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Job Specification

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Job Specification

General Manager - RAF Valley

Ascent Flight Training (Management) Ltd
Competitive Salary Full-time Permanent

A little bit about us...

 

Ascent Flight Training is an established, yet growing aerospace and training company which operates across the UK, delivering flying training services to the UK Government. We want to attract and work with innovative, adaptable and proactive people to help us achieve One Mission as One Team.

 

We offer the opportunity to work in a flexible, dynamic and diverse environment within our Training Support Hub and on our operations sites. You will bring expertise and fresh ideas to an environment where your contribution is really valued. 

 

A day in the life of an Ascent General Manager...

 

As the General Manager for our Basic Flying Training (BFT) and Advanced Jet Training (AJT) services, you will be fully accountable to the Operations Director for the management of a business with a high public profile and delivering key capability for Defence. You will:


  • Provide Exceptional Levels of Leadership. You will inherit a large and multi-functional team spread over two operational sites, collocated with our Military end-user and strategic supplier, and need to brief up to 1* level military stakeholders. Familiarity and an ability to provide leadership in this environment and in a style that resonates with our military colleagues is an absolute necessity. You will need to be able to focus on leading in this environment whilst simultaneously ensuring alignment with wider business strategy and boundaries, whilst always focusing on delivering win/win strategic and operational outcomes.
  • Build High Performing, Scalable, and Sustainable Teams. You will need a people-centric focus and the ability to build, retain, and develop high performing teams; people and capability development; effective succession planning; and people development.
  • Drive Strong Business and Operational Performance. This role requires you to take full P&L responsibility for a business with variable ‘performance-based’ revenues. You will need solid experience in business and operational leadership with key skills in cost control, risk management, investment appraisal, operations and supplier management, and effective communication.
  • Create Growth and Lead Change. You will be joining the business at an exciting time. The business is growing with strong growth on the agenda, supported by multiple change projects to optimise our ways of working, scalability, and efficiency. You will need to be an accomplished leader of change, support and implement central initiatives into your business, and leverage this for meaningful growth in your sector.

 

What will make you successful?

 

Above all, this role is about people – a service business with a large team and engaged customers and supplier all co-located. You will be a seasoned and experienced leader of people, a confident and effective communicator, love leading and engaging with teams, and be able to build strong and long-lasting relationships.

 

Aside from people, you will already have experience in senior leadership roles with full P&L accountability and will have a track record of delivering complex operations or services in a highly regulated and commercial environment.

 

Whilst not essential, a background in Defence & Aerospace will be a huge advantage, as will experience working closely with senior military leaders.

 

You will also:

  • Have high levels of business acumen and focus – (strategy, operations management, finance, commercial and contracts, supply chains, and risk management).
  • Have a proven capacity for leading businesses and teams to achieve consistent high levels of performance and engagement, aligned with core business strategy.
  • Have produced growth and margin increase in previous businesses.
  • Have proven track-record of stakeholder management and effective collaboration to create win-win outcomes at senior levels with strategic customers and suppliers.
  • Have strong customer services skills – a passion for exceeding their expectations and working in a true partnership.

 

What we can offer in return...


  • Very competitive salary
  • Equivalent to 25 days leave annual leave plus Bank Holidays
  • Option to work Flexibly (hours/work location/Job share etc)
  • Private AXA Health Care for you and your family
  • Flexible benefits (Buying and selling of holiday, BUPA dental, cycle2work scheme, EV car scheme, retail discounts)
  • Enhanced family friendly benefits
  • Pension plan (up to 7% matched)
  • Employee Assistance Programme (24/7 free and confidential legal and wellbeing advice)
  • Mental Health Support and subscription to the Unmind platform for you and a plus one
  • Free eye tests for DSE users and money towards any subsequent corrective glasses

 

This role is full time, 40 hours per week and provides a stable Monday to Friday work schedule.

 

This role requires the successful candidate to obtain Security Check (SC) clearance.

