Deputy Head of Engineering

DEA Specialised Airborne Operations; Retford; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

DEA Specialised Airborne Operations seeks a Deputy Head of Engineering to drive commercial output and operational rhythm within the Engineering Department. You will lead pricing, cost control, fleet strategy, and the training pipeline while mentoring managers across the department.

You will partner with the Head of Engineering and HoM/CAM to ensure regulatory compliance and continuous improvement, balancing strategic aims with day-to-day delivery.

Qualifications

• Extensive leadership experience in aviation engineering environments.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience in costing and pricing.
• Proven ability to implement governance tools (KPI/PI tracks) and reporting.
• Experience coaching and mentoring senior managers.
• Ability to operate in a newly created role with evolving responsibilities.
• Knowledge of UK CAA/EASA Part-145/Part-21/CAMO regulations.

Responsibilities

• Lead commercial productivity and governance for the Engineering Department.
• Oversee pricing strategies and manage the departmental cost base.
• Represent Engineering at IPC; drive fleet planning and BAU budgeting.
• Coach and mentor HoM, MM and CAM across the department.
• Ensure AS9100 compliance and Centrik-based record-keeping.
• Direct project delivery and ensure timely implementation of upgrades.

Skills

Leadership

Commercial acumen

Governance & KPIs

Project management

Mentorship

Stakeholder engagement

Regulatory familiarity

Fleet planning exposure

Costing & bids

Pricing strategies

Tools

Centrik

Lean Tools

IT management tools

Job description

DEA is a full-service aircraft operator with extensive ISR flight capability backed up by a skilled in-house aviation engineering team. This powerful combination puts us at the forefront of our industry, both in the air and on the ground. It also ensures we can deploy and support quickly and efficiently, even in the world’s most challenging environments.

Due to continued growth and expansion, DEA is looking for a Deputy Head of Engineering.

The Deputy Head of Engineering is an operational, commercial and support leadership role serving as the "Down and In" engine room of the Engineering Department.

Operating as the primary deputy to the Head of Engineering (HoE), this position takes complete ownership of day-to-day engineering support delivery, driving commercial productivity and efficiency, as well as cross-functional synchronisation.

As this is a newly created position within a growing organisation, the successful candidate must be highly adaptable and comfortable working with ambiguity, embracing an evolving set of Terms of Reference (TORs) as the role and department scale.

The core mandate of this role is to manage and drive the department's commercial output and internal operational rhythm. By taking responsibility for pricing, cost base management, overarching fleet strategy, the training pipeline, and core IT/management tools, the Deputy Head ensures that the engineering department executes seamlessly, with a key emphasis on efficiency.

Crucially, this operational shield frees the Head of Engineering to focus purely on "Up and Out" strategic positioning and configuring the department for its next phase of corporate scaling.

The role also acts as a mentor, leveraging professional & commercial experience to coach managers across the department hierarchy.

Key Responsibilities

1. Commercial Leadership & Operational Governance

• Commercial Productivity and Efficiency: Drive the commercial productivity of the Engineering department, taking direct responsibility for pricing strategies and the proactive management of the departmental cost base. With a responsibility to drive efficiency and continuous improvement in output.
• Financial Risk Management: Act as the primary risk manager for the department, proactively identifying, tracking, and mitigating financial vulnerabilities while capitalising on commercial opportunities to protect the engineering cost base and enhance overarching profitability.
• Bid Support & Costing: Support corporate growth by assisting the Head of Engineering (HoE) with contract bid writing, ensuring all technical requirements are accurately scoped and comprehensively costed.
• Management Frameworks & IT: Act as the ultimate manager of the department's internal reporting systems. Lead the management, tracking, and continuous improvement of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Performance Indicators (PIs), alongside the management and optimisation of the department's key management tools and IT systems.
• Operational Cadence: Establish and maintain the daily and weekly operational rhythm of the engineering department, ensuring information flows seamlessly and bottlenecks are exposed early.
• Executive Reporting: Consolidate complex engineering and financial metrics into accurate, seamless, and high-fidelity updates for the HoE and upwards to Group executives.

