL or relevant Service Management frameworks is needed.

Good communications and presentation skills are required, particularly the ability to produce clear and concise written reports.

A proven ability to manage the financial and contractual aspects associated with this role.

The ability to communicate both verbally and in writing, including the production of business and technical papers, for presentation at all levels to both internal and external organisations.

A proven ability to effectively manage and motivate a diverse team of specialist engineers and support staff to ensure they work as a cohesive team meeting the business objectives.

Additional Information

Please note we will consider candidates based at Whiteley, Swanwick or Prestwick for this role. We would like to hear from you whatever your age, sex, race, faith, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, visible or invisible disability.