Aviation Transport Manager – Lead Fleet & Safety in Darlington

Location: North Yorkshire, England

Compensation: £42,769.00 + Benefits

Role Type: Full time / Fixed Term Contract

Lead safe, compliant transport and airside operations.

This is a key operational leadership role, responsible for managing site transport services, fleet performance, and driver standards in support of the UK Military Air LAFT 2 contract. You’ll play a vital part in ensuring transport and airside activities are delivered safely, compliantly, and efficiently.

The role:

• Reporting to the Site Operations Manager, you’ll lead the transport function on site, managing people, vehicles, and processes to meet contractual and regulatory requirements.
• You’ll work closely with the Authority and parenting units to ensure vehicle availability, staff competence, and continuous improvement across transport operations.

Day-to-day, you will:

• Lead and manage site transport operations to support flying and operational activity.
• Manage fleet availability, maintenance coordination, and vehicle compliance.
• Ensure all drivers and transport staff are suitably trained, qualified, and current.
• Maintain transport governance, documentation, and compliance with RAF and Babcock standards.
• Lead and develop the transport team, ensuring effective shift cover and performance.

Please note that the successful candidate will be required to pass a targeted medical questionnaire and/or medical examination as a condition of employment for this role. This role is a full‑time, fixed‑term contact for 4 years, working 40 hours per week, based on site at RAF Leeming, North Yorkshire.

Essential experience of the Transport Manager:

• Strong operational leadership experience within transport or logistics.
• Good working knowledge of transport legislation, driver compliance, and fleet management.
• Ability to work collaboratively with military and civilian stakeholders.
• Confident communicator with a proactive, safety‑focused approach.

Qualifications for the Transport Manager:

• Clean UK driving licence.
• Transport‑related licences or professional qualifications (e.g. LGV/PSV/ADR or Operator Licence) are desirable.

Security Clearance:

Many of the positions within our company are subject to national security clearance and Trade Control restrictions. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held.

What we offer:

• Generous holiday allowance.
• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance.
• Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations through Aviva DigiCare+.
• Employee shopping savings portal.
• Payment of Professional Fees.
• Reservists in the armed forces receive 10-days special paid leave.
• Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows UK Babcock employees to buy additional leave or to sell up to one working week of annual leave from their annual entitlement.
• ‘Be Kind Day’ enables employees to take one working day's paid leave a year (or equivalent hours) to undertake volunteering work with their chosen organisation or registered charity.

Babcock is a global FTSE 100 organisation with over 26,000 people working together to make a difference. Here, you’ll be part of something bigger. From initial design to final decommissioning, your work will contribute to products and services that are essential to national security and public infrastructure. Together, we’re building a future that lasts — not just through the impact we make, but through meaningful careers that respect your work-life balance.

We are a disability confident committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages, please email careers@babcockinternational.com with the subject header ‘Reasonable adjustments requirement’. We’re committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone’s free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working – please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.

Closing date: 29/05/2026