Technical Manager

Company Overview

• GD Helicopter Finance (GDHF) is a helicopter finance company based in Ireland.
• The GDHF vision is to be the world's best helicopter finance company.
• GDHF is rapidly growing a large portfolio of the newest technology, efficient, cost effective, multi mission helicopters, and leasing them to customers globally.
• The GDHF goal is to build the best team and platform in the industry, setting a strong long term culture of customer focus, trust, integrity, excellence, speed and flexibility.
• GDHF offers customers near term factory new availability through OEM order books of 50 Airbus H160 medium helicopters, 20 Airbus H175 and 10 Leonardo AW189 super medium helicopters, and the capacity to deploy additional capital to meet market requirements for helicopter financing. Company Culture
• Customer focus. We work backwards from the customer experience, with trust, integrity, excellence, speed and flexibility.
• Integrity. We always act fairly, logically and with moral courage. We think, speak and act with integrity and respect.
• Commitment to excellence. Hard work and high standards always. Respectful challenge is mandatory in order to drive continuous improvement and deliver long term, high value, innovative solutions.
• Positivity. We are solutions orientated, with zero tolerance for gossip or negativity.
• Kindness and flexibility. We act and talk with empathy. We look after our GDHF people, and they work positively and hard for our customers. Role summary and purpose The Technical Manager is the person on the aircraft, accountable for the physical and documentary condition of every asset in the GDHF portfolio, from acceptance inspection at the manufacturer, through the life of the lease, to redelivery. GDHF is judged on how well it knows its own fleet, and this role is how we know it. Under the direction of the GDHF Head of Technical and Operations, the Technical Manager will:
• Ensure management and execution of GDHF technical tasks, processes and activities across the fleet, interfacing as required with GDHF entities, subsidiaries and affiliate companies, and with external agencies, operators, manufacturers, customers and suppliers.
• Carry out GDHF fleet management tasks, including but not limited to acceptance and delivery inspection, annual asset inspection, asset monitoring and control, lease redeliveries and deliveries, modifications, records and continuing airworthiness oversight, and power by hour management support.
• Implement and execute best practice technical strategies, processes, plans and procedures, in line with Head of Technical and Operations direction and overall GDHF strategy.
• Build deep, high trust relationships with relevant internal and external stakeholders, OEMs, suppliers, MROs, operators and customers, in line with overall GDHF strategy.
• Provide ongoing detailed technical advice and input to support commercial business development, proposals, letters of intent, appraisals, lender diligence and the lease documentation process.
• Execute other tasks and functions as directed by the GDHF Head of Technical and Operations. Key Responsibilities
• Acceptance and delivery: Attend manufacturer pre delivery and acceptance activity, verify build against specification, resolve open items with the manufacturer, and confirm that the aircraft and its records are fit to deliver.
• Annual inspections: Plan and carry out the annual physical inspection of every leased aircraft, produce the written report and evidence pack, and follow open findings through to closure with the operator.
• Redelivery: Manage redelivery end to end, including setting condition expectations with the lessee twelve months out, running the formal kickoff, conducting the redelivery inspection, and preparing the technical position on any claim.
• Records and continuing airworthiness: Maintain oversight of aircraft records, airworthiness status, life limited part status and maintenance programme compliance across the fleet, working with operator CAMO functions.
• Configuration: Own the configuration and equipment record for each aircraft, reconcile fitted configuration against specification and lease requirements, and support configuration alignment on new campaigns.
• Modifications and asset monitoring: Manage modification and embodiment activity on GDHF aircraft, and monitor asset condition between inspections so that deterioration is identified early rather than at redelivery.
• Third party oversight: Select, brief and quality assure contracted inspectors and technical service providers, and hold them to the GDHF reporting standard.
• Transaction support: The Technical Manager is the person on the aircraft, accountable for the physical and documentary condition of every asset in the GDHF portfolio, from acceptance inspection at the manufacturer, through the life of the lease, to redelivery. GDHF is judged on how well it knows its own fleet, and this role is how we know it.
• Reporting: Produce inspection and status reporting to a standard suitable for circulation to banks, appraisers and the board without further editing.
• Other tasks: Execute other tasks and functions as directed by the Head of Technical and Operations. Qualifications and requirements Essential:
• An EASA or UK CAA Part 66 Aircraft Maintenance Licence.
• A high level of professional English, written and spoken, including the technical English of aircraft records, maintenance data and lease documentation. Candidates must be able to write inspection and technical reports in English to a standard suitable for circulation to banks and appraisers without further editing.
• Highest standard of character, integrity and leadership, with intrinsic motivation and independent, mature judgement.
• Extensive experience in helicopter engineering, maintenance or continuing airworthiness management, gained in a commercial multi type fleet environment such as offshore energy, search and rescue, or emergency medical services.
• At least five years of hands-on helicopter maintenance experience as a licensed engineer. Experience gained only in records, planning or continuing airworthiness management roles does not meet this requirement.
• Experience of working to EASA or equivalent regulatory requirements within a Part 145 or Part CAMO environment.
• Hands on familiarity with modern medium and super medium types, ideally including the Airbus H160 and H175 and the Leonardo AW189.
• Demonstrable command of aircraft records, continuing airworthiness, maintenance programmes and life limited part status.
• Practical experience of aircraft acceptance, delivery or redelivery, whether gained on the operator, lessor or manufacturer side.
• Precision with detail, and the temperament to work through a configuration list or a records set item by item until it reconciles.
• Highly developed communication, influencing, facilitative and project management skills, with written communication of a standard suitable for banks, appraisers and the board, and not only for engineers.
• Demonstrated success managing complex technical projects to meet or exceed challenging budget and time constraints, handling multiple competing priorities in a high pressure, multiple time zone, multiple culture, global business environment.
• Demonstrated effectiveness working across cultures, jurisdictions and time zones.
• Willingness and capability to travel internationally for approximately two weeks in every month, including at short notice and to remote and demanding operating environments.
• The right to live and work in the contracted jurisdiction, and possession of a passport enabling easy travel to key GDHF markets. Desirable
• Experience in both Part 145 and Part CAMO environments, or an equivalent regulatory qualification.
• Type training or type experience on the H160, H175 or AW189.
• Previous experience in a lessor, financier or asset management environment.
• Experience supporting technical due diligence for lenders or valuation providers.
• Experience of aircraft modification, completion or supplemental type certificate programmes.
• Experience of working across borders. How you work
• Self directing. You will be given an objective and expected to run with it, without a large team behind you.
• Precise, and a finisher. Open items get closed rather than carried.
• Direct with colleagues, customers, operators and suppliers alike, and able to hold a position under pressure.
•  Adds to a small and demanding team rather than simply fitting into it. Enquiries, applications and curriculum vitae Please direct all correspondence, enquiries, applications and curricula vitae for this role by email only to technical.applications@gdhf-lease.com.