Aviation Security Officer

Birmingham Airport Authority; Bickenhill; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Excellent pension scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Cash Health Plan

Free on-site parking

Airport retail discounts

Job summary

Birmingham Airport is seeking a Security Officer to operate in a 24/7 environment, ensuring safety, security and a smooth passenger journey. Training will be provided, with development opportunities within a dynamic, purpose-driven team.

The role focuses on screening, compliance and customer service, with emphasis on teamwork, resilience and attention to detail to protect passengers and airport operations.

Qualifications

• High attention to detail and natural vigilance.
• Clear, confident communication.
• Calmness under pressure.
• Strong people skills and empathy.
• Ability to follow procedures precisely.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, safety-critical environment.
• Willingness to learn and complete structured training.

Responsibilities

• Security screening & compliance in line with CAA and NASP standards.
• Operate screening equipment with precision and vigilance.
• Spot risks and identify prohibited items or irregularities.
• Make sound decisions and escalate when needed.
• Support passengers with clear, calm, professional communication.

Skills

Attention to detail

Clear communication

Calm under pressure

People skills

Procedural accuracy

Teamwork

Job description

About The Role

Be the reason passengers feel safe, supported and ready to fly

Birmingham Airport is looking for people with the right attitude, potential and behaviours to join our frontline Security Team. If you’re calm under pressu re, great with people, and motivated by purpose, this is your chance to play a vital role in keeping one of the UK’s busiest airports safe and moving.

No previous security experience is needed — we’ll train you, develop you, and support you to succeed.

Why Join Birmingham Airport?

We value our people and recognise the impact they make every day. As a Security Officer, you’ll receive:

• Competitive salary + annual bonus (subject to company performance)
• Excellent pension scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Cash Health Plan for everyday healthcare costs
• Free on-site parking
• Discounts across airport retail and food outlets
• A supportive, inclusive team in a dynamic, purpose-driven environment

What You’ll Do

As a Security Officer, you’ll be at the heart of airport operations, ensuring safety, security and a smooth passenger journey in a 24/7 environment. Your day-to‑day will include:

• Security screening & compliance – carrying out ID checks, boarding card checks, physical searches and item inspections in line with CAA and NASP standards
• Operating screening equipment – using specialist technology with precision and vigilance
• Spotting risks – maintaining constant awareness to identify prohibited items, suspicious behaviour or irregularities
• Making sound decisions – applying procedures consistently and escalating when needed
• Supporting passengers – communicating clearly, calmly and professionally, even in challenging situations
• Working as part of a strong team – keeping lanes efficient, supporting colleagues and maintaining high standards
• Responding to incidents – following emergency procedures and completing accurate reports
• Continuous learning – completing mandatory training and maintaining certification

What We’re Looking For

We recruit for mindset, behaviours and potential. If you bring the right attitude, we’ll provide the training.

Essential qualities

• High attention to detail and natural vigilance
• Clear, confident communication
• Calmness under pressure
• Strong people skills and empathy
• Ability to follow procedures precisely
• Comfortable working in a fast‑paced, safety‑critical environment
• Willingness to learn and complete structured training
• Ability to pass aptitude testing and pre‑employment checks

Desirable experience

• Customer-facing or operational roles
• Work in regulated, safety or compliance environments

Behaviours that define success

• Professionalism & integrity
• Empathy & interpersonal effectiveness
• Ownership & accountability
• Resilience & conflict handling
• Teamwork & collaboration
• Adaptability & continuous learning

The Recruitment Process

Our recruitment process is designed to identify individuals with the right behaviours, aptitude and potential to succeed in this important role.

Stage 1 – Application

Complete your application online

Stage 2 – Situational Judgement Assessment

This multiple-choice assessment presents realistic airport security scenarios to evaluate how you would respond in line with the key behaviours and organisational values required for the role.

Stage 3 – Workplace English Test

This exercise is designed to evaluate reading comprehension, information recall, attention to detail and English language understanding.

Stage 4 – Video Interview

This is your opportunity to tell us about yourself and what motivates you to be a security officer.

Stage 5 – Digital Test

This assessment measures your ability to detect threats, interpret x‑ray images, and maintain strong attention to detail in a security screening environment.

Stage 6 – Group Assessment

Meet the team in this face‑to‑face exercise designed to assess behaviours relevant to the role.

About Us

Birmingham Airport is the UK’s seventh‑largest, with 30 airlines connecting passengers to over 120 direct destinations and more than 400 worldwide. We are on a strong growth trajectory, with forecasts indicating we will serve over 18 million customers annually by 2033. By then, HS2 will link us to central London in just 37 minutes, and we are committed to achieving our ambition of becoming a net zero carbon airport.

Our purpose is: Proud of Every Journey. That means everyone at the airport and the 100 organisations operating on the airport site, taking pride in getting customers safely, punctually, and comfortably from A to B.

By creating a kind, values-driven environment where everyone feels empowered to bring their best to work, we will retain and develop our people – and deliver on our purpose. Our seven pillars, Growth, Customer, Neighbour, Efficiency, People, Safety & Security and Carbon, support the strategic output of the company.

Our values – Curious, Dedicated, Inclusive, Respectful & Supportive guide how our colleagues treat each other as we serve customers with safety and security as our top priority.