Safety & Assurance Director (Aviation)

Altitude Angel Limited; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in airspace management seeks a Safety & Assurance Director to oversee safety initiatives and ensure compliance with aviation standards. The role involves leading safety strategies, engaging with regulators, and promoting a proactive safety culture across the organization.

Benefits

Competitive Salary

Hybrid Working Scheme

Company Pension Scheme

Cyclescheme

Employee Referral Scheme

Regular Team Socials

Unlimited drinks and fruit

Qualifications

• Minimum of eight years in aviation safety or assurance.
• At least three years in a senior leadership role.

Responsibilities

• Lead safety strategy and improve Safety Management System.
• Act as the lead interface with regulators like UK CAA and ICAO.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Investigation

Root Cause Analysis

Education

Degree in Safety Engineering

Degree in Systems Engineering

Degree in Aviation

Tools

Safety Management System

Assurance Frameworks

Job description

Department: Safety & Compliance Location: Reading, UK (Hybrid) About Altitude Angel

At Altitude Angel, we're on a mission to revolutionise airspace management. Since our inception in 2014, we've been at the forefront of integrating uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) into global airspace safely and efficiently. Our innovative solutions, like the ARROW technology and GuardianUTM platform, are paving the way for the future of Advanced Air Mobility and fully integrated airspace.

About the Role

We're seeking a visionary Safety & Assurance Director to lead our safety initiatives at the intersection of traditional aviation and cutting-edge flight automation technologies. This role is pivotal in ensuring the highest safety standards across our operations and for our clients, as we continue to develop and implement Unified Traffic Management (UTM) solutions globally.

What You'll Do

Lead safety strategy: Design, implement and continuously improve Altitude Angel’s Safety Management System, ensuring alignment with ICAO Annex 19, CAP 760 and UK Regulation (EU) 2017/373.

Own assurance frameworks: Define and govern the software and hardware assurance strategy, incorporating relevant standards including CAP 670 SW01 for software, CAP 670 HW01 for hardware, ED-109A/DO-278A, DO-178C, DO-254, ED-153, and the EUROCONTROL SWAL/HWAL methodology.

Govern product assurance: Provide strategic oversight for the assurance of the ARROW platform and supporting systems, ensuring readiness for deployment into operational airspace.

Establish assurance structures: Define safety objectives, risk classifications, traceability practices, and assurance artefacts to support internal governance and external regulatory engagement.

Engage with regulators: Act as the company’s lead interface with the UK CAA, EUROCONTROL, ICAO, and other relevant authorities and industry bodies.

Investigate and improve: Lead investigations into safety incidents, hazards and near-misses; analyse root causes and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.

Promote safety culture: Champion a proactive safety culture through structured training, communications, and leadership across all departments.

Monitor performance: Develop and track key safety and assurance metrics, providing regular updates to executive leadership and supporting transparent decision-making.

Advise executives: Serve as the principal advisor to senior leadership on safety, risk and compliance matters.

Innovate in assurance: Drive continuous improvement in how safety and assurance are delivered, leveraging automation and agile-compatible methods.

What You'll Bring

A degree in safety engineering, systems engineering, aviation, or a related field

A minimum of eight years in aviation safety or assurance, with at least three years in a senior leadership role.

Deep understanding of UK Regulation (EU) 2017/373 and its application to ATS and CNS service providers.

Familiarity with key assurance standards including CAP 670 SW01 and HW01, CAP 760, ED-109A/DO-278A, DO-178C, DO-254, ED-153, and the EUROCONTROL SWAL/HWAL methodology.

Proven experience implementing or managing an effective Safety Management System in a regulated environment.

Strong written and verbal communication abilities, with confidence in engaging regulators, auditors, engineers and executive stakeholders.

High-level investigative and root cause analysis capability, applied to safety events or complex systems.

Credentials in safety investigation or audit such as IS-BAO, IOSA, or ICAO Safety Investigation are a plus.

A cross-functional mindset, with the ability to build alignment across product, engineering, legal, and operations.

Ability to operate in complex environments with software, hardware, and organisational dependencies.

Openness to modernising safety and compliance through agile-aligned practices and automation.

A passion for aviation and a deep belief in the role of engineering rigour in shaping the future of safe, digital airspace.

What’s in it for you?

At Altitude Angel, we believe in creating a supportive and inclusive work environment. We offer:

A competitive Salary reflective of your skills and experience.

Hybrid Working Scheme - Flexibility to balance work and life.

Company Pension Scheme

Cyclescheme - Save on bikes and accessories.

Employee Referral Scheme - £3,000 reward for successful referrals.

Regular Team Socials

Unlimited access to our drinks fridge and fruit

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Altitude Angel

We are committed to cultivating a culture of inclusion and connectedness. We value the unique contributions that each individual brings, and we strive to ensure that our team reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.

As a Disability Confident Committed employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community. If you require any adjustments to the application process, or the job advert in an alternative format, please contact [e-mail] .

Apply Today

With drones becoming more and more prevalent, we are looking for individuals who are eager to help us build and deliver the solutions which have the potential to change the world. If you want to join us and be at the forefront of the aerial revolution, apply today.

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