Purpose of the Role

• Ensure that the Aquila Service Delivery organisation can maintain the operational availability of the allocated equipment and services to meet contract requirements, by managing a team delivering highly specialist technical maintenance and repair expertise (to Level 3 capability).
• To contribute to overall Safety and System assurance by sustaining a specialist equipment support capability, aligned with Aquila business and regulatory needs, provided through appropriate SQEP (Suitably Qualified and Experienced Personnel) engineering staff.
• To support the implementation of specific engineering tasks relating to Change, Refresh and improvement activities.

 

Who are we looking for?

This role requires an individual with a solid engineering background, with previous experience of hands-on maintenance and fault investigation/resolution on relevant safety critical electronic/electrical systems. A high degree of commitment and appreciation of maintaining operationally critical systems is essential.

The post holder should be able to demonstrate a good understanding of the requirements for managing a team of technical field service and systems specialist technicians.

Ideally the post holder will have significant personal experience and expertise in at least one of the ATM systems covered by the role, and a good level of general understanding of ATM equipment and maintenance practices.

It is essential that the post holder is familiar with Regulations, Health & Safety and Quality requirements, and of the personnel management considerations for working in operational environments, ideally relating to MoD estate and active airfields.

A good level of IT user competence, with an ability to produce technical reports and capture/review engineering data.

Previous experience of managing operating budgets and approving/tracking expenditure would be beneficial.

 

What qualifications, skills & experience do you need?

• Depth of technical knowledge and experience for assigned systems.
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively within the UK and Overseas to Aquila equipment locations.
• Expectation to cover out of hours activities, provide on-call telephone support and work extended hours when necessary to effect restoration of services.
• Able to provide effective and efficient management of a team of specialist technicians, and to achieve response times aligned with the Marshall SLA (Penalty Regime)
• Experience in management of budgets and financial accountabilities.
• Safety conscious, with professional approach to maintaining standards and compliance with processes and regulatory requirements.
• Able to provide training, mentoring and OJT to staff and other engineers within Aquila.
• Good standard of written and verbal communications. Able to produce technical reports, analyse data, and provide management briefings and incident updates/resolution plans.

What will you be responsible for?

1. Manage the development and ongoing supply of a team of ATM equipment specialists, with the responsibility for providing in-depth technical expertise and conducting hands-on engineering maintenance and upgrade activities. Activities to encompass:
2. Integrated incident response, working within the Aquila Operational Centre construct, to respond to in-service equipment faults, failures and other service impacting issues.

b. Provide technical advice and guidance to the Aquila Regional Maintainers in order to achieve quickest possible resolution to service impacting issues.

c. When required attend site to support RM’s and own team members, carry out complex fault investigations and repair equipment to achieve rapid resolution of incidents.

d. Undertake more complex planned maintenance tasks and enhancements which are beyond the scope of Regional Maintainers.

e. Support Aquila projects by providing SME input and on-site support to configuration, testing, commissioning and transition-to-service activities as tasked.

 

2. Service Monitoring; working with the Aquila Service Desk & Technical Service Function, to identify issues, and capture/update data, relating to in-service performance, faults and failures. Ensure real time service monitoring is effective in early identification of faults. Take a pro-active approach to identify potential failure modes and risk areas, respond to issues, and report to the Technical Service Authority and/or Safety Teams as appropriate for further investigation.

 

3. Attaining and Managing SQEP levels: Develop a skills matrix to address training needs, and put in place effective processes to maintain currency of staff on subject systems and equipment. Ensure Aquila has the appropriate skill sets and capability to conduct Level 3 maintenance and deal with complex faults with minimal reliance on OEM’s and external parties.

 

4. Safety – A responsible manager with Safety obligations for own and teams actions, ensuring compliance with Aquila, Authority and other regulatory requirements as applicable:

a. Contributing to Aquila System Safety procedures

b. Support TSA and Safety Team led Safety Case Reviews and advise the need for additional reviews in response to significant events.

c. Manage the initial safety assessment of new incidents raised within the safety management system, ensuring appropriate reporting and escalation of safety issues and concerns.

d. Respond to requests for input to DASOR investigations and complete assigned actions.

e. Participate as required in the safety investigations managed by internal and external agencies.

f. Provide SME advice and input to assist the System Design Authority, TSA’s and Safety Team in discharging their safety accountability

g. Contribute to equipment performance monitoring and reporting to maintain the safety thread for each Technical Service.

 

5. Budgets and Contracts:

a. Manage delegated operational support budget for purchase of consumables and 3rd party services.

b. Assess, initiate and authorise OEM/3rd party activities, monitoring performance and managing to satisfactory completion of each activity.

c. Monitor overall performance of OEMs and 3rd party contractors against contracted requirements, and report issues, deficiencies and improvement opportunities to Supply Chain.

d. Raise and manage tasks with OEM as required to support restoration of services and resolution of faults and performance issues (within design envelope).

e. Monitor and manage spares usage and consumables to agreed targets, reporting shortages and deficiencies for resolution.

f. Retain oversight and control of team expenditure including travel & subsistence, overtime and training.

 

6. Support Change, Refresh & Improvements; as tasked by other parts of the business, identifying resource requirements, providing cost estimates, and overseeing effective delivery of assigned work packages.

 

7. Support Aquila Training Delivery; It is envisaged that the Equipment Specialist Teams will provide valuable input to Aquila internal training programmes and course delivery. This will be in the form of practical subject matter expertise, physical demonstration, and hands-on training elements provided to staff undergoing training and upskilling on relevant equipments and systems.

 

8. Staff and Team Management:

a. Ensure that Equipment Specialist services are provided aligned to the Aquila Service delivery operating model, including scheduling out-of-hours, holiday and sickness cover contacts to support in the event of unplanned incidents.

b. Monitor team performance and safety, ensure regular communications and status updates for all staff, particularly those working on customer sites and from home.

c. Ensure compliance with Aquila HSE policy.

d. Ensure compliance with all applicable Aquila business and staff policies, and procedures.

e. Provide regular team and activity status reporting to the Equipment Support Manager, and other Aquila management as required.