Head of Narrow-Bodied Maintenance

British Airways; Hounslow; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A major airline in the UK is seeking a Head of Narrow-Bodied Maintenance. You will lead maintenance operations, ensure compliance, and inspire a high-performing team at Heathrow. The ideal candidate should possess strong leadership skills and technical qualifications in aviation or engineering. This role offers competitive salary and excellent travel benefits.

Benefits

Unlimited standby tickets on British Airways flights

Discounted airfares for staff

Opportunities for career progression

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in aircraft maintenance or a large engineering environment.
• In-depth knowledge of integrated maintenance processes and H&S legislation.
• Strong track record in a unionised industrial setting.

Responsibilities

• Lead maintenance aspects at Heathrow for narrow-body aircraft.
• Ensure regulatory and operational compliance.
• Inspire a highly skilled maintenance team.

Skills

Leadership skills

Safety-first approach

Commercial awareness

Excellent communication

Education

Technical qualifications in aviation or engineering

Job description

Head of Narrow-Bodied Maintenance

A career without limits

As the nation’s flag carrier, we take great pride in connecting Britain with the world and the world with Britain.

It’s something we’ve been doing for over 100 years, ever since we launched the world’s first international scheduled air service between London and Paris.

This originality has been in our blood since day one. It’s the spirit we share with the people that fly with us, our partners, and our colleagues.

We know great things can happen when you’re inspired to think big and bring your ambition to work every day, which is why, at British Airways the sky is never the limit.

The role:

This is an exciting time to join British Airways Engineering. As we continue to renew our narrow-body fleet, introducing more fuel - efficient aircraft and investing in cutting edge technology, we’re also investing in our people and processes to deliver world class engineering excellence.

At London Heathrow, our Narrow- Bodied Maintenance Team plays a vital role in providing maintenance operations for our A319, A320, and A321 fleets at LHR ensuring every customer journey is safe and seamless.

The Head of Narrow- Body Aircraft Maintenance position is a real opportunity to grow your career with direct influence over the performance and reliability of a critical fleet segment. You’ll be helping to form the future of our engineering department as a member of the Senior Leadership Group, inspiring a highly skilled workforce, driving innovation and embedding a culture of safety and excellence.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead all aspects of narrow-body aircraft maintenance at LHR, including base hangar and terminal operations.
• Act as nominated post holder for LHR narrow bodied maintenance operations ensuring regulatory and operational compliance.
• Deliver optimisation of business processes and systems, safety, and airworthiness through strong leadership, effective training, and adherence to maintenance policy and standards.
• As a member of the Engineering & Maintenance Senior Leadership Group, you’ll help shape the strategic direction, supporting fleet growth, performance improvement, and customer experience.
• Optimise resource planning, encourage a culture of continuous improvement, and benchmark performance to deliver efficiency and innovation.
• Inspire and develop a high-performing, inclusive team, building capability and empowering colleagues through collaboration and engagement.

What You’ll Bring to British Airways:

• A proactive, safety-first approach with a strong commitment to engineering excellence.
• Exceptional leadership skills and the ability to inspire and motivate in a high-performance, unionised environment.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement capabilities, with confidence in inspiring change.
• Strong commercial awareness and decision making grounded in analytical insight.
• Proven ability to lead in complex, regulated operations with a focus on continuous improvement.

Your Experience:

• Significant leadership experience in aircraft maintenance or a large engineering environment.
• In-depth knowledge of integrated maintenance processes, systems, and H&S legislation.
• Strong track record of delivering results in a unionised, industrial setting.
• Appropriate technical qualifications in aviation or engineering
• Experience managing large-scale operations

What we offer:

We believe that all the people who work with us should feel valued for the part they play. It’s one of the reasons our rewards go far beyond a competitive salary.

From the day you join us, you’ll get access to brilliant staff travel benefits including unlimited basic and premium standby tickets on British Airways flights. You’ll also receive up to 30 discounted ‘Hotline’ airfares per year for yourself, friends, and family.

At British Airways you’ll have the chance to take on new challenges and move forward in a way that feels right for you. We encourage all those who work for us to consider opportunities right across our business to help you develop and progress.

We never stand still, and we don’t expect our people to either.

Inclusion & Diversity

At British Airways we all have a part to play in creating an inclusive place to work. Diverse representation among our people is really important to us and we recognise that all our colleagues are uniquely different and bring their own originality, creativity and identity to work.

Inclusion and diversity is a key driver of innovation and we’re committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they can be themselves. We’re looking for people from all backgrounds and cultures to join us and be a part of our journey to become a Better BA as we continue to connect Britain with the world and the world with Britain.