 

We’re proud to foster a flexible and inclusive workplace where diverse perspectives are valued. Whether working onsite or remotely, we support a culture that encourages collaboration, individuality and work-life balance. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We are open to considering flexible working arrangements for all roles, including part-time hours, job share, and alternative working patterns, and we encourage conversations about individual needs during the recruitment process. We are actively working to remove barriers within our hiring practices and aim to provide a fair, accessible and supportive experience for every candidate. If you require any adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know and we will be happy to support you.

Personal Information

General Info

Equality Information

Application Questions

Do you have the right to work in the UK?
Are you on any form of VISA requiring employment sponsorship, or will you be requiring VISA sponsorship in the future?
Do you have any unspent criminal convictions?
An individual’s criminal record will not, in itself, debar that person from being appointed to this post. Suitable applicants will not be refused posts because of offences which are not relevant to the role for which they are applying. All cases will be examined on an individual basis. If you have answered yes, please provide details of your criminal record in the space here:.
As Ascent operates in an environment where our staff are exposed to technical data from outside of the United Kingdom, we are bound by both domestic and international legislation in how we manage access to this data. In order to ensure we maintain compliance with U.S Export Regulations (EAR or and ITAR) and remain compliant with our policy, we must request all details of current, and any dual and trinal nationality. If breached, these regulations carry potentially severe civil and criminal penalties for the company and/or our staff. Therefore we consider transparency in this respect to be paramount; this includes notifying the Ascent HR team of any changes to your nationality. What is your current nationality?
Do you currently hold, or have you previously held, dual or trinal nationality?
What is your expected salary for this role?
What is your current salary?
Are you currently employed by a Shareholder of Ascent?
I acknowledge that it is a key obligation of Ascent to identify and avoid or mitigate conflicts of interest in conjunction with its activities as the UK Ministry of Defence’s UK Military Flight Training System (“UKMFTS”) Training Service Partner, including engagement in negotiations for the procurement of infrastructure, aircraft and ground based training (including simulator) equipment from third party suppliers.
I declare that the information I have given is to the best of my knowledge and belief accurate and complete and that I have not withheld any information regarding any actual or potential conflict(s) of interest arising from my current or previous work history with the responsibilities and duties specified in the Job Specification for the role for which I am applying.
I acknowledge that Ascent may (without liability) promptly terminate any offer of employment or (if employment has commenced) my employment, if it is discovered on or after the date of my declaration that I have wilfully withheld any information regarding any actual or potential conflict of interest which may materially affect my capacity to discharge my responsibilities and duties relevant to the role I am is engaged to perform.
Have you been or are you involved in any previous or current work experience which would or is likely to give rise to any conflict of interest affecting your ability to carry out the responsibilities and duties specified in the Job Specification for the role for which you are applying?
Please disclose here your previous or current work experience which would or is likely to give rise to any conflict of interest affecting your ability to carry out the responsibilities and duties specified in the Job Specification for the role for which you are applying:
Do you or your family members have any financial interests, stocks in vendors, suppliers, or companies that could be considered a potential competitor or conflict of interest?
Have you received any gifts or gratuities from any vendors, contractors, or suppliers that could influence your decisions regarding their contracts or business dealings with our organisation?
Do you have any investment activities that may conflict with your duties or obligations to our organisation?
Do you own or have partial interest in any intellectual properties, patents, licenses, or copyrights that could be relevant to your work at our organisation?
Do you have access to or know any inside information about our organisation or any of our customers that could be used for personal gain?
Do you have any personal or planned future investments that could create conflicts of interest with your duties at our organisation?
Please list any companies where you are currently a registered director. If none, please state ‘None’
Do you consider yourself to have a disability, according to the definition provided in the Equality Act 2010?
Is this your first job since leaving the armed forces?
Are you a Veteran?
Have you been referred or recommended for this position by a current employee of our Ascent?
What is your current notice period or availability to start?

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