Investigation and Standards Specialist at ATNS

Job description

• Regulatory and Governance Compliance - Ensure compliance with Air Traffic Control Standards and Procedures following ATNS Processes (Policies and Procedures), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) - Annexes, documents, and circulars, and Aviation Legislation requirements Civil Aviation Regulation (CAR) & Civil Aviation Technical Standards (CATS);  Ensure ATNS complies with its internal safety processes, procedures, directives, and instructions;  Ensure regulatory compliance for all rating training, operational validations, and assessments by performing practical assessment oversight at the Aviation Training Academy (ATA) and the Air Traffic Service Units (ATSUs);  Mediate disputes raised from unsuccessful rating assessments;  Ensure that ATNS adheres to approved alternative means of compliance, exceptions, and special approvals (designated examiner procedures, and visiting Designated Examiner procedures);  Assist the development, implementation, and maintenance of a Safety Management System;  Lead safety assessments in all change management areas which are subject to the Hazard Identification and Risk Mitigation process;  Monitor and ensure compliance with OHS Act No 85 of 1993 within ATNS;  Represent ATNS at Designated Examiner (DE) workshops;  Distribute all South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) and Accident and Incident Investigation Division (AIID) requests and documents to unit management for actioning;  Facilitate SACAA and AIID enquiries concerning the Safety Management System components and elements;  Conduct investigations when there are identified regulatory and licensing breaches to establish the cause, and provide feedback to the Head of Safety to report to the SACAA.
• Safety Reports and Safety Investigations - Receive, evaluate and validate Mandatory Occurrence Reports (MORs), Air Safety Reports (ASRs), Hazard Reports (HAZREPS), and Unfavorable Condition Reports (UCRs) daily and ensure that these are actioned accordingly;  Distribute MORs and investigation reports to the SACAA and AIID respectively a required.  Action all received ASRs, UCRs, and HAZREPS and provide feedback to relevant internal and external parties and stakeholders (e.g.  ATS, OT, etc., and airlines or airport authorities);  Conduct safety investigations and/or reviews with the associated risk analyses and determination of causal factors. Collect all the supporting data and materials where relevant for ATNS-attributed safety events and other selected reports (ASR etc.);  Develop safety recommendations based on the findings of investigations;  Conduct safety investigations when requested by AIID (Accidents, Incidents and Investigations Division);  Collect, collaborate, and distribute safety-related data for the AIID and South African Air  Force (SAAF) to assist in accident and incident investigations;  Compile reports and supporting documentation for events which have no Air Traffic Service (ATS) attribution but impact aviation safety;    Compile and distribute investigation reports to ATSU management. Monitor, track and update the associated safety recommendations;  Evaluate recommendations of previous events with similar findings for implementation and effectiveness;  Assess the efficacy of implemented recommendations;  Participate in the peer review process;  Consolidate safety occurrence data for statistical output when requested;  Identify and monitor safety data trends and report to management;  Coach, mentor and guide unit investigators.
• Coordinate internal and external safety audits - Conduct annual and follow-up safety audits for all areas of safety assurance;  Compile safety audit reports containing findings and observations identifying non-compliance and systemic failures within the system;  Formulate recommendations to support findings and observations and to improve the safety of the Air Traffic Management (ATM) system;  Generate a corrective action plan tracker;  Distribute audit reports for approval and disseminate them along with findings and observation tracker to action owners;  Monitor, track, and update all audit findings and non-conformance corrective action plans, ensuring all recommendations are effectively implemented;  Facilitate the exchange of external audit information between ATNS-controlled ATSUs and the external auditor, namely SACAA;  Facilitate safety audits conducted by external auditors;  Guide and coordinate the population and completion of corrective action plans, submit to the external auditor, and monitor and track the progress of the corrective action plans. 
