At a Glance
- Tasks: Support and maintain critical radar systems for safe air traffic management.
- Company: Join NATS, the UK's leading air navigation service provider.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, and a supportive team environment.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for continuous improvement and career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on aviation safety while advancing your engineering skills.
- Qualifications: Engineering qualification or relevant experience in safety-critical environments.
The predicted salary is between 32831 - 72437 £ per year.
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 Operational Support Engineer provides engineering knowledge as directed by experienced engineers.
Performs assigned maintenance, repair, modification, and inspection tasks on Air Traffic Management systems/applications.
We’re excited to share an excellent opportunity for a Surveillance (Radar Related) Operational Support Engineer to join our dynamic team.
In this role, you’ll play a crucial part in maintaining service resilience across the entire lifecycle while driving continuous improvement.
Your work will focus on our safety-critical
Surveillance/Radar infrastructure, which underpins the controller-facing systems/applications responsible for the safe movement of over 7,000 aircraft every day.
As an Operational Support Engineer you’ll support delivering and operating radar data processing systems and flight alerting tools.
You’ll be part of the Surveillance Support Group, which covers supporting hardware and software for our Radar Related and alerting systems.
- Principal Accountabilities
- Maintenance: Expected to carry out routine administration, maintenance, and service support of designated systems/applications.
- Incident
Management: Apply domain knowledge to assigned/escalated Incidents, assist in prioritising, diagnosing, resolving and recording them using agreed procedures to restore service resilience.
- Problem Management: Support the analysis of service events and Incidents to initiate and undertake Problem Management activities to continuously improve service.
- Competency
Management: Gain, hold, and maintain the competencies necessary to control and configure systems/applications, enabling the restoration of technical services, deploy planned changes and carry out planned maintenance.
- Prioritisation and Deconfliction: Working with the wider team, prioritises and deconflicts planned work to ensure a safe delivery of the service.
- Service Configuration: Ensure relevant processes and tools are utilised to deploy service configuration changes, records remain accurate, complete, and current.
- Document Management: Produce, review, and amend engineering instructions as directed.
- Service Asset Management: Proactively ensure service assets are in a known state and in the correct location for use.
- Safety
Culture: Be an advocate for Safety Culture, promoting and advancing best practice, challenging poor behaviours, and ensuring personal health & safety (H&S) by adhering to H&S procedures.
- Training: Provide assistance and support the delivery of on-the-job training within their area of expertise.
- Duty
- Engineer
Role: Includes responsibilities for the Duty Engineer role (Be the first point of contact for service resolution - To initiate and progress actions to rectify issues relating to service availability and business continuity).
- Continual Service Improvement: Responsible for the identification of continuous service improvement.
- Stakeholder Management: Communicates with internal and external stakeholders, maintaining effective working relationships.
- Project Work: Support project requirements and activities.
- Autonomy
- Autonomy: Working in a safety critical environment, supported by defined processes and procedures that are trained and assessed.
Liaises directly with Service Management to resolve Incidents and Problems with Service Management retaining oversight.
Where defined processes and procedures do not deliver outcomes the service resolution remains within the accountability of the Service Management leadership.
- Scope Of Job
- On Call/Out of
Hours: These posts are liable for on-call as part of the 24-hour support organisation.
There may be the need to provide telephone support or attend out of hours for service restoration to meet agreed service levels, or to deploy service changes in line with the defined procedures.
- Environments: Operates across multiple NATS environments, including Production, Pre production, Training, Simulation, and Testing and Development environments.
Experience, Qualifications & Skills
- Qualifications: Professional engineering qualification to Higher National Certificate (Level 4 or SQF Level 7) as a minimum Electronics, Telecommunications or Computer Science or other relevant Engineering discipline
In lieu of the above qualifications the candidate will be required to demonstrate one of the following alternative criteria:
- Additional Information
- Relevant lower-level engineering qualifications such as an Apprenticeship coupled with demonstrable engineering experience in a relevant field (May include but not limited to: Military, Rail, other Safety Critical environment)
- Evidence of substantial experience gained in a relevant transferable environment (such as ATSEP) gained over a significant period
- Experience of resolution of incidents, service restoration, incident and problem management of systems and equipment in a Safety Critical environment such as but not limited to Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), Military or Rail.
Shall demonstrate an understanding of safety critical systems and the impact they may have within our operational environment.
- Communication Skills: Effective oral and written communication skills.
- Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to work calmly, systematically, and analytically when working in a safety-related context.
- Teamwork: Ability to work in teams and take responsibility for allocated actions.
- Culture and
Behaviours: Demonstrates an understanding of working in a safety critical environment, specifically with regards to the importance of establishing a safe and just culture backed by the correct behaviours, attitude and standards.
