Vice President Flight Operations
Location: UK (with international travel)
Company: Draken Europe
Contract Type: Permanent | Full-Time
Salary: Executive-level package + benefits
Lead the future of mission-critical aviation at Draken Europe.
Draken Europe is seeking an exceptional aviation leader to take on the role of Vice President Flight Operations—a pivotal position responsible for the strategic, operational, and regulatory leadership of our Flight Operations function. This role includes designation as Accountable Manager for our AOC, ATO, and CAMO approvals, ensuring full compliance with Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulations.
About the Role
As VP Flight Operations, you will:
- Lead a high-performing team across commercial and ex-military aircraft operations.
- Champion a safety-first culture and ensure regulatory compliance across all flight activities.
- Drive operational excellence, continuous improvement, and strategic growth.
- Represent Draken Europe with integrity and influence across industry, customer, and regulatory engagements.
Key Responsibilities
- Leadership & Culture: Inspire and develop a diverse team of pilots, EWOs, engineers, and support staff. Foster a culture of inclusion, collaboration, and high performance.
- Safety & Compliance: Serve as Accountable Manager, overseeing SMS implementation, safety audits, and regulatory adherence.
- Operational Excellence: Ensure aircraft and mission systems are ready for scheduled and unscheduled operations. Monitor performance metrics and drive efficiency.
- Strategic Planning: Shape the future of Flight Operations through strategic initiatives, market expansion, and capability development.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Build trusted relationships with regulators, customers, and industry partners. Represent Draken at key events and forums.
What You’ll Bring
- Proven leadership in flight operations, ideally with prior experience as a CAA Accountable Manager.
- Deep understanding of CAA regulations and operational safety standards.
- Experience managing both commercial and military aviation teams.
- Strong strategic thinking, commercial acumen, and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to lead through complexity, ambiguity, and change.
- Eligible for UK security clearance.
Why Join Draken Europe?
Draken Europe delivers advanced aviation solutions to defence and government customers worldwide. We operate at the cutting edge of mission-critical aviation. This is your opportunity to lead a function that directly impacts national security and global defence capability.
Ready to take the lead in aviation excellence?
Apply now or contact us confidentially to explore this unique leadership opportunity.