Solutions Manager (LR09)

Aquila Air Traffic Management Services Limited; Fareham; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company pension plan

Time off and volunteer days

Flexible benefits

Job summary

Aquila ATMS invites a Solutions Manager to join on a permanent contract. This technical leadership role focuses on translating MOD and civilian customer needs into coherent, compliant solutions while influencing across Aquila’s multidisciplinary teams.

You will lead requirements, solution development, integration, assurance and acceptance, balancing customer needs with regulatory obligations and lifecycle value.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as technical lead in engineering or solutions role.
• Strong ability to translate customer needs into traceable requirements.
• Experience with Air Traffic Management or related domain is desirable.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary solution development with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Translate customer needs into system and project requirements.
• Develop compliant, deliverable solutions aligned with integration capability.
• Provide leadership across requirements, development, integration, assurance and acceptance.
• Lead collaboration with customers, suppliers and internal teams.

Skills

Solutions management

Systems integration

Requirements traceability

Stakeholder communication

Technical leadership

Education

Engineering degree or related discipline

Tools

None

Job description

About Aquila ATMS

At Aquila Air Traffic Management Services (ATMS), we are dedicated to creating a workplace where innovation, collaboration, and excellence thrives. As a joint venture between NATS and Thales, we combine the expertise of leading air traffic control services and global systems integration to deliver cutting-edge solutions in air traffic management.

Join us in shaping the future of air traffic management, and together, we will elevate aviation safety and efficiency worldwide!

The Role

We are looking for a Solutions Manager to join our team on a permanent contract. This is a key technical leadership role within our Customer Solutions function, translating MOD and civilian customer needs, regulatory standards and operational constraints into coherent, compliant and deliverable technical and service solutions. Acting as the voice of the customer, you will work across Aquila’s multidisciplinary teams to shape solutions that are operationally supportable, commercially credible and deliver value for money throughout their lifecycle.

Your core responsibilities will include:

• Translate customer needs, operational constraints and applicable regulatory standards into clear, complete and traceable system and project requirements.

• Develop coherent, compliant and deliverable solutions that align with Aquila’s systems-integration capability and minimise technical, delivery and through-life risk.

• Provide technical leadership across requirements definition, solution development, integration, assurance and acceptance, maintaining architectural integrity and clear requirements traceability.

• Lead collaborative solution development with customers, suppliers and Aquila’s engineering, safety, security, service, commercial, supply-chain, bid and project teams.

• Produce clear solution artifacts that enable confident definition of work packages, assumptions, dependencies, estimates and schedules, while supporting asset refresh and continuous improvement.

This is a hands-on role where you will combine sound engineering judgement, customer focus and commercial awareness to shape solutions from early opportunity and bid activity through delivery, transition into operation and in-service support.

About You

You’re an experienced technical or solutions professional who can turn complex customer needs into coherent, practical and supportable solutions. You combine sound engineering judgement with customer focus and commercial awareness, communicate confidently with technical and non-technical stakeholders, and build effective relationships across multidisciplinary teams and suppliers.

To be successful in this role, you’ll bring:

• Relevant experience as a Solutions Manager or in a similar solution definition, systems engineering or technical role.

• A strong understanding of solution definition, systems integration and requirements traceability, with the ability to address customer, safety, security and regulatory obligations.

• Experience of Air Traffic Management systems, ideally across communications, navigation, surveillance or network capabilities, gained in a military, civil or similarly regulated operational environment.

• The ability to lead collaborative solution development, evaluate technical options, manage risk and trade-offs, and present clear recommendations to customers, suppliers and internal governance forums.

You also:

• Promote Aquila’s Just Culture, reporting incidents, safety non compliance, or potential issues in an appropriate and timely manner.

• Consistently demonstrate behaviours aligned with Aquila’s core values and leadership behaviours in all actions and decisions.

What We're Looking For

Essential Criteria

1. Proven experience as a technical lead within an engineering domain, with responsibility for shaping or defining credible technical solutions.

2. Strong capability in solution definition and systems integration, using a structured approach such as TEPIDOIL to consider the full operational and service context.

3. Experience translating customer needs, operational constraints and regulatory obligations into clear, complete and traceable requirements.

4. A good understanding of Air Traffic Management systems, including communications, navigation, surveillance or network capabilities, gained in a military or civil environment.

5. Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary solution development, manage technical interfaces, risks and trade-offs, and work effectively with customers, suppliers and internal delivery functions.

Desirable Criteria

• A degree in engineering, systems, computing, technology or a related discipline.

• Knowledge of UK MOD Defence Standards and MAA or CAA regulations and standards.

• Experience of network technologies, including network security, and membership of a relevant professional body such as the IET, INCOSE or RAeS.

If you don’t meet every requirement but feel you have relevant experience, we’d still like to hear from you. We support flexible working arrangements and encourage applications from candidates seeking hybrid roles.

Please note that interviews will be held November 2026.

Benefits

Core Benefits

• 201 hours (approx. 27 days) annual leave + 1 Company Day to be used at Christmas (Excluding Bank Holidays).

• Time off to volunteer (up to 3 days per annum)

• Company Pension Plan (Aquila contribution = employee contribution + 1%, up to 7%)

• Life Assurance (2x basic salary or up to 8x if in the pension scheme)

• Income Protection

• Company paid Private Medical Insurance (Couple cover)

• VCP (discretionary bonus)

• Employee Assistance Programme with 24/7 support and counselling

Flexible Benefits

Through Aquila’s flexible benefits platform, you can tailor your package, including:

• Additional Healthcare Cash Plan options

• Additional PMI cover

• Buy or sell annual leave

• Cycle to Work scheme

• Discounts at high street retailers

Family, Wellbeing & Lifestyle

• Enhanced Maternity pay

• Enhanced Paternity leave & pay

• Enhanced Occupational Sick pay

• Mental Health First Aiders

• Recognition through Altair Award

• Employee referral bonus

Security Clearance Statement

Due to the nature of the work that we do, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions. This role requires you to be a UK National and achieve Security Clearance (SC) without any caveats. It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance prior to commencing employment. If approved by the MOD, a dual national from a Non-ITAR country may be considered. Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance- United Kingdom Security Vetting – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Equal Opportunities, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Aquila ATMS is an equal opportunities employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. Applications are welcomed from suitably qualified candidates from all backgrounds. Employment decisions are made fairly and without discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, marriage or civil partnership, or any other characteristic protected by law.