General Manager - RAF Shawbury

Ascent Flight Training; Shawbury; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Ascent Flight Training is seeking a General Manager for Rotary Wing services. You will be responsible to the Operations Director for a business with substantial revenues and assets, leading a large team across two sites and collaborating with military stakeholders.

You will drive performance with full P&L accountability, oversee cost control, risk management, and supplier relations, and lead growth and change initiatives in a regulated environment.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership roles with full P&L accountability in a regulated environment.
• Experience delivering complex operations or services in defence/aerospace or similar high-stakes sectors.
• Proven ability to lead large, multi-site teams and manage military/stakeholder relationships.

Responsibilities

• Provide exceptional leadership to a large, multi-site team, briefing up to 1* level military stakeholders.
• Build, retain and develop high performing teams with consideration for unionised and non-unionised groups.
• Take full P&L responsibility, drive cost control, risk management, and supplier management.
• Lead growth and change projects to improve scalability and efficiency.

Skills

Leadership

P&L management

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Change management

Job description

Ascent Flight Training (Management) Ltd

Competitive Salary Full-time Permanent

As the General Manager for our Rotary Wing (RW) services, you will be fully accountable to the Operations Director for the management of a business with annual revenues exceeding £50m, £500m of operational assets under management, and over 100 direct and in-direct employees.

You will:

• Provide Exceptional Levels of Leadership. You will inherit a large and multi-functional team spread over two operational sites, collocated with our Military end-user and strategic supplier, and need to brief up to 1* level military stakeholders. Familiarity and an ability to provide leadership in this environment and in a style that resonates with our military colleagues is an absolute necessity. You will need to be able to focus on leading in this environment whilst simultaneously ensuring alignment with wider business strategy and boundaries, whilst always focusing on delivering win/win strategic and operational outcomes.
• Build High Performing, Scalable, and Sustainable Teams. You will need a people-centric focus and the ability to build, retain, and develop high performing teams; people and capability development; effective succession planning; and people development. You will need to be able to execute this in an environment with a combination of unionised and non-unionised groups.
• Drive Strong Business and Operational Performance. This role requires you to take full P&L responsibility for a business with variable ‘performance-based’ revenues. You will need solid experience in business and operational leadership with key skills in cost control, risk management, investment appraisal, operations and supplier management, and effective communication.
• Create Growth and Lead Change. You will be joining the business at an exciting time. The business is growing with strong growth on the agenda, supported by multiple change projects to optimise our ways of working, scalability, and efficiency. You will need to be an accomplished leader of change, support and implement central initiatives into your business, and leverage this for meaningful growth in the rotary market.

What will make you successful?

Above all, this role is about people – a service business with a large team and engaged customers and supplier all co-located. You will be a seasoned and experienced leader of people, a confident and effective communicator, love leading and engaging with teams, and be able to build strong and long-lasting relationships.

Aside from people, you will already have experience in senior leadership roles with full P&L accountability and will have a track record of delivering complex operations or services in a highly regulated and commercial environment.

Whilst not essential, a background in Defence & Aerospace will be a huge advantage, as will experience working closely with senior military leaders.

You will also:

• Have high levels of business acumen and focus – (strategy, operations management, finance, commercial and contracts, supply chains, and risk management).
• Have a proven capacity for leading businesses and teams to achieve consistent high levels of performance and engagement, aligned with core business strategy.
• Have produced growth and margin increase in previous businesses.
• Have proven track-record of stakeholder management and effective collaboration to create win-win outcomes at senior levels with strategic customers and suppliers.
• Have strong customer services skills – a passion for exceeding their expectations and working in a true partnership.

This role is full time, 40 hours per week and provides a stable Monday to Friday work schedule.

This role requires the successful candidate to obtain Security Check (SC) clearance.

We’re proud to foster a flexible and inclusive workplace where diverse perspectives are valued. Whether working onsite or remotely, we support a culture that encourages collaboration, individuality and work-life balance. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We are open to considering flexible working arrangements for all roles, including part-time hours, job share, and alternative working patterns, and we encourage conversations about individual needs during the recruitment process. We are actively working to remove barriers within our hiring practices and aim to provide a fair, accessible and supportive experience for every candidate. If you require any adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know and we will be happy to support you.