Senior Specialist Flight Operations-1

AWE; Reading; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 61,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

270 hours annual leave

Pension scheme (9%–13%)

Professional development funding

Life Assurance (4x salary)

Job summary

AWE in Aldermaston, Reading is seeking a Senior Specialist Flight Operations to plan and execute secure transport air operations, maintaining safety, environment, health and welfare, security and quality. You will lead a multidisciplinary team, ensure regulatory compliance, act as AWE's representative with government and defence partners, and provide radiological safety expertise during transport.

The role is onsite with a 9‑day fortnight pattern and a starting salary of £55,000 plus allowances,

Qualifications

• Diplomacy and collaboration across international partners and agencies.
• Strong communication across senior government, military and industry levels.
• Willingness to work away for regular 7–10 day periods and maintain professional standards.

Responsibilities

• Oversee secure transport air operations ensuring safety and compliance.
• Lead multidisciplinary team including military and civilian personnel on operations.
• Act as AWE representative for regulatory decisions and escalation while minimizing programme impact.
• Provide SME on UN Class cargo environmental and radiological effects.
• Coordinate tactical planning and maintain classified documentation.

Skills

Diplomacy

Communication

Leadership

Risk assessment

Radiological safety

Education

HNC or degree or NEBOSH/DGSA

Job description

Senior Specialist Flight Operations

Location: Aldermaston, Reading

Salary: Starting salary £55,000 dependant on skills and experience plus allowances

Working pattern: AWE operates a 9-day working fortnight, with every other Friday as a non-working day. For this role, employees are required to work fully onsite. We support flexible working arrangements where possible, including part-time and varied working hours, while maintaining an onsite presence. Please let us know if you would like us to consider an alternative working pattern as part of your application.

Let us introduce the role

AWE is currently recruiting a Senior Specialist Flight Operations to plan and execute AWEs secure transport air operations safely, maintaining adherence to all associated compliance requirements whilst assuring high standards of environment, health and welfare, security, and quality.

What You’ll Do

• Act as an ambassador for AWE to ensure effective collaboration with defence and industry partners, national and international government agencies, and civil agencies; to meet AWE’s vision and strategy and DNO’s obligations to Mutual Defence Agreement and Polaris Sales Agreement.
• Operational management and supervision of a multidisciplinary team, including military and civilians, when deployed on operations providing a key focal point for customers and for ensuring regulatory compliance.
• Accountable to AWE and Defence for the overall safety of people and cargo (including Dangerous Goods) during secure transport air operations in normal and emergency conditions.
• Accountable for on-ground operational and tactical decision making as the sole AWE representative, and for subsequent escalation as appropriate while remaining cognisant of minimising impacts to programmes.
• Provide subject matter expertise on all UN Class cargo as it relates to environmental conditions and radiological effects.
• Nuclear baseline role for Control and Supervision of Nuclear Operations.
• Coordination and completion of the tactical planning activities for secure transport air operations to assure safe and secure execution. Including the maintenance of classified documentation and associated processes.
• Supervise the execution of the secure transport air operations throughout the itinerary and advise on potential delivery impacts should the situation change.
• Act as the custodian for UK/US and other Government Department materials whilst in transit.
• Represent the Senior Operations Manager (Secure Transport) at meetings and exercises, as directed; both internally and externally (including internationally), upholding high personal and professional standards.
• Provide coaching and leadership for those persons under training for secure transport roles.

Who are we looking for?

Everyone who works at AWE brings unique skills and perspectives to the table. We recognise that great people don’t always 'tick every box'. That’s why we focus on your potential, your fit with our values, your transferable skills as well as your experience. Even if you don’t meet every point below, but you feel that this role and AWE are a great fit for you, please go ahead and apply, we’d love to receive your application.

You Don't Necessarily Need To Come From a Dangerous Goods Or Aviation Background; We’re Looking For Cross Transferable Skills. We're Interested In People Who:

• Have excellent diplomacy skills as you will be expected to collaborate with individuals in a broad spectrum of positions potentially in sensitive situations overseas.
• You should also have excellent communication skills as you will be required to operate at a vast array of levels from senior representatives in UK/US/FR government / Military to Logistics operators at airfields and must be able to operate effectively.
• You will need a high level of personal resilience, have a flexible leadership style, and portray a professional and confident persona, often in the face of adversity, whilst maintaining standards and requirements of the operation and UK Government.
• And you must take responsibility for your work and be able to commit to working away for regular 7-10-day periods from home.
• You should ideally have attained a suitable level of education to ensure that you are a credible person in the event of an enquiry (legal/corporate/governmental). Typicall, this may be HNC- degree or relevant vocational training (NEBOSH / DGSA) however relevant experience and knowledge obtained through a suitable career path may also be deemed acceptable.
• You should have demonstrable evidence of decision making in hazardous areas with the ability to provide clear advice and direction to all personnel involved delivering important balanced decisions.
• As the task lead and only radiologically trained person aboard the flight you will be expected to demonstrable evidence of radiological safety knowledge. In the event of an incident / accident you are required to provide information to the responders and if required act as the immediate responder to a radiological Incident both in the UK and overseas.

Some reasons we think you’ll love it here

AWE has wide range of benefits to suit you. These include:

• 270 hours of annual leave.
• Market leading contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your contributions).
• Family friendly policies: Maternity Leave - 39 Weeks Full Pay and Paternity Leave - 4 Weeks Full Pay.
• Opportunities for Professional Career Development including funding for annual membership of a relevant professional body.
• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.
• Life Assurance (4 x annual salary).
• Discounts – access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending.
• Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring.

The 'Working at AWE' page on our website is where you can find full details in the 'AWE Benefits Guide'.

Important Things You Need To Know

• You will need to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE. The nature of our work does mean you MUST be a British Citizen who has been resident in the UK for the past 5 years to apply for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.
• Our interviews typically take place over Teams and for most roles are a 1 stage process.
• We want you to feel comfortable and able to shine during our recruitment process. Please let us know on your application form if you need any adjustments/accommodations during the process.

Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants. Any inclusion information you provide will be stored in accordance with GDPR and kept separate from your application form and CV, and the information will not be shared with anyone involved in interviewing or making hiring decisions.

Please note that you must be a British Citizen to apply for a role with us.