Senior Airspace & Flight Procedure Design Specialist

Senior Airspace & Flight Procedure Design Specialist
Impact a better future

At Serco, we bring together the right people, technology, and partners to deliver innovative solutions that impact a better future.

We have been operating in the Middle East since 1947 and have a profound understanding of the region.

With over 4,500 colleagues here, we support governments across defence, space, transport, emergency services, justice and migration, and other vital public services. Our core capabilities span service design and advisory, customer experience, complex programme management, systems integration, and asset and facilities management, alongside environmental and case management services.

Guided by our unique service model, we work together with clients and partners to achieve long-term visions and tackle some of the world’s most complex challenges.

 
Your Opportunity  

To provide senior technical leadership and subject matter expertise in airspace design and flight procedure design on behalf of Serco and the Sharjah Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), ensuring that Sharjah’s current and future operational requirements are fully represented, technically substantiated and integrated into UAE airspace modernisation.

The role will act as Sharjah DCA’s principal technical representative for:

• The redesign and enhancement of the Dubai Control Area (CTA);

• The wider UAE airspace redesign programme anticipated over the next three years;

• The design and optimisation of airspace serving Sharjah aerodrome, approach and area control interfaces; and

• The feasibility, definition and, subject to approval, implementation of a Sharjah CTA and Sharjah Approach Control service.

The role will develop, coordinate, review and technically assure airspace concepts and flight procedure requirements, including ATS routes, SIDs, STARs, holding procedures, instrument approach procedures, PBN applications, ATC surveillance minimum altitude products and the associated AIP and AIRAC material.

The role is responsible for ensuring that proposed solutions:

• Are safe, operationally workable, capacity-efficient and compatible with adjacent airspace;

• Support Sharjah Airport, airline growth, resilience and long-term service development;

• Are supported by appropriate data, modelling, simulation, safety assessment and stakeholder consultation; and

• Are designed, verified, validated, approved and published through the applicable GCAA and certified Flight Procedure Design Service Provider arrangements.

Key Accountabilities

Strategic Airspace Design and DCA Representation

• Lead and coordinate Sharjah DCA’s technical participation in the Dubai CTA redesign and wider UAE airspace modernisation programme;

• Define Sharjah’s operational requirements, capacity objectives, constraints, design principles and acceptance criteria;

• Represent Sharjah at technical working groups, workshops, simulations, design reviews and regulatory meetings;

• Develop and critically review airspace concepts covering CTR, TMA, CTA and ACC interfaces, lateral and vertical limits, sectorisation, route structures, delegation, handover points and civil-military interfaces;

• Assess the effect of each option on runway operations, climb and descent profiles, traffic flows, route access, delay, contingency arrangements and future growth; and

• Prepare technical position papers, option assessments, recommendations and executive decision briefs.

Flight Procedure Design and Performance-based Navigation

• Lead, perform or oversee, within the approved certified arrangement, the conceptual and formal design and technical review of SIDs, STARs, instrument approaches, missed approaches, holding procedures, ATS routes and PBN transition routes;

• Ensure procedure concepts are compatible with PANS-OPS criteria, navigation specifications, aircraft performance, FMS coding, obstacle clearance, airspace structure, ATC workload and airport infrastructure;

• Specify and review charting, ARINC 424 coding tables, AIXM or equivalent data sets, WGS-84 coordinates and obstacle, terrain, aerodrome and navigation-aid data requirements;

• Coordinate independent verification, ground validation, simulator evaluation and flight validation, as applicable;

• Prepare and review design initiation requests and flight procedure design packages, including objectives, benefits, constraints, implementation dates, safety assessments and stakeholder consultation evidence;

• Provide technical assurance before DCA endorsement or submission to the GCAA and AIM; and

• Ensure implemented procedures are continuously maintained, periodically reviewed and controlled through the AIRAC process.

Sharjah CTA and Approach Control Development

• Lead the feasibility assessment and concept definition for a dedicated Sharjah CTA and Sharjah Approach Control service;

• Develop the operational concept, airspace structure, sectors, service scope, delegation, coordination arrangements, routes, procedures and contingency concept;

• Assess traffic demand, complexity, workload, capacity, staffing, competency, systems, facilities, safety and cost-benefit considerations;

• Define interfaces with Dubai Approach, the ACC, Ras Al Khaimah, adjacent ATS units and civil-military stakeholders;

• Support the business case, regulatory strategy, programme plan, safety case, certification and operational transition roadmap; and

• Support trials, implementation readiness, controller training inputs and post-implementation review.

Operational Analysis, Simulation and Validation

• Apply operational ATC experience to ensure that proposed airspace and procedures are practical, flyable, controllable and resilient;

• Develop representative traffic samples and future-demand scenarios for concept evaluation;

• Conduct or oversee fast-time and real-time simulations, human-in-the-loop trials, controller workshops and operational data analysis;

• Assess controller and pilot workload, sector capacity, route interactions, separation, runway dependencies, CCO/CDO opportunities, flight efficiency, emissions and noise;

• Define performance indicators and compare design options against safety, capacity, efficiency, resilience and customer objectives; and

• Capture and reconcile feedback from controllers, pilots, airlines, airports, ANSPs and other affected stakeholders.

