Human Factors Specialist (Systems Thinking)

Civil Aviation Authority; England; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working pattern

Varied project work

Stakeholder engagement opportunities

Job summary

Civil Aviation Authority seeks a Human Factors Specialist to advance the HF strategy, build systems thinking, and deliver HF training including Just Culture for internal and external audiences.

The role is hybrid with a remit across all business areas and will work with intelligence and safety performance teams on HF risks, aiming to strengthen safety culture and HF compliance across the organisation.

Qualifications

• Degree or professional level qualification in human factors, human performance, psychology, ergonomics or a similar field.
• Experience in a safety critical industry in an HF related role.
• Experience of system safety assessment theory and practical application, such as STAMP/STPA.
• Experience developing and delivering HF training.

Responsibilities

• Support delivery of the CAA HF strategy through action plan items, coordinating with internal and external stakeholders.
• Support the development and application of systems thinking across the CAA.
• Provide HF subject matter support to business areas and coordinate HF focal points.
• Identify HF risks and trends with the Intelligence and Safety Performance teams.
• Develop and deliver HF training for internal and external audiences, including STPA/STAMP and Just Culture.
• Maintain HF content on the external website, publications and SharePoint site.
• Support human performance initiatives covering fatigue, workload, distraction, non-technical skills, mental health and cognitive ergonomics.
• Champion a positive safety culture.

Skills

Human factors

Stakeholder mgmt

Training delivery

System thinking

Communication

Education

Degree in human factors/ergonomics/psychology

Job description

This Human Factors Specialist role sits within the Civil Aviation Authority's Human Factors programme, reporting to the HF Programme Lead. The work centres on supporting the CAA's HF strategy and action plan, building systems thinking across the authority, and developing and delivering HF training, including Just Culture, for internal and external audiences. It is a hybrid post with a subject matter expert remit across all business areas, working alongside the intelligence and safety performance teams on HF risks. Applicants must be able to obtain BPSS clearance, and the post does not offer visa sponsorship.

What the job involves

• Support delivery of the CAA HF strategy through action plan items, coordinating with internal and external stakeholders
• Support the development and application of systems thinking across the CAA
• Provide HF subject matter support to business areas and, where applicable, supervise and coordinate business area HF focal points
• Identify HF risks and trends with the Intelligence and Safety Performance teams
• Develop and deliver HF training for internal business areas and external audiences, including STPA/STAMP and Just Culture
• Maintain HF content on the external website, publications and SharePoint site
• Support human performance initiatives covering fatigue, workload, distraction, non-technical skills, mental health and cognitive ergonomics
• Support a standardised approach to HF issues across business areas, policy development and the wider CAA
• Promote and facilitate HF considerations across business areas
• Critically review HF academic research to inform the strategy for current and innovative aviation systems
• Support HF compliance and assurance
• Champion a positive safety culture

Qualifications

• Degree or professional level qualification in human factors, human performance, psychology, ergonomics or a similar field

Experience

• Experience in a safety critical industry in an HF related role
• Experience of system safety assessment theory and practical application, such as STAMP/STPA
• Experience of developing and delivering training courses
• Proven ability to influence change within mixed discipline teams

Skills & knowledge

• Knowledge of the aviation operating environment
• Good verbal and written communication
• Comfortable working with ambiguity, uncertainty and complex systems
• Able to work autonomously and as a flexible, adaptable team member in multi-discipline teams of internal and external stakeholders
• Demonstrated application of personal values and behaviours aligned with the CAA's values

Checks & eligibility

• BPSS clearance
• Right to work in the UK

Nice to have

• Knowledge and experience of safety management systems (SMS) and performance-based regulation

What's offered

• Hybrid working pattern
• Varied project work, from current activity to Future Flight workstreams
• Work alongside a highly skilled team and engage with stakeholders at all levels
• Work-life balance support (see the CAA careers website)