2. Strategic Planning, Fleet & Tactical Management

• IPC Representation: Represent Engineering at the Integrated Planning Committee (IPC) level, ensuring the strategic and operational needs of engineering are met so the department can optimally support the company's output in achieving revenue and Gross Margin (GM) targets.
• Fleet Planning: Lead the Fleet Planning department in overarching strategic and operational planning, providing leadership and direction while the delegated Fleet and Maintenance Manager executes the actual day-to-day management of the fleet plan.
• Tactical Management & Engagement: Provide tactical management across the engineering departments and, where needed, lead supplier and customer engagement to resolve operational issues and drive favourable commercial outcomes.
• Long-Term Budgeting: Oversee long-term departmental budgeting in relation to fleet planning, ensuring financial resources are accurately forecasted and allocated to support Business-as-Usual (BAU).
• Workforce Development: Head the engineering training pipeline to ensure the continuous development & competency of the engineering workforce.
• Line Management: Provide direct line management and strategic direction to the Training and Compliance Manager, fostering a culture of continuous learning and operational readiness.
• Policy, Procedures & AS9100 Compliance: Act as the principal driver for AS9100 compliance, internal policy management, and meticulous record-keeping within the Engineering HQ. Leveraging the direct line management of the Training and Compliance Manager, ensure that departmental procedures are strictly maintained and all records are robustly managed through Centrik to guarantee continuous audit readiness and regulatory adherence.

4. Project Management & Matrix Docking

• Direct Project Leadership: Where necessary, take a lead role in the project management of specific tasks, ensuring critical engineering initiatives are directly managed and driven to successful completion.
• PM Integration Focal Point: Serve as the central, singular "docking station" for internal and external Project Managers. Ensure that incoming project management staff are seamlessly integrated into the engineering workflow without disrupting the wider organisation.
• Delivery Assurance: Monitor the progress of critical aircraft inputs, system upgrades, and modifications, ensuring technical teams are unblocked and staying aligned with agreed-upon delivery baselines.

5. Professional Coaching & Departmental Cohesion

• Post Holder Alignment: Work in close and collaborative partnership with the Head of Maintenance (HoM) and Continuing Airworthiness Manager (CAM). As these are the Nominated Post Holders within the DEA Group, the Deputy Head must respect their regulatory boundaries and authority while providing robust commercial and operational support to ensure seamless delivery.
• Commercial Coaching: Provide professional coaching and commercial mentorship to key tiers of engineering management, including the HoM, Maintenance Managers (MM), and CAM.
• Culture & Standards: Act as the cultural anchor of the department, embedding a high-standard, proactive, and collaborative environment.
• Deconfliction: Use diplomatic influence and exceptional interpersonal skills to deconflict competing priorities between continuing airworthiness, hangar production, capability delivery teams, and fleet planning.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

• Extensive leadership experience managing the operational delivery and commercial output of complex, high-tempo civil aviation engineering environments.
• Strong commercial acumen with proven experience managing cost bases, pricing structures, long-term financial budgeting, and authoring/costing commercial bids.
• Proven experience implementing, auditing, and running robust operational governance tools (Risk Registers, KPIs, Financial controls, Continuous Improvement frameworks, and IT management systems).
• Demonstrated ability to provide professional and commercial mentorship to junior and senior leaders effectively.
• Highly skilled at capturing complex operational information, resolving core issues, and engaging confidently with suppliers, customers, and executive committees.
• High tolerance for ambiguity, with a proven ability to shape, define, and excel in a newly created role with evolving responsibilities.
• Familiarity with UK CAA / EASA civil aviation regulations (Part-145, Part-CAMO, Part-21).
• Prior experience overseeing aviation fleet planning, maintenance forecasting or technical training pipelines.
• Experience in operational environments utilising Standard Project Management, agile project management and Lean Tools and Techniques.