Chief Operating Officer - Aviation

Chief Operating Officer - Aviation

Location: Hayes, West London
Salary: £120k - £150k + up to 25% bonus

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Chief Operating Officer to join an established and highly regulated aviation and MRO organisation based in West London.

This is a key senior leadership position, reporting directly into the CEO/MD and working closely with the wider executive team.

The successful candidate will have overall responsibility for the operational organisation, leading Operations, Engineering and associated functions, while driving performance, operational excellence, safety, quality and long term business growth.

This is an ideal opportunity for a senior operations leader with a strong background in aviation, aircraft/component maintenance, MRO, aerospace or another highly regulated and safety critical environment.

As Chief Operating Officer, you will translate the organisation's strategic objectives into clear operational plans, ensuring the business consistently delivers against its key measures of safety, quality, delivery, turnaround time, efficiency and cost.

You will lead a sizeable operational function and play a key role in shaping the future direction of the organisation, with responsibility for driving continuous improvement, optimising capacity and resources, and developing a high performing leadership structure.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Providing strategic and operational leadership across Operations, Engineering, Facilities, Stores and associated functions.


• Working closely with the CEO and CFO to develop and deliver the company's strategic objectives and business plan.


• Establishing clear operational objectives, priorities and performance targets.


• Taking accountability for key operational KPIs including Turnaround Time, On-Time Delivery, efficiency and utilisation.


• Driving improvements to production and engineering processes, reducing flow times and eliminating operational waste.


• Developing robust production, capacity and resource planning processes.


• Optimising labour, facilities, equipment and other operational resources to meet customer demand.


• Leading operational budgets, cost control and productivity improvement initiatives.


• Supporting capital investment, equipment and facilities business cases.


• Ensuring operations remain fully compliant with applicable aviation regulations and EASA Part-145 requirements.


• Maintaining a strong culture of safety, quality and airworthiness across the organisation.


• Providing visible leadership across Health, Safety & Environmental activities.


• Supporting organisational change, business improvement and the introduction of new capabilities and product lines.


• Developing a high-performing management team, including succession planning and talent development.


• Working closely with customers, regulators and senior stakeholders.


• Providing data-driven operational insight to support strategic and commercial decision-making.

We are looking for an established senior operations leader who can demonstrate:

• Senior management experience, ideally within aviation, aerospace, MRO, aircraft/component maintenance or a similarly highly regulated manufacturing environment.


• Proven experience leading large scale Operations and Engineering functions within a complex, safety critical environment.


• Strong practical understanding of aircraft and/or component maintenance, ideally within an EASA Part-145 environment.


• Strong knowledge of production planning, capacity management, resource optimisation and operational performance.


• Experience implementing and managing KPIs, visual management and performance management systems.


• Commercial and financial acumen, including experience managing operational budgets and working alongside Finance/CFO functions.


• A demonstrable track record of leading change, organisational development and continuous improvement programmes.


• Strong understanding of Quality, H&S, Environmental and regulatory requirements.


• Experience operating within a COMAH or similarly safety critical environment would be advantageous.


• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with experience working with senior executives, customers and regulators.


• A degree in Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management or a related discipline.

You will be a visible, accountable and collaborative leader, comfortable operating in a complex and fast-paced environment.

The ability to balance strategic thinking with hands on operational leadership will be essential.

• Salary up to £150,000, dependent on experience


• Discretionary bonus scheme of up to 25% of annual salary


• 29 days' holiday + bank holidays


• Employer pension contribution starting from 9%


• Private healthcare


• Life assurance


• Industry flight/travel benefits


• Employee Assistance Programme


• Reduced gym membership


• Retail and hotel discounts


• Company events and sporting groups


• Free on-site parking


• Opportunities for hybrid working where applicable


• Enhanced maternity and paternity provisions

This is a primarily site based senior leadership position in Hayes, West London, reflecting the operational nature of the role.

The position will involve regular engagement with employees across operational, engineering and support functions, alongside some international travel and out of hours operational requirements.