UK Airport & Airline Engagement Leads

Can you build strong internal and external relationships with senior stakeholders and provide clear advice in complex commercial and policy environments?

Do you enjoy analysing market trends, identifying emerging issues, and helping shape effective decisions and policy outcomes?

If so, we would love to hear from you.

Aviation is vital to the UKs economy and connectivity, and a strong relationship between the department and the sector is key to its success. As a Policy and Engagement lead for UK Airlines or Airports, youll be at the heart of shaping the Departments relationship with the sector. Your work will provide regular insight into how the UKs airports and airlines are performing and responding to government policy, helping ensure government decisions are grounded in real-world insight, supporting a sector that millions of people rely on every day.

These roles sit within the within the Aviation Strategy, Markets and Regulation Division. As a division, we pride ourselves on being approachable and friendly, supporting one another and leading vital work at the heart of the Directorate. The Aviation Commercial and Engagement team plays a key role in maintaining our understanding of the sector, and ensuring commercial insights are reflected in Government policies.

These roles are exciting positions with opportunities to develop commercial awareness, be on the front line of governments aviation agenda and gain insights into how the aviation sector works.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here

• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the Kings birthday

• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at DfTc Policy: Policy opportunities at the Department for Transport - Department for Transport Careers

These are dynamic roles where youll be engaging directly with the sector, monitoring market trends, and providing insight that helps inform policies which work for the sector and passengers alike. As a small team, you can expect a stretching and fulfilling role, acting as the departments key point of contact for airports and airlines, working with a variety of teams and other government departments, ensuring Ministers and senior officials are well-prepared for discussions with industry leaders.

Youll also support monitoring of the sectors health and any emerging issues, working closely with analytical, the CAA and colleagues in other government departments, playing a critical role in ensuring we can respond effectively to commercial challenges such as airline insolvencies.

Your responsibilities will include, but arent limited to:

• Engagement - Manage the Departments external engagement with UK airports, airlines and key partners, taking an active role towards fostering strong relationships and ensuring effective understanding of key issues.
• Commercial monitoring Support the embedding of a process to monitor and analyse the aviation market to assess sector health and identify emerging issues. This will include arranging and note taking for meetings regular with senior representatives for the UKs airports and airlines to understand market outlook and the challenges facing the sector.
• Strategic advice - Provide advice and briefings to senior officials and Ministers on airport and airline-related This supporting drafting of a State of the Market pack and submission to present to senior officials and ministers.
• Commercial policy and understanding Collaborate with policy teams in DfT and other Government Departments to ensure policies are informed by robust commercial and policy insight and to keep the sector informed of wider policies that might affect them.
• Respond to commercial situations Support the response to ad hoc emerging commercial situations that may need Government involvement, to ensure timely and coordinated action across government.
• Insolvency Policy Supporting maintaining the Departments preparedness for an insolvency situation and consider whether Government policy should be updated to help respond to large scale failures.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to build and sustain effective relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders at senior levels, and to be able to navigate complex and challenging commercial and policy environments.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to understand and apply commercial considerations to inform a wide range of policy developments and decisions.
• Ability to present complex information clearly and concisely to influence and inform decision-making, including drafting high-quality briefings and submissions for Ministers or Senior Leaders.
• Proven ability to organise, plan and manage competing priorities, identify risks and deliver under pressure to tight deadlines.
• A proactive and collaborative team player, able to be organised and self-motivated while contributing to wider team goals.
• Knowledge of the aviation sector or commercial dynamics in another sector.

Additional Information

There may be required travel to DfT offices across England on a monthly-quarterly basis for team meetings. These will be organised and communicated well in advance and there is a degree of flexibility. There may also be a need to travel to meet with external stakeholders across the UK.

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 30 hours per week.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

Visa Sponsorship

DfTc does not offer Visa Sponsorship for this role.