Senior Domestic Aviation Safety Policy Advisor and Head of Rulemaking

Senior Domestic Aviation Safety Policy Advisor and Head of Rule making

Can you present complex information into clear, practical policy recommendations?

Do you excel at building partnerships and driving collaboration?

Have you led policy development and effectively managed delivery across completing work streams?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

This is an exciting opportunity to be responsible for overseeing UK aviation safety rule making. Following EU Exit, the DfT is delegating some rule making power to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), to speed up technical rule making. This role will oversee CAA and DfT rule making, ensuring coherence, strategic alignment and effective and proportionate oversight. Our aim is to deliver a legislative system that is flexible, proportionate and efficient to support wider government objectives.

You will need to understand complex technical information and be able to communicate this simply and clearly.

You will need to consider long‑term strategic priorities, considering the UK’s future regulatory needs given the pace of innovation and change in the sector. You will be an expert in building collaborative relationships to ensure effective and proportionate oversight of the CAA’s delegated rule making power. There will also be the opportunity to develop and lead a domestic policy portfolio, which will include developing and implementing policy changes to the aviation safety system.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work‑life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it’s like working at Working in Policy | Civil Service Careers

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

• Leading on several key domestic policy areas, such as dangerous goods policy, which includes safe carriage of lithium batteries, a significant project with the CAA.
• Supporting Grade 7 to manage the policy interfaces between the Aviation Directorate and external stakeholders; building a network of contacts in government and industry to support delivery of the team’s workplan.
• Leading submissions regarding our domestic policy and strategy development and providing proactive advice on current policy challenges including for Ministers and senior officials.
• Play a leading role in response to emerging Aviation Safety incidents and issues.
• Overseeing and leading on a significant amount of ministerial briefing, correspondence and parliamentary business.
• Supporting the development of a domestic aviation safety strategy.

• Oversee the rule making programme for aviation safety, working with the CAA to ensure they are delivering a rule making programme in line with our international responsibilities that also delivers against other government priorities.
• Coordinate and run DfT’s secondary legislation programme, including delivering legislation that remains the purview of DfT.
• Develop close and collaborative relationships with the CAA that enable effective and proportionate DfT oversight of the CAA’s delegated rule making power.
• Acting as the first point of contact for DfT Ministers, parliament and senior officials on the aviation safety legislative enquiries
• Leading engagement with industry on safety matters.

Task management of 1 x HEO policy advisor – providing support and direction. Their work includes leading on our governance and engagement forums, drafting policy and briefing, correspondence and parliamentary business.

Greatlinemanagement is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and supportlinemanagers to develop the skills set out in the Civil Service Line Management  Standards.

Flexible resourcing

Colleagues are expected to work with a degree of flexibility, meaning responsibilities may change to support priority delivery.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

Company:
Government Recruitment Service

Salary: £44,241 - £44,241

Hours:

Full-time

Location:

London

Job type:
Permanent

Posting date: 17 Aug 2026

Closing date: 23 Aug 2026