Flight Operations Manager

Position SummaryThe Flight Operations Manager supports the safe, compliant, and effective delivery of Aerial Transport (AT) and Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) missions across AV-OPS|EU. The role executes day-to-day mission planning and coordination, assists with crew readiness and scheduling, maintains operational records and documentation, and support the development of SOPs and operational control processes under the direction of the Head of Flight Operations.Role And Responsibilities Operational execution and control Coordinate the daily planning and execution of AT and ISR sorties across the AV-OPS|EU area of operations and deployed locations. Maintain operational control processes in line with AOC / SPO / 2-REG requirements, under direction of the H/FO. Monitor and where appropriate manage duty times, FTL compliance, MEL / CDL restrictions, aircraft status and mission system readiness. Support mobilisation and demobilisation of aircraft, personnel, and equipment into theatres of operation. Regulatory and documentation Maintain flight operations records, flight plans, post-flight reports, flight safety reports, and crew duty logs to regulatory and M3 standards. Support the upkeep of SOPs, EFB content, operations manual references, and operational notices. Assist the H/FO with regulator or customer reporting, audits, and inspections. Support to H/FO Assist with day-to-day management of the flight operations function in line with the Metrea Management Manual (M3) and core values. Provide inputs to crew selection, rostering, availability and requirements for upcoming Files and tasking. Support and validate configuration control of SOP changes and ensure updates are distributed and acknowledged by aircrew. Track departmental resourcing needs and capability gaps for escalation to the H/FO. Coordinate with Ground Operations, Crew Training, Maintenance, QCM and Safety to enable integrated and compliant operations. Contribute to operational reporting, performance data collection, and metrics for Flight Operations reviews. Crew management and training Maintain crew currency tracking, training expiries, and roster availability. Coordinate crew scheduling inputs with OCC and deployed planners. Support onboarding and familiarisation for new flight crew, ASOs and contractors. Safety, risk and quality Support hazard identification, safety reports, investigations and risk assessments. Ensure pre- and post-flight reporting is completed and safety findings are captured and escalated. Be a proactive flight safety advocate and work with Safety and Q&C to implement corrective/mitigations actions and continuous improvement. Stakeholder and customer engagement Represent flight operations in daily / weekly File briefs and operational coordination calls. Assist in customer reporting, sortie summaries and operational updates. Support documentation and readiness preparations for new Files, customer onboarding and regulatory submissions. Engage with market and business development and customer engagement functions as required in support of Files. Competency And Qualifications Required Experience in aviation operations support, mission planning, dispatch, OCC or similar operational environment. Practical understanding of aviation safety standards, flight operations processes and crew duty time requirements. Familiarity with operations manuals, crew instructions, flight planning or mission planning tools. High attention to detail with strong organisational and communication skills. Ability to work independently during deployed operations and coordinate with remote teams. Eligibility to work in the EU / UK and ability to travel on short notice. Desirable Direct aviation experience as either a pilot or airborne sensor operator (or equivalent) ideally in a special mission environment. Experience supporting AT or ISR operations, deployed missions, or multi-aircraft programmes. Experience working in a Part-CAT, Part-SPO, AOC, 2-REG or military aviation environment. Experience with flight operations software (e.g. FL3XX), mission systems or EFB management. Multilingual (English essential; other EU languages beneficial). Our Firmware Metrea’s single core value, “rooted in humility,” is supported by four key attributes: entrepreneurial, systematic, discerning, and over-deliver. These attributes, combined, form our Teammate Firmware, our culture. We explore these attributes during the hiring process when we grow our teams and continually support the growth of our culture. We are a hyper-collaborative, dynamically hierarchical organization united by a passion for what we do, how we do it, who we do it with, and who we do it for.BenefitsPrivate Medical InsuranceSubsided gym membership / plans through WellhubElectric Car schemeCycle to work schemeSalary sacrificed pension scheme£1500 Training AllowanceEye testsEnhanced Parental Leave30 days annual PTO plus b/h Right to Work The employee will have the legal right to work in the United Kingdom and will be able to produce right to work documentation. Equal Opportunities Statement Metrea Aerial Effects (MAFX) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or other characteristics protected by law. Position Type and Expected Hours of Work This is a full-time non-exempt position with typical working hours of Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Hours and work shifts may change in accordance with department and business needs. Exempt Employees must have the ability to be on-call and available, as business needs require. Non-Exempt employees may be required to work over 40 hours per week with approval from the department manager. Work Location London (minimum three days per week when not travelling) Work Environment This job operates in an office setting Travel Occassional; travel to support deployments, training, or exercises.