Safety, Regulatory, Quality and Aeronautical Information Assurance

• Ensure alignment with applicable GCAA CAR-ANS, CAR-ASP and CAR-SMS requirements and relevant ICAO Standards, Recommended Practices and guidance;

• Apply Management of Change, safety assessment, hazard identification, risk control and post-implementation monitoring processes;

• Maintain design traceability, configuration control, independent verification and validation evidence;

• Ensure that approved design software, quality assurance processes and suitably qualified designers are used;

• Coordinate AIP amendments, aeronautical charts, coding, digital data and AIRAC implementation with AIM and affected stakeholders;

• Support GCAA submissions, audits, findings, corrective actions and technical responses; and

• Ensure that no airspace or procedure change is implemented without the required technical, safety, regulatory and publication approvals.

Stakeholder, Programme and Commercial Management

• Establish and manage the programme plan, governance, work packages, resources, dependencies, risks, issues, deliverables and milestones;

• Chair technical meetings and maintain clear actions, decisions, assumptions and escalation records;

• Develop scopes of work and provide technical input to procurement, tender evaluation and management of FPD, simulation, validation and specialist suppliers;

• Build effective working relationships and negotiate technically sound, balanced solutions across multiple organisations and interests;

• Provide clear progress, risk and decision reporting to Sharjah DCA and Serco senior leadership, translating technical complexity into business implications; and

• Manage customer, corporate, confidentiality, budget and contractual requirements within delegated authority.

Technical Leadership and Capability Development

• Act as Serco’s senior subject matter expert for airspace and flight procedure design in support of the Sharjah contract;

• Mentor ATCOs, operational managers and other specialists and build sustainable local capability and succession;

• Deliver briefings, workshops and technical training to DCA, Serco, ATC and stakeholder personnel;

• Maintain personal design competence, recurrent training and professional currency in applicable criteria, tools and technologies; and

• Capture lessons learned and promoted PBN, digital AIM, data-driven design and continuous improvement across Serco ANS.

Specific Requirements

Essential Qualifications

• Current or former Air Traffic Control Officer with a recognised ATCO licence or equivalent operational qualification;

• Substantial operational experience in radar approach and/or area control is mandatory; aerodrome control experience is highly desirable;

• Formal PANS-OPS flight procedure design training from a recognised provider, covering conventional and PBN procedures;

• Formal training in PBN airspace design, airspace concept development or an equivalent recognised programme;

• Demonstrable current competence under a recognised Flight Procedure Designer training and competency scheme, including OJT and recurrent or refresher training; and

• Professional fluency in written and spoken English.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or postgraduate qualification in Air Traffic Management, Aviation, Engineering, Geospatial Science or a related discipline;

• Formal authorisation or senior design experience within a State-certified Flight Procedure Design Service Provider;

• Project or programme management qualification;

• Safety assessment, human factors, ATC simulation or operational validation qualification; and

• Training in GIS, AIXM, ARINC 424, aeronautical data quality or advanced flight procedure design tools.

Knowledge

• Comprehensive knowledge of ICAO Annexes 11, 14, 15 and 19 and relevant ICAO documentation, including Docs 4444, 8168 Volume II, 9613, 9905, 9906, 9992 and 10068;

• Comprehensive knowledge of GCAA CAR-ANS Part-FPDS, Part-ATS and Part-AIS, CAR-ASP Part-ASM, CAR-SMS and the UAE AIP;

• Advanced understanding of aerodrome, terminal and en-route airspace design, sectorisation, ATS routes, delegation and coordination arrangements;

• Advanced understanding of SIDs, STARs, instrument approach procedures, PBN navigation specifications, holdings and minimum-altitude products;

• Strong understanding of aircraft performance, avionics, FMS path construction, mixed-equipage operations and procedure flyability;

• Strong knowledge of WGS-84, geodesy, terrain, obstacle and aerodrome data, AIXM, ARINC 424, charting and aeronautical data integrity;

• Strong knowledge of safety assessment, Management of Change, quality assurance, validation, simulation and post-implementation monitoring; and

• Understanding of civil-military airspace coordination, ATFM, environmental considerations, CCO/CDO and capacity management.

Skills

• Advanced airspace concept development, flight procedure design and independent technical review capability;

• Ability to analyse complex traffic, airspace, operational and aeronautical-data information and identify system interfaces and consequences;

• Competence in airspace modelling, procedure design, GIS, data analysis and ATC simulation tools;

• Excellent technical writing, report preparation, presentation and executive briefing skills;

• Strong stakeholder engagement, negotiation and influencing capability across government, regulator, ANSP, airline, airport and military environments;

• Strong project planning, risk management, prioritisation and delivery discipline;

• Ability to translate detailed technical matters into clear operational, safety, customer and commercial implications;

• Independent professional judgement, constructive challenge and the ability to remain objective where stakeholder priorities conflict; and

• Ability to remain composed and make sound recommendations in complex, time-sensitive and safety-critical situations.

Experience

• Minimum 15 years of relevant ATM or ANS experience;

• Minimum 8 years of operational ATC experience, including significant radar approach and/or area control exposure;

• Minimum 7 years of airspace and/or flight procedure design experience, including senior or lead responsibility;

• Demonstrable portfolio of airspace structures and flight procedures progressed from concept through validation, approval, AIP publication and operational implementation;

• Direct experience with PBN SIDs, STARs and instrument approaches, ATS route design and complex terminal airspace;

• Experience in a major CTA, TMA, ACC, national airspace or multi-airport redesign programme;

• Experience working directly with regulators, ANSPs, AIM, airlines, airports, civil-military stakeholders and certified FPD providers;

• Experience with ATC simulation, safety assessment, operational trials and implementation transition; and

• Middle East or UAE airspace experience is highly desirable; experience supporting the establishment of a new approach service or CTA would be a significant advantage.

Join Us 

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