Expert, Aviation Safety

The Expert, Aviation Safety serves as the technical authority responsible for designing, implementing, and governing the Airport Safety Management System (SMS) for a greenfield airport development and its transition to live operations.
The role ensures safety-by-design principles are embedded across infrastructure planning, construction, ORAT, and operational phases in alignment with ICAO SARPs, national civil aviation regulations, and aerodrome certification requirements. The incumbent establishes robust risk governance frameworks, oversees operational readiness assurance, and advises senior leadership on aviation safety risks to ensure safe commencement and sustainable airport operations.
Safety System Architecture & Regulatory Governance
1. Design and institutionalise the Airport Safety Management System (SMS), including safety policy, hazard reporting, risk management processes, safety assurance, and safety promotion structures in accordance with ICAO Annex 19 and applicable national regulations.
2. Develop and maintain the Aerodrome Manual and associated safety documentation required for aerodrome certification and regulatory approval.
3. Establish aviation safety governance frameworks, including Safety Review Boards and non-punitive reporting mechanisms aligned with Just Culture principles.
4. Lead regulatory engagement with Civil Aviation Authorities to demonstrate compliance with ICAO SARPs and national aerodrome standards.
5. Develop and oversee Safety Performance Indicators (SPIs), dashboards, and structured reporting mechanisms to provide executive-level oversight of aviation risk.
Technical Design Review & Construction Safety Oversight
1. Serve as aviation safety technical authority for review of airfield layouts, runway/taxiway geometry, obstacle limitation surfaces (OLS), and apron configurations to ensure compliance with ICAO Annex 14 and applicable aerodrome standards.
2. Lead aviation safety risk assessments for major infrastructure milestones, including runway commissioning, terminal openings, and navigational aid installations.
3. Develop and oversee Construction Safety and Phasing Plans (CSPP) to ensure construction activities do not compromise aircraft movement areas, obstacle limitation surfaces, or aerodrome operational safety.
4. Identify and mitigate aviation safety risks during construction-to-operations transition using structured risk assessment methodologies (e.g., BowTie, ALARP).
5. Provide authoritative aviation safety advisory input to engineering and project teams to ensure effective safety-by-design integration.
Operational Readiness & Safety Assurance
1. Lead aviation safety validation of Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) programmes to ensure trial operations are conducted within an acceptable safety risk framework.
2. Establish aviation safety assurance and audit programmes covering stakeholders whose activities may impact aerodrome safety and aircraft operations.
3. Implement structured aviation occurrence investigation frameworks and ensure lessons learned are embedded into operational procedures.
4. Monitor aviation safety performance during normal, irregular, and disrupted operations, providing structured risk advisories to senior leadership.
5. Ensure aviation safety considerations are integrated into airport emergency response frameworks where aircraft operations are affected.