Technical Designer (Air Traffic Control Systems)

NATS; Whiteley; Hybrid; GBP 62,000 - 84,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading air navigation service provider is seeking a Technical Designer to manage Technical Solution Design for essential services. You will liaise with stakeholders and coordinate teams to ensure the technical and business management requirements are met. The ideal candidate holds a degree in Engineering or IT, is experienced in a safety-critical environment, and demonstrates strong leadership in technology design. The role offers flexible working arrangements and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Benefits

Agile working arrangements

Modern office facilities

Qualifications

• Must communicate clearly both orally and in writing.
• Able to lead, coach, and motivate design team members.
• Experience in a safety-critical environment is essential.
• Must demonstrate strong leadership in technology design.
• Good understanding of NATS operating environment required.

Responsibilities

• Manage Technical Solution Design for specific Services.
• Review and approve technical designs and exceptions.
• Impact assess operational changes and coordinate teams.
• Liaise with stakeholders to agree on technical requirements.
• Produce engineering papers for service improvement.

Skills

Communication

Leadership

Interpersonal skills

Technical design

Problem-solving

Education

Degree in Engineering or IT

SFIA Level 6 operation capability

Tools

ITIL methodologies

Job description

NATS is the UK's leading air navigation service provider, handling over 2.4 million flights each year. We provide air traffic control services from two control centres and at airports around the UK. We also provide a wide range of commercial products and solutions internationally. Our people are at the heart of our purpose to advance aviation and keep the skies safe.Closing Date: 02/01/2026

Salary: £62,278.99 - £83,038.65

Job Purpose/Overview

Responsible for the Technology (Technical) Solution Design for a specific Service or Assets that make up the service. Managing and Supporting the Technical Solution Design elements as part of the Overall Service Design Pack for the Service.

Other Duties Include

• Within the NATS SI Framework, responsible for the end to end Technical Design of a large scale \ high criticality, or Enterprise wide solution representing the Service Design organisation to both its Programme and Service Operations customers and stakeholders.
• Ensures that the Design process for operational methods, procedures, facilities and tools are established, reviewed and maintained. (Enterprise & Business Arch (STPL) Level 5).
• Responsible for Technical Design for a Service and \ or Asset group supporting the Service Designer in meeting their accountabilities for their Service Design components.
• Review and approve High Level and Low-Level Technical Designs. Approve "exceptions" identified in Low Level Designs for underpinning Capabilities and prepare submissions to the relevant design governance mechanisms. (Enterprise IT Governance (GOVN) Level 5).
• Impact assess Operational Change Requests to ensure changes are within the Design Envelope and elevate through the Design Processes where not. (Business Risk Management (BURM) Level 6).
• Provide Technology Design representation across the service and wider with a knowledge of each of the systems and assets that make up the system/thread.

Autonomy

The ability to identify technology Design issues and challenges before they impact project or service delivery as well as the corrective actions required. Be able to coordinate disparate teams to tight timescales with little or no additional support Expected to apply own judgement and expertise to determine the course of action required to resolve Technical Design decisions within the Service and Design Governance processes. Determines when issues should be escalated to a higher level

Job Scope

The job of Technical Designer fits into the ITIL role for Service Design Management reporting to the Service Designer (Service Design Manager) specific roles are technical design, architecture and design authority for the technologies used in the service.

Tactical Planning

Be able to identify short term Design decisions that can resolve Programmatic challenges in a way that does not undermine the Safety assurance or undermine the Roadmap for the Service. Review Change Requests and associated plans as raised by the Service Operations team to identify whether the proposed change is within the Design envelope.

Strategic Planning

Liaise with Project Managers, Service Transition Managers, customers and other stakeholders to agree technical performance requirements, timescales, work plans and other matters that affect the execution of project tasks. Produce engineering papers using predictive modelling techniques to highlight possible service improvement, technology end of life and mitigate technical or operational problems of the future. Develop technology strategies in conjunction with the Service Owners, Service Delivery Managers and Enterprise Architects to meet NATS business objectives, highlighting possible future technical or operational benefits and risks.

Essential Skills and Experience

• The post holder must be highly motivated and able to communicate clearly both orally and in writing, understanding and reviewing reports written by others and writing documents forming part of the formal documentation of a change, minutes of a formal meeting or a formal report.
• The post holder must have good interpersonal communication and management skills.
• The ability to lead, coach, motivate and develop members of the design and service team to maximise their contribution, including Work Package delivery to projects and the operational teams in coordination with Practice Managers.
• Degree in an Engineering or IT subject and equivalent knowledge acquired through experience in a safety critical environment.
• Qualification and experience must balance technical engineering with business acumen to meet both the technical and business management requirements of this role.
• Applicants not holding the above qualifications but who have undertaken structured Engineering training (recognised by a professional body) and have extensive engineering experience will be considered.
• Ability to operate at level 6 (Initiate, Influence) of the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA).
• Experience in a Service Design Organisation delivering and developing technologies for safety critical Services to meet operational commitments.
• Demonstrate Leadership in technology design focused on the continual improvement of the service designed to fit a market need whilst balancing all stakeholder requirements.
• Is comfortable operating under circumstances where there is a high degree of uncertainty, particularly early in the service lifecycle.
• A proven track record of balancing risk with reward/return.
• An accomplished, credible and respected leader with well-developed communication, influencing and negotiation skills gained in a complex organisation undergoing significant transformation.
• Proven leadership of multi-disciplinary teams (that could span marketing, sales, architecture, engineering, suppliers and service operations) across the full service lifecycle and through a matrix based, safety related organisation.
• Career record of leading technology design in successful business change programmes.
• Excellent appreciation of ITIL methodologies and standards; ideally accredited to Foundation and Practitioner standards.
• Good understanding of the NATS operating environment and our strategic intent / objectives.
• Extensive Engineering/IT/Business management experience in a fast paced, customer centric and multi-site business.
• Strong interpersonal skills with an inherent ability to effectively communicate with and influence internal and external stakeholders up to a senior level.
• High levels of energy, drive and resilience, with the flexibility to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Drive and determination to champion and improve customer satisfaction.

Additional Vacancy Information

We are proud to offer a fantastic total reward package to help you thrive both personally and professionally - for more information on what NATS can offer you please visit - Why NATS?

We have adopted agile working to provide greater flexibility and increased choice over working arrangements, with the opportunity for this role to work in our modern office facilities as well as remotely. We also welcome discussions on flexible and part-time working arrangements. Find out more here.

If you share our passion to advance aviation and keep the skies safe - we would like to hear from you whatever your age, sex, race, faith, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, visible or invisible disability. Individuals that bring different perspectives, skills, life experiences and backgrounds help us be at the forefront of our industry.