Airfield Technical Manager

• Airfield Technical Manager
• Based at East Midlands
• Permanent

Why EMA?

Every year, East Midlands Airport connects over 4 million passengers with more than 80 destinations across Europe and is also the UK’s number one provider of pure freight services. Part of the largest UK owned airport operator group, MAG, East Midlands Airport supports over 6,000 jobs and generates around £300m each year for the region. 

Sustainability is one of our core values, and it shapes everything we do. We're committed to protecting the environment and supporting our local communities.  Our programmes include airport and airline decarbonisation, comprehensive education, skills and employment support and community engagement initiatives including volunteering opportunities. 

At MAG, we recognise creating a first-class journey for our customers starts by creating a first-class career journey for our colleagues and we are committed to building inclusive environments in which our people can thrive. You’ll also have access to some great benefits including: 

• Bonus scheme 

• 10% company contribution pension 

• Car allowance 

• Private medical scheme 

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays 

• Free parking 

• Subsidised public transport 

• Huge range of company discounts 

• 2 volunteering days per year 

• Free Virtual GP service, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 

• Care Concierge service  

The role

The Airfield Technical Manager is accountable for the safe, compliant and value-driven lifecycle management of East Midlands Airport’s critical airfield technical assets, ensuring they continue to support the airport’s licence to operate, 24/7 operational resilience and long-term strategic objectives.

In line with ISO 55001, the role ensures that asset management decisions balance risk, cost, performance and safety, and that all airfield technical systems are maintained, operated and invested in to deliver safe, reliable and legally compliant outcomes.

Safety and Compliance – Core Accountabilities

Safety and regulatory compliance are fundamental to this role. You will:

• Act as the Senior Technical Authority for Air Traffic Engineering (CNS) and Airfield Ground Lighting (AGL), ensuring systems remain safe, serviceable and compliant at all times
• Maintain Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Approved Maintenance Organisation (AMO) status, directly supporting:
• East Midlands Airport’s Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) certification
• The airport’s aerodrome licence to operate
• Lead engagement with the CAA Engineering Inspector, including:
• Regulatory audits and surveillance visits
• Management of findings, corrective actions and technical justifications
• Negotiation and governance of dispensations where operationally required
• Ensure compliance with applicable CAA CAPs, ICAO Annexes, EASA/UK regulatory frameworks and MAG governance standards
• Embed a strong safety culture, ensuring hazards are identified, risk assessed, controlled and reviewed in line with SMS and asset assurance requirements

Asset Management

The role directly supports ISO 55001 requirements by:

Leadership & Asset Management Policy

• Translating MAG’s asset management and safety policy into clear technical strategies and operational practices
• Acting as the single point of accountability for airfield technical asset performance, risk and compliance

Risk-Based Decision Making

• Ensuring all maintenance, renewal and investment decisions are risk-led, proportionate and evidence-based
• Integrating safety risk, operational impact and asset criticality into prioritisation and planning

Lifecycle Management

• Owning the end-to-end lifecycle of airfield technical assets, from specification and installation through to operation, renewal and disposal
• Ensuring assets remain fit for purpose, resilient and compliant throughout their working life

Asset Investment & Value Realisation

• Strategic ownership of the £10.75m five-year airfield technical capital investment programme
• Ensuring capital investment delivers:
• Compliance with regulatory and safety standards
• Improved asset reliability and availability
• Reduced lifecycle risk and cost

Assurance & Continual Improvement

• Providing clear asset performance, risk and compliance assurance to senior leadership
• Driving continuous improvement through audits, inspections, lessons learned and stakeholder feedback

Key Responsibilities

• Primary technical interface with EMA senior leadership, Air Traffic Control, Airfield Operations and Asset Maintenance
• Maintain and improve regulatory compliance assurance across all CNS, AGL and visual aid systems
• Lead collaboration with Terminal Engineering, RFFS and MAG group to:
• Share best practice
• Improve standardisation
• Strengthen group-wide safety and asset strategies
• Own critical supplier relationships for specialist airport, CNS and AGL equipment, ensuring competence, quality and compliance
• Lead, develop and assure a team of specialist engineers, embedding:
• Technical competence
• Strong safety behaviours
• Clear accountability and resilience

What Will Make You Successful

• Significant experience in airfield technical engineering, CNS and/or AGL systems within a highly regulated, safety-critical environment
• Proven capability operating as a technical authority and regulatory interface
• Strong understanding of asset management best practice, ideally aligned to ISO 55001
• Demonstrable experience managing regulatory audits, compliance assurance and safety risk
• Leadership experience with the ability to build a high-performing, safety-led engineering team
• Commercial and strategic capability across CAPEX and OPEX management
• Chartered Engineer status (or progression towards it) and formal asset management or safety qualifications are desirable.

Equal Opportunities & Reasonable Adjustments

We’re building something brilliant at MAG: a diverse team of Journey Makers who share our values and want to make a difference. We’re on a mission to be number one in our industry, and that takes talent in all its forms. With so many exciting roles across our airports and businesses, there’s space for your unique strengths to shine.

Whether this is your first role or your next big step, we want to hear from you – even if you don’t think you tick every box. What matters most is what you bring.

We’re proud to be a Disability Confident employer. If you need any adjustments to support your application or interview, just let us know. We’re committed to helping you perform at your best.

At MAG, every journey matters. Our Colleague Communities play a big part in that: Women’s Network, Embrace (Race & Ethnicity), Fly with Pride (LGBTQIA+), Mind Matters (Mental Health), PACT (Parents & Carers), RespectABILITY (Disability & Neurodiversity), and the CAVU Global ID&E Affinity Group.