• Manage Safety Assessments - Ensure that safety risks and hazards are effectively managed in the event of system change to enable the ongoing provision of safety assurance to ATNS;  Receive safety assessment requests, evaluate the changes required, and register safety assessment on the relevant register;  Ensure the correct and effective composition of the safety assessment team and facilitate hazard and risk identification brainstorming sessions;  Facilitate the estimation and assessment of each identified hazard and associated risks for appropriateness, as well as risk mitigation actions;  Guide the project owner on the population and update the safety assessment hazard log with all identified hazards and risks;  Review and evaluate safety assessment documentation and supporting evidence against all applicable safety objectives, requirements and evidence statements for logic and completeness;  Provide assurance on the implementation of safety risk mitigation.
• Coordinate Safety Promotion and Training - Conduct safety presentations to internal and external stakeholders as required;  Share lessons learned from safety events via internal safety publications;  Create safety content for distribution on internal media;  Organise and coordinate appropriate annual safety promotion activities;  Present SMS training across all levels of the organisation and to all employees;  Participate in corporate induction activities;  Train and mentor safety investigators and provide continuation training;  Train and mentor safety assessment specialists;  Conduct safety reporting training across the organization;  Manage all safety-related queries arising from the operations environment. 
• Maintain Safety Documentation - Provide inputs and update safety documentation and templates including:  ATNS safety assessment templates,  Hazard log and unit risk registers,  SMS Manual,  ATNS safety policy,  Safety audit report templates,  S&R policies, directives, and instructions,  Manual reporting templates,  SMS training material for induction, operations, and management policies;  Conduct an annual review of audit checklists against all aviation regulations; company  instructions; directives; and memorandums;  Maintain the training curriculum of the unit investigation training course;  Conduct a review of the ATA course curricula and make recommendations to management;  Configure, review and update electronic reporting templates on the reporting tool;  Maintain and administer the electronic reporting tool database by adding and removing users and assigning roles;  Maintain and administer the Standards and Regulations SharePoint page;  Configure and maintain investigation recommendations and audit trackers on the digital platform;  Configure, review and update electronic continuous improvement feedback forms;  Provide input into the annual budgeting process.
•  Safety Committees and Work Groups - Participate in relevant external safety-related committees i.e.: Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO) Africa Safety working group;  Civil Aviation Regulations Committee (CARCom) sub-committees & work groups;   National Airspace Committee (NASCOM) and sub-committees; Air Traffic Service Incident Analysis Group (AIAG); IATA Technical Action Group (TAG); Local RWY safety teams (LRST); and Airlines Association of South Africa (AASA);  Review and provide input to CARCOM's proposed regulations and technical standards;  Conduct research based on proposed regulatory changes, and review and provide input on the sub-committee’s working papers;  Review and provide input to NASCOM proposals;  Conduct tasks assigned by CARCom and NASCOM sub-committee to any relevant work group;  Provide ATNS responses at Tactical Action Group (TAG) to AIAG recommendations;  Attend and participate in all relevant ATNS internal meetings (RRC meetings, SRB, SAG etc.); Prepare reports for the Safety Review Board (SRB) and Safety Action Group (SAG) by reviewing all safety events to extract high-risk events and outstanding recommendations as well as outstanding safety audit data;   Provide input to documentation submitted to the Management Committee (MANCOM), the Executive Committee (EXCO), the Strategic Programmes, Information and Technology Committee (SPITC), and the Board.
• Manage safety statistics - Update investigation and audit trackers for statistics compilation;  Analyse safety data and produce safety statistics and graphs;  Generate safety reports for various internal committees.
• Participate in projects - Provide subject matter expertise on safety and regulations to all relevant projects within ATNS;  Conduct oversight and assurance activities on the commissioning and decommissioning of new ATSUs.

Minimum requirements

Minimum Formal Qualifications:

•     Validated Approach Controller 
•    Validated On-the-Job-Training-Instructor (OJTI)
•     IATA Diploma in Safety Management
•    Formal tertiary qualification in Business Management/Leadership or related field is an advantage

 Minimum Years of Experience: 

•  Minimum 5 years’ experience as a validated Approach/Area Surveillance or Aerodrome (FAOR/FACT) Controller with a working knowledge of the  Safety Management System and the application thereof in an Air Traffic Services (ATS) environment
• Safety event investigation training and experience is an advantage