Manager - Financial & Operational Assurance in London

Salary: £69,000 up to £73,000 dependent upon experience

Contract Type: Permanent – Full Time

Office base: Westferry, London - Hybrid (At least 2 days in office per week)

Security Level: BPSS

Visa Restrictions: This position does not offer visa sponsorship

We are the UK's aviation and aerospace regulator and recognised as a world leader in its field. Our activities are diverse, enabling the aviation industry to meet the highest safety standards, and we pride ourselves on our ability to adapt to the constantly evolving aviation environment.

This is a pivotal leadership role at the heart of the ATOL financial protection framework—ensuring the resilience of consumer protection arrangements, strengthening standards, and safeguarding the Air Travel Trust.

In the role you will lead the oversight of ATOL Accredited Bodies (ABs), franchises, collateral instrument arrangements (e.g. trust and escrow accounts, surety bonds), the liaison with Accountancy bodies, the administration of the ATOL Protection Contribution (APC) collection, and business support and operational reporting function. This role is central to ensuring the safeguarding the finances of the Air Travel Trust (ATT), and the protection of ATOL customers, and regulatory compliance across third-party consumer protection arrangements within the ATOL framework. Additionally, the role contributes to the oversight of operational matters of the wider ATOL and Airline Licensing Department.

As Manager- Operational and Financial Assurance you will:

• Lead Financial Security Oversight – Oversee all trust, escrow, and surety bond arrangements, ensuring these financial security instruments are robust, compliant, and consistently applied.
• Manage APC Governance & Reporting – Ensure accurate ATOL Protection Contribution (APC) collection, reconciliation and monitoring, using insight and forecasting to support scheme sustainability and improve financial assurance.
• Drive Assurance & Audit Delivery – Lead a risk‑based audit and assurance programme across Accredited Bodies, franchisees and security arrangements, identifying compliance issues, driving improvements, and strengthening financial protection standards.
• Shape Assurance Instruments & Policy Decisions – Evaluate and approve updates to trust deeds, escrow documents, bond agreements and insurance‑based instruments, applying expert judgement to safeguard consumers and the Air Travel Trust.
• Develop Insight & Regulatory Intelligence – Build analytical tools and reporting frameworks to identify trends, support decision‑making, and provide clear insight to senior stakeholders across ATOL and Airline Licensing.
• Strengthen Industry & Professional Relationships – Maintain effective relationships with trustees, banks, ATOL Reporting Accountants, and professional accountancy bodies to improve reporting quality, professional standards and regulatory compliance.
• Enhance Business Operations & Performance – Lead the business support function and implement frameworks to improve operational consistency, efficiency and service delivery across the department, including oversight of the ATOL Income function and Scheme of Charges process.
• Lead, Support & Develop People – Manage and develop a team of specialists, ensuring high‑quality outputs, effective workload management, and a collaborative, inclusive working culture.

About You

We’re looking for a confident leader with a passion for driving process improvement. You’ll bring:

• Essential

• Strong operational, technical and analytical capability, with exceptional attention to detail, personal ownership and sound risk judgement.
• Proactive and delivery‑focused, able to drive complex tasks through to completion with discipline and resilience.
• Deep understanding of financial security instruments, including escrow and trust accounts, guarantees, and surety arrangements.
• Excellent stakeholder management, able to communicate complex information clearly, influence confidently at all levels, and build effective relationships across diverse professional groups.
• Proven leadership experience, including managing and developing a team of around 10 people, fostering accountability and high‑quality delivery.
• Collaborative and solutions‑focused, with the ability to work across functions, navigate uncertainty and escalate issues appropriately.
• Strong drafting, negotiation and communication skills, with the ability to shape financial or legal documentation and produce clear, accurate reports, guidance and analysis.
• Highly resilient, able to manage multiple priorities, handle challenging discussions and maintain calm, professional judgement.
• Advanced MS Office capability, particularly Excel, with confidence analysing and presenting data effectively.

• Knowledge of the regulatory and legal framework surrounding ATOL, ATT Regulations and consumer protection legislation.
• Experience in leading audits, inspections or assurance programmes, ideally within a regulatory, financial, or compliance environment.

For many appointments within the CAA, these roles require access to operationally sensitive infrastructure and/or Nationally Protected information. For these roles the post holders must undergo National Security Vetting and achieve the appropriate level of clearance.

BPSS - To be vetted you must have the right to work in the UK so that meaningful checks can be undertaken. If you do not meet these requirements, we may not be able to accept your application.

The CAA values high ethical standards and personal integrity among employees. If invited for interview you will be asked to complete a declaration of interest.

The CAA will be relocating from Aviation House (Our Gatwick Office) to new premises in a few years' time. Our move is driven by strategic, operational and environmental considerations. We will be moving to a new local home, up to a 15-mile radius of Aviation House, to minimise disruption for our valued colleagues and customers.

We are passionate about diversity and ensuring all are included at the CAA. We are an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. As a member of the Disability Confident scheme, applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a role with us will be guaranteed an interview.

We recognise that many of our candidates find Artificial Intelligence to be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience.

We are on a journey towards being increasingly adaptable, where our colleagues collaborate as part of cross-functional teams. This approach ensures we never stop learning together. It also means that you may become involved in activities that take you out of your day-to-day role, providing you with opportunities to develop and grow your career with us.

We have embraced hybrid working and offer flexible working patterns, being open to having a conversation about what works for you. We know where and when we work is important in achieving a work-life balance. We offer a range of excellent benefits such as flexible working arrangements, free onsite gym at Gatwick, discounted gym membership for London, 28 days annual leave, additional 5 days leave purchase scheme, a generous pension scheme and much more.

Our Values: Do The Right Thing, Never Stop Learning, Build Collaborative Relationships, Respect Everyone.

Closing Date: 20th February 2026

Interview Date: w/c 9th March 2026

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

No recruitment agencies please.