Aviation Technical Director

Job Description

Overview

Shape the Future of our cities and environments.

The Design & Advanced Technology (D&AT) Practice of AtkinsRéalis is seeking a highly experienced and commercially minded Aviation Technical Director to play a key role in the continued growth of our UK based Airports Team as well as UK and international aviation portfolio. This is a strategic leadership role for an individual who combines technical excellence in project delivery with a passion for client engagement, international work, and opportunity development.

The successful candidate will lead the design and delivery of complex aviation projects across the UK, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Dublin, and Manchester airports, while also working closely with our International Aviation Director and Market Directors to strengthen our presence in Europe, the Middle East, and other emerging regions. The candidate will play a key role in identifying, securing, and delivering high-profile local and international opportunities, and supporting the continued growth of our aviation portfolio.

In addition, this role offers a significant opportunity to shape and expand our established team of experienced Airfield Planners and Airport Civil Engineers, ensuring we are well-positioned to deliver a growing portfolio of global projects. A central focus will be on strengthening capability and capacity within the team while maintaining the high standards of technical excellence and delivery for which we are recognised.

This role is ideally suited to someone who is currently operating at Director level or who has a proven track record of project delivery technical assurance and work winning and is looking for greater involvement in business growth opportunities and leadership influence. It is a leadership position where your input will directly impact the direction of the business while also remaining involved in project delivery and shaping teams.

Being a Technical Director with us involves UK wide travel. We offer hybrid working which involves 3 days per week travel/office based. This position is ideally based at either our London or Epsom office to support the existing team but can also be based at our Manchester office for the right candidate.

Your role

As an Aviation Technical Director, the successful candidate would have the following responsibilities:

Project Leadership & Design Oversight

• Providing strategic leadership on complex UK and international airport commissions, acting as Project Director or Technical Lead as appropriate.
• Lead and oversee the design delivery of major aviation projects from concept through to completion.
• Provide quality assurance and technical governance to ensure project delivery excellence.
• Act as a technical design authority, guiding teams while maintaining appropriate involvement in delivery.
• Balance hands-on engagement with strategic oversight, adapting involvement based on project needs.

Team Leadership & Capability Growth

• Overseeing project demand forecasting, identifying team capability and capacity gaps, and capability development of existing teams, ensuring successful and consistent project delivery.
• Lead, mentor, and develop aviation design teams and building a strong succession pipeline.
• Support the growth and expansion of the team, including integration of established teams.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing design culture.
• Overseeing the growth and direction of the airports team, recommending and driving improvements to processes, services, and technical practices while ensuring robust engineering governance is consistently upheld.

Client Engagement & Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key aviation clients and stakeholders.
• Represent the business in senior-level meetings and project discussions.
• Play a visible leadership role in delivering client satisfaction and repeat business.
• Acting as a trusted advisor to airport operators, regulators, and stakeholders, building long‑term client relationships and repeat business.

International Growth & Business Development

• Support the identification, pursuit, and securing of international aviation opportunities.
• Contribute to bids, proposals, and strategic positioning in new markets.
• Play a key role in taking projects from opportunity through to successful delivery.
• Support the growth of the aviation pipeline both in the domestic UK&I market and internationally.
• Playing a central role in work winning and business development, including shaping opportunity pipelines, leading bids and tenders, and supporting market strategy.

About you

The ideal candidate would be a well-rounded and versatile individual who exemplifies the following key skills and attributes:

Experience & Expertise

• A relevant degree (or equivalent), with a postgraduate qualification in air transport or a related field desirable, and professional membership of a relevant institution.
• Extensive professional experience in airport planning or airfield civil engineering, with strong understanding of airfield planning, surface access, airfield or highways pavement design, and airport infrastructure design, ideally within a consultancy.
• Proven track record of leading large, complex multidisciplinary aviation projects delivering high-quality outcomes on time and within budget.

Leadership & Commercial Skills

• A clear track record of successful client relationship management, including leading bids, winning work, and growing client accounts.
• Strong commercial awareness with experience shaping winning proposals and driving practice or business growth.
• Proven ability to operate effectively at senior client and stakeholder level, influencing decision‑making and managing risk.

Personal Attributes

• Comfortable working in a fast‑paced consultancy environment with a strong sense of accountability and ownership.
• Comfortable operating at both strategic and technical levels.
• Collaborative leader demonstrating strong communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas with clarity.

Meet some but not all of the criteria? We’d still love to hear from you! Please submit your CV along with a cover letter letting us know your motivation for applying and highlighting how your skills and experience align with the role.

Rewards & benefits

Explore the rewards and benefits that help you thrive – at every stage of your life and your career. Enjoy competitive salaries, employee rewards and a brilliant range of benefits you can tailor to suit your own health, wellbeing, financial and lifestyle choices. Make the most of a myriad of opportunities for training and professional development to grow your skills and expertise. And combine our hybrid working culture and flexible holiday allowances to balance a great job and fulfilling personal life.

Be rewarded. Find out more.

About AtkinsRéalis

We're AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. Together, with our industry partners and clients, and our global team of consultants, designers, engineers and project managers, we can change the world. We're committed to leading our clients across our various end markets to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.

Find out more.

Additional information

Security clearance

This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary, it will be discussed with you at interview. The vetting process is delivered by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) and may require candidates to provide proof of residency in the UK of 5 years or longer. If applying to this role please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance.

We are committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they belong - a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive and develop to be the best we can be. So, we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and employee resource groups to support all employees. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we are committed to offering an interview to all applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria. If you would like to be considered under this commitment, please let us know at the application stage.

#DAT

Worker Type

Employee

Job Type

Regular

At AtkinsRéalis, we seek to hire individuals with diverse characteristics, backgrounds and perspectives. We strongly believe that world-class talent makes no distinctions based on gender, ethnic or national origin, sexual identity and orientation, age, religion or disability, but enriches itself through these differences.