Head of Airports in Hampshire

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.

An opportunity to join the NATS Airport Leadership team in the role of Head of Airports. NATS provides Air Traffic Control Tower services at over 20 UK airports. Each airport has a NATS General Manager, leading the on-site team to deliver a safe and efficient operating model. The General Managers report into a Head of Airports role - of which there are three, covering the regional airports around the UK. As a Head of Airports, the role is one that requires strong and resilient leadership capability - bringing together team members from airports of varying size and operational complexity. The role is also the key 'account management' point of contact for airport owners/operators - the post holder leads all customer interactions on operational and commercial issues.

If you have proven operations capability, ideally gained in an aviation setting, and you are seeking a new opportunity to lead a remote team with tenacity, energy, and passion - then please register your interest. The role is based at our corporate HQ in Fareham, Hampshire with regular travel across airports for team leadership and customer engagement.

Accountabilities

• People: Provide clear leadership to the Group Airports, promoting a culture of excellent leadership and raising management capability and individual/team performance, in line with the NATS Leadership Model. Through the effective use of performance management and talent framework, ensure that people are supported, developed, and inspired to grow individually whilst also working together to deliver excellent results. Ensure communication strategies are in place and delivered across Airports so that key messages are clear, consistent, and understood. Ensure that through the application of the principles of Working Together, relationships with the trade unions are positive and conducive to the facilitation of change.
• Safety: Accountable for the overall safety performance management across the Group Airports ensuring that NATS safety policy, targets, procedures, standards, and systems across the Group Airports are implemented effectively. Ensure that the appropriate training is in place and drive continuous improvement through rigorous and focused investigation of incidents and the promotion and encouragement of best practice safety culture.
• Service: Set operational service performance targets for Group Airports in line with the Airports business performance objectives and standards. Ensure operational performance targets are achieved and delivered in a safe and customer focused manner. Drive service innovation and continuous improvement to defend and grow the airports business and in particular, engage with other areas of the wider NATS business to transfer customer knowledge and intelligence to promote the development of targeted innovation.
• Financial: Actively manage the financial performance of the Group Airports to meet business plan targets whilst delivering the required safety, operational and contractual outcomes.
• Risk: Effectively assess, manage, and mitigate safety, operational and business risks within the Group Airports. Ensure risks are reported & assessed in a timely way and that adequate mitigations are in place to deliver the required operational and business outcomes.
• Customer: Build effective relationships with airport customers; ensuring their requirements are understood and concerns or issues identified and addressed in a timely way. Ensure all contractual obligations are met or appropriate mitigating action is taken as required. Act as the focal point for all senior level customer interaction and lead governance forums or other meetings as required by each contract. Champion NATS' capabilities with the customer and work with them to develop a deliverable and profitable pipeline of work for the airports business.
• Commercial: Capture lead TANS renewals / major projects across group airports working in conjunction with other internal stakeholders including UK Business Development, Technical Services and Commercial & Legal.
• Change: Participate as an integral member of the Airports Leadership Team to establish and implement strategies, plans, and objectives for the Airports business.
• Training: Ensure training across the Group Airports meets regulatory and unit requirements and is conducted to provide the required numbers of appropriately qualified staff.

Qualifications, Professional Knowledge And Skills Required

• An excellent understanding of operational management with a good appreciation and knowledge of the air traffic service delivery environment.
• Thorough understanding of safety management and relevant practical experience of managing safety.
• Excellent communicator with the ability to influence and listen.
• Excellent negotiating skills with a track record of successful negotiations with customers, suppliers and other stakeholders.
• Business focused, highly motivated, confident, engaging, and inspiring.
• Strong leadership, able to provide direction, motivation, and challenge to a large team to achieve business results.
• A sound understanding and relevant experience of managing a P&L business.
• Significant experience of working in a customer facing environment and managing senior customer/stakeholder relationships.

We have adopted agile working to provide greater flexibility and increased choice over working arrangements, with the opportunity for this role to work in our modern office facilities as well as remotely. If you share our passion to advance aviation and keep the skies safe – we would like to hear from you whatever your age, sex, race, faith, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, visible or invisible disability. Individuals that bring different perspectives, skills, life experiences and backgrounds help us be at the forefront of our industry.