- What We’re Looking For
- Air Traffic or radar related knowledge
- Linux experience is a strong advantage
- Virtualisation experience
- Systems engineering experience
- Strong IT/Computing skills
This role will, when appropriately trained, will form part of the on-call 24hour support roster with team colleagues.
This will require, when on call, access to site within 1 hour to enable service restoration if required.
If you’re passionate about maintaining the reliability of critical
Surveillance / Radar systems and have the expertise to match, we’d love to hear from you!
- Terms And Conditions
- On Call/Out of
Hours: These posts are liable for on-call as part of the 24-hour support organisation.
There may be the need to provide telephone support or attend out of hours for service restoration to meet agreed service levels, or to deploy service changes in line with the defined procedures.
We are proud to offer a fantastic total reward package to help you thrive both personally and professionally - for more information on what NATS can offer you please visit - Why NATS? - NATS '
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.
We also welcome discussions on flexible and part-time working arrangements.
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.
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Operational Support Engineer - Surveillance (Radar Related) in Prestwick employer: NATS
NATS is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment where safety and innovation are paramount. With a strong commitment to employee growth, we provide extensive training opportunities and encourage continuous improvement, ensuring our team members thrive in their roles. Located in Prestwick, you'll be part of a dedicated team that plays a crucial role in advancing aviation and maintaining the safety of our skies, all while enjoying a supportive culture that values diverse perspectives.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Operational Support Engineer - Surveillance (Radar Related) in Prestwick
✨Join Engineering Meetups!
Get yourself along to local engineering meetups or tech conferences. These are great places to connect with like-minded folks and industry leaders who might just have a lead on that full-time Operational Support Engineer - Surveillance (Radar Related) role you’re after at NATS.
✨Show Off Your Projects!
Don’t be shy about showcasing your engineering projects. Whether it’s a funky app, a mechanical design, or a complex algorithm, having a solid portfolio on platforms like GitHub can really make you stand out. Plus, it gives potential employers at NATS a taste of what you can bring to the table!
✨Engage with Online Communities
Dive into engineering forums and online communities, like Reddit or specific engineering Discord channels. Sharing your insights, asking questions, and being active can help you build connections that might lead to job opportunities at NATS.
✨Apply Through Company Websites
When you spot a role like Operational Support Engineer - Surveillance (Radar Related) at NATS, apply directly through their website. Often, this can show your genuine interest in the company and you might just get noticed quicker than via typical job boards.
We think you need these skills to ace Operational Support Engineer - Surveillance (Radar Related) in Prestwick
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Technical Expertise:When applying for an engineering role like Operational Support Engineer - Surveillance (Radar Related), it’s essential to highlight your technical skills. Include any relevant software or tools you're proficient in on your CV—think CAD software, simulation tools, or programming languages. Don't skimp on any engineering projects you've worked on that demonstrate your ability to solve complex problems.
Focus on Results and Impact:In the engineering world, we love numbers and real-world impact. Quantify your achievements wherever possible—like reducing costs by a certain percentage, improving efficiency, or successfully completing a project ahead of schedule. This gives your future employers at NATS a clear picture of the value you can bring.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Use your cover letter to express your passion for engineering and explain why you’re drawn to NATS specifically. Share what aspects of their work excite you and how your values align with theirs. This is your chance to show a bit of personality while keeping it professional!
Include Relevant Certifications:If you have any engineering certifications, especially ones that are recognised in your field, make sure to feature them prominently on your CV. They demonstrate not just your knowledge, but also your commitment to professional development, which is something we at StudySmarter value highly.
How to prepare for a job interview at NATS
✨Brush Up on Core Engineering Principles
Before heading into the interview with NATS, make sure you're solid on the fundamental engineering principles relevant to the role. Be ready to discuss concepts such as thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, or structural analysis, depending on the specifics mentioned in the job description. Don’t skip any hands-on projects or coursework; these can be excellent talking points!
✨Show Off Your Problem-Solving Skills
Expect technical questions or case studies during your interview—after all, engineering is all about solving problems! Prepare a few examples of how you've tackled engineering challenges in the past, whether at university or in any practical experience. Practising with mock technical interviews can really help you articulate your thought process and solutions.
✨Relate Your Experience to the Role
In a full-time role, employers like NATS want to see that you can adapt and grow within their team. Be ready to discuss how your previous internships, projects, or studies relate directly to the work you'll be doing. Highlight specific experiences that showcase your collaborative skills and how you've successfully worked within a team environment.
✨Know Your Tools and Software
Most engineering roles require familiarity with specific tools and software. Prepare to talk about your proficiency with programmes like AutoCAD, MATLAB, or SolidWorks if they’re relevant to the role. Even better, have examples of projects where you’ve used these tools, as it'll demonstrate your hands-on experience and readiness for the job.