Director of Safety and Assurance

Director of Safety and Assurance Location: Lydd Airport – UK Centre for Future Flight Innovation (CFFI) Salary: £125,000–£145,000, depending on experience Contract: Permanent, full time Reports to: CEO Shape the future of aviation safety. Join the UK's first Centre for Future Flight Innovation and lead safety and assurance across live airport operations, research, testing and emerging aviation technologies. The Role You will lead safety management and regulatory compliance across Lydd Airport and the CFFI. Reporting to the CEO, you will lead the Safety and Assurance team, maintain effective SMS and QMS arrangements, chair the CFFI Safety Board and independently assure that operations are approved, risk-assessed and safe. You will have authority to restrict, suspend or stop unsafe activity. Key responsibilities Airport CFFI safety and compliance

• Lead the SMS, QMS, risk management, compliance monitoring and continuous improvement programme.
• Ensure compliance with UK aviation law, CAA requirements, the aerodrome licence, Aerodrome Manual and CAP 168.
• Oversee airside safety, emergency planning, audits, inspections, occurrences and corrective actions.
• Advise the CEO and Board on significant risks, non-compliance and emerging requirements.
• Promote open reporting, a just culture and strong partnerships with teams, tenants, regulators and operators. CFFI Safety Board Chair the multidisciplinary Board assessing organisations and operations seeking to use the CFFI. Evaluate approvals, people, aircraft, safety cases, test plans, risk controls, airspace, infrastructure and emergency arrangements. Recommend acceptance, conditions, deferral or rejection, with all approvals documented and subject to continuing compliance. SORA and future-flight operations Assure UAS Operational Authorisations, UK SORA or other CAA-accepted assessments, air and ground-risk controls, flightworthiness, remote-pilot competence, command-and-control links, and contingency arrangements. Define the operating envelope for UAS, autonomous, optionally piloted, flight-test, Advanced Air Mobility and novel-propulsion activity. Risk, assurance and emergency management
• Lead management of change, risk-based audit, surveillance and occurrence investigation.
• Monitor safety performance, trends, findings and corrective actions.
• Maintain emergency plans for conventional and novel risks, including batteries, alternative fuels, lost link and autonomous-system failures.
• Ensure competence of safety-critical personnel and coordinate with the CAA, MAA, emergency services and government bodies. Authority With direct access to the CEO and Board, you may require evidence and corrective action, impose operating conditions, and prevent or suspend activity. Safety will always take priority over commercial or programme objectives. About you
• Senior aviation safety and assurance leadership experience in a complex operational environment.
• Proven capability within safety risk management, safety management systems and regulatory compliance.
• Experience supporting innovative operations, new products or emerging technologies.
• Excellent judgement, influence and communication skills, including Board-level reporting. Additional information We offer a competitive salary, generous pension contributions, annual leave and salary-sacrifice schemes. If you are ready to set the safety standard for the next generation of aviation, we would like to hear from you. Learn more at: https://lyddairport.co.uk/2026/09/28/director-of-safety-assurance/ Please send your CV and covering letter to recruitment@lydd-airport.co.uk