Airfield Manager

weServed; Middle Wallop; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday allowance

Pension with life assurance

Digital GP access

Employee savings portal

Professional fees covered

Special paid leave for Reservists

Be Kind Day volunteering leave

Job summary

Babcock is seeking an Airfield Manager for the Army Aviation Centre, near Stockbridge, Hampshire. You will lead the safe and efficient operation of a critical military airfield, ensuring regulatory compliance and readiness to support training, operations and major events.

Based at the Army Aviation Centre, Middle Wallop, you will oversee airfield activities, engage with military and civilian partners, and drive continuous improvement in safety and efficiency while adhering to security clearance

Qualifications

• Experience in airfield, aerodrome or aviation operations management within military or civilian environments.
• Knowledge of MoD aviation regulations and regulatory frameworks.
• Experience supporting aviation safety, compliance, audit or assurance activities.
• Knowledge of aviation safety reporting systems and occurrence management.
• Experience engaging with senior stakeholders across operational, regulatory and leadership teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead safe and compliant airfield operations and manage infrastructure and facilities.
• Oversee aviation safety processes, compliance activities and change management.
• Plan and coordinate routine, night and contingency flying operations.
• Collaborate with military, civilian and regulatory stakeholders to meet airfield requirements.

Skills

Airfield management

Regulatory knowledge

Stakeholder engagement

Aviation safety

Education

Military Air Traffic Management qualification or equivalent

Tools

Regulatory frameworks awareness

Job description

Job Title: Airfield Manager

Location: Stockbridge, Hampshire

Compensation: Competitive + Benefits

Role Type: Full Time / Permanent

Role ID: SF76458

Lead the safe and effective operation of a critical military airfield and help support the future of Army aviation.

At Babcock, we’re working to create a safe and secure world, together. If you join us, you can play your part as an Airfield Manager at the Army Aviation Centre, near Stockbridge, Hampshire.

This is a rare opportunity to take ownership of airfield operations at one of the UK's most significant military aviation locations. You'll play a key role in ensuring the safe, compliant and efficient delivery of flying operations, supporting military training, operational aviation activities, visiting aircraft and major aviation events. Your leadership will directly contribute to maintaining operational readiness while working alongside military and civilian stakeholders in a highly respected aviation environment.

The role

As an Airfield Manager, you'll be responsible for the safe, compliant and effective management of airfield operations, infrastructure, facilities, aviation safety and emergency response activities at the Army Aviation Centre, Middle Wallop. You'll provide expert leadership across airfield operations while overseeing support to satellite aviation facilities, helping ensure aviation capability remains ready to meet current and future operational demands. This is an influential role offering the opportunity to work at the heart of defence aviation, develop senior stakeholder relationships and make a lasting impact on a nationally important operation.

Day-to-day, you’ll be required to:

• Leading the delivery of a safe operating environment across the airfield and associated aviation facilities.
• Managing airfield resources, infrastructure and operational procedures to support military flying activities.
• Overseeing aviation safety processes, compliance activities and change management initiatives.
• Supporting the planning and coordination of routine, night and contingency flying operations.
• Collaborating with military, civilian and regulatory stakeholders to support current and future airfield requirements.

This is a full time, 40 hours per week, based on site at the Army Aviation Centre, Middle Wallop. Set working times are Monday to Friday, with core hours of 08:30-16:30 and occasional weekend working to support special events.

Essential experience of the Airfield Manager:

• Experience in airfield, aerodrome or aviation operations management within a military or civilian environment.
• Working knowledge of Ministry of Defence aviation regulations and regulatory frameworks.
• Experience supporting aviation safety, compliance, audit or assurance activities.
• Knowledge of occurrence management, investigation processes and aviation safety reporting systems.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement across operational, regulatory and leadership teams.

Qualifications for the Airfield Manager:

• Significant experience in Airfield Management, gained through qualification as a military Air Traffic Management/Operations specialist or equivalent civilian aerodrome operations background.
• Category B driving licence (manual).

Security Clearance

The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Standard BPSS/ Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role.

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. Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

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. This Window opens February through to March annually.
• ‘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

We’re Babcock — 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 call that lifetime engineering.

Join us and see how far we can go, together.

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 [e-mail] 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: 02/11/2026

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