Inspector of Air Accidents (Operations)
Department for Transport
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 29th September 2024
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Investigation
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About the job
Job summary
We recognise the challenges that people with protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.
Are you a pilot who is passionate about aviation safety and looking for a high-profile role at its leading edge? If so, this is a rare opportunity to join the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) as an Inspector of Air Accidents (Operations) and we would love to hear from you.
Job description
The AAIB is part of the Department for Transport (DfT), and our purpose is to improve aviation safety by determining the circumstances and causes of aircraft accidents and serious incidents and promoting safety action to prevent recurrence. We investigate accidents and serious incidents to civil aircraft in the UK and overseas, where there is a UK interest, and your primary role will be to investigate the operational aspects of these events as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
You will be contracted to work 37 hours each week and expected to spend at least 60% of your working time either at the AAIB offices at Farnborough House or at other locations on official business.
For further information about our work please visit www.aaib.gov.uk.
Responsibilities of the role
Key responsibilities of this role include:
- Deploying at short notice to civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents within the UK or worldwide.
- Supporting foreign safety investigation authorities in their work and conducting investigations in the UK’s Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
- Producing reports into the operational aspects of an event and promoting action to improve safety.
- Keeping the families of victims of fatal accidents informed of the progress of an investigation and briefing them on the findings and conclusions.
- Giving technical evidence at coroners’ inquests to explain the findings of a report.
The role will require you to be on-call for deployments except whilst on annual leave or by mutual agreement with AAIB management. A roster is managed to ensure there will be periods where you are less likely to be called. An allowance for being on call is included as part of the basic salary.
For more information, see the attached Role Profile.
Person specification
About You
To be successful in this role, you:
- Will be a pilot with extensive and recent commercial flying experience in two-pilot aircraft, along with knowledge of civilian aircraft operations and aviation in general.
- Will have a varied aviation background in terms of roles, aircraft types/classes, and types of flying.
- Will have a broad understanding of aircraft technical and non-technical subjects.
- Will be highly motivated and inquisitive, and comfortable working independently or in a team, either as leader or member.
- Must be able to work in challenging environments worldwide, sometimes travelling at short notice.
- Will have excellent written communication skills and be capable of producing accurate and clear reports. You will also have excellent verbal and presentation skills.
- Will communicate clearly and concisely and possess the ability to work with stakeholders, both inside and outside the AAIB team, to establish mutual respect and trust.
Candidates must also meet the experience criteria set out in each of the following three main bullet points:
- Flying experience as shown in either A or B:
- A: More than 4,500 hours as pilot on fixed wing aircraft, of which more than 3,000 hours were gained in a commercial environment operating two-pilot aircraft over 5,700 kg.
- B: More than 2,500 hours as pilot on rotary wing aircraft, of which more than 2,000 hours were gained in a commercial environment operating two-pilot aircraft over 3,175 kg.
- Experience of being the commander in a commercial environment operating two-pilot aircraft over 5,700 kg or 3,175 kg as appropriate. Alternatively, we will consider command and leadership experience gained in an aviation organisational setting.
- Professional flying experience in a two-pilot commercial environment within the two years leading up to the closing date for applications. This period may be extended to five years for candidates with previous role-specific experience, such as being an investigator.
Additional Information
Due to the nature of AAIB operations, you may be exposed to situations, information and material of a sensitive or traumatic nature. You will also be required to use tact and compassion when meeting the victims of accidents, bereaved relatives and witnesses, and when working with colleagues in stressful conditions. It is essential that you consider how you would react to these aspects of these aspects of the role before applying.
Applicants will be required to participate in a wellbeing and traumatic stress risk review and online personality questionnaire in advance of their formal assessment. This risk review is not a formal assessment and will not decide whether you progress to interview. The risk review will include a short questionnaire which is followed up by a short telephone call with a psychologist. Potential applicants are welcome to contact the AAIB for further information (contact point below).
Licences
• An Airline Transport Pilot’s Licence.
• A full driving licence valid in the UK.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
- Communicating and Influencing
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Applying Expertise and Technology (AIB Competency)
- Written communication (AIB Competency)
Benefits
The AAIB is part of the Civil Service, which means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits, including:
- An excellent, defined benefit, pension scheme with an employer contribution rate of 28.97%.
- 25 days annual leave for new joiners, rising to 30 days after five years’ service.
- The ‘MyLifestyle’ benefits package giving access to a wide range of attractive and flexible offers.
- Overtime or travel time, which is paid when you are required to work or travel outside normal working hours.
- Maternity, adoption and shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks on full pay, followed by 13 weeks on statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid. We offer paternity leave of two weeks on full pay.
After two years, subject to satisfactory progression and assessment against competency requirements, you will become a Senior Inspector and be awarded a non-pensionable allowance of £4,000 per annum. After a further period of satisfactory progression and assessment, you may become a Lead Inspector and be awarded an additional non-pensionable allowance of £2,000 per annum. This usually occurs around four years after reaching Senior Inspector.
Staff can receive in-year Local Recognition Awards of up to £2,000 as bonuses to reward them for significant contributions to the ongoing work of the AAIB.
It is important to us that you maintain your professional skills, so there will be many training and development opportunities for you as you progress through your career with us.
We offer flexible working, an inclusive working environment and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.
Find out more about what it’s like working for the Department for Transport.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
How to Apply
As part of the online application process, you will be asked to provide a CV and a 1000-word personal statement.
Your CV should provide clear evidence of how you meet the experience requirements set out in the Person specification. It should include your aviation background in terms of roles, aircraft types/classes and types of flying e.g. commercial or private; single- or two-pilot. It should also include a summary of your flying hours showing your total time flying:
- As pilot on fixed wing or rotary wing aircraft, as appropriate.
- In a commercial environment operating two-pilot aircraft over 5,700 kg or 3,175 kg, as appropriate.
- In command in a commercial environment operating two-pilot aircraft over 5,700 kg or 3,175 kg, as appropriate.
In your personal statement, in 1000 words please include detailed evidence of:
- Your experience of operating two-pilot aircraft in a commercial environment.
- Your experience of flying other aircraft other in any environment.
- Your experience of working in a team both as leader and member.
- Your experience of building and maintaining relationships with a range of stakeholders.
The sift is due to take place during the week commencing 30th September 2024
The online testing, including the traumatic stress risk review and Online Personality Questionnaires, is likely to be held during the week commencing 14th October 2024
The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include a full-day Assessment Centre. which will be held at the AAIB’s offices near Farnborough on either 4 or 5 November.
We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.
The full-day Assessment Centre will contain the following activities:
- Interview
- Written exercise
- Presentation
- Role-play exercise
- Ability test
Prior to attending the Assessment Centre, shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide an electronic copy of their Airline Transport Pilots Licence
The assessments will be conducted in-person at the AAIB's offices in Farnborough. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.
You are encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within.
The Department for Transport alongside other Government Departments recruit using Success Profiles. This means for each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate in order to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.
For further information on Success Profiles visit our Careers website.
Reasonable Adjustments
As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Document Accessibility
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance.
Further Information
For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.
Current Civil Servants (all contract types) will need to ensure that they are still employed as a civil servant at the point of starting in the relevant new post. If their contract ends (e.g. end of FTA contract or resignation) at any point during the recruitment/onboarding process for the advertised role, they will no longer be eligible and may be withdrawn.
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Eileen Collins
- Email : Recruitment@aaib.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website Here
