Airworthiness Director

Job Title: Head of Airworthiness

We are seeking an experienced professional to lead our Airworthiness function, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and providing independent assurance of design airworthiness.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the Airworthiness function, including flight clearance, Independent Verification team, and System Safety team
• Ensure Design Organisation (DO) expositions are prepared and updated in accordance with MAA Regulatory Publications and CAA British Civil Aviation Regulations
• Ensure Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation exposition is prepared and updated in accordance with MAA Regulatory Publications
• Ensure processes of DO and Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation (CAMO) are aligned to relevant regulations and assessing impact of regulatory change on Air Safety
• Ensure appropriate basis of certification is declared for all design changes and verify that technical evidence is complete and complies to sufficient level with these requirements
• Provide independent assurance that all designs comply with agreed basis for certification
• Obtain MOD sponsorship and approval to operate Military Registered Civil Owned Aircraft in accordance with MAA RA 1121
• Ensure Certificates for Flight Trials (Form59, CFT, MFTP, MPTF) are prepared, in compliance with regulations and company processes
• On behalf of UK Head of Design Office, ensure that all activities in support of continued airworthiness including safety arisings are driven to satisfactory conclusion for all UK platforms
• Ensure that satisfactory safety programme plan is established in accordance with applicable basis of certification and contract requirements
• Ensure that safety assessment reports and other safety artefacts are issued and demonstrate compliance with safety targets
• Approve all changes to design approval signatories in Leonardo Helicopters (UK) DO and CAMO
• Assess acceptability of risk to life, as standing member of Flight Risk Review Board assess for flight test activities of Leonardo Helicopters (UK) Flying Organisation
• Represent airworthiness at Safety Working Groups, Safety Action Groups and Executive Safety Board
• Represent Leonardo Helicopters (UK) as member of UK industrial trade organisation (ADS) airworthiness boards and committees (Airworthiness Board, and Military and Civil Aviation Safety Groups) and MAA airworthiness panels (Type Airworthiness Advisory Group, Joint Air Safety Committee, DEF STAN 00-970 Working Group)

Requirements:

• Degree in relevant subject (e.g. aeronautical engineering, other engineering, science or mathematics)
• Considerable years' experience, in design, development, qualification and certification of air systems
• In-depth knowledge of airworthiness regulations and system safety for air systems
• Ability to understand complex engineering processes and inter-dependency of process components
• Ability to understand business requirements and to develop people, roles and organisation to meet these needs
• Ability to lead and direct departments with different functions and manage co-ordination and interaction between them
• Ability to manage and direct number of engineering projects and tasks carried out across group of departments and disciplines
• Strong interpersonal skills, with proven ability to develop customer/supplier relationships
• Broad understanding of business environment, including customer issues, competitor capabilities and associated economics
• Ability to make complex technical decisions based on range of dissimilar information assimilated from number of technical experts
• Broad understanding of business environment, including customer capability requirements, contract frameworks, competitor products/capabilities and associated financial aspects
• Capability to identify and direct improvements to complex technical and business processes, judging balance between cost and impact of change and its resulting benefits
• Experience in both civil and military aviation
• Chartered Engineer status

Life at Leonardo

With company funded benefits package, commitment to learning and development, and flexible approach to working hours focused on needs of both our employees and customers, a career with Leonardo has never offered as many opportunities or been more accessible to as many people.

• Flexible Working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us
• Company funded flexible benefits: We offer award-winning flexible benefits plan, having won Best Flexible Working Policy Award, Best Flexible Benefits Strategy and Best Flexible Benefits Plan in 2023. These include; access to private healthcare, dental schemes, Workplace ISA, Go Green Car Scheme, technology and lifestyle options (£500 annual allowance)
• Holidays: 25 days plus bank holidays, option to buy/sell leave and to accrue up to 12 additional flexi leave days per year
• Pension: Award winning pension scheme (up to 15% employer contribution)
• Wellbeing: Employee Assistance Programme with access to free mental health support, financial wellbeing support and network groups to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to diversity & inclusion (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Reservists, Carers)
• Lifestyle: Discounted Gym membership, Cycle to work scheme
• Training: Free access to more than 4000 online courses via Coursera
• Referral Incentive: You can earn a reward for successfully referring a friend or family member
• Bonus: Scheme in place for all employees at management level and below