About the job Job summary Are you passionate about aircraft accident investigation? Are you looking for a high-profile role at the leading edge of aviation safety where your efforts are rewarded by making a real difference in the safety of future flight for the general public? Do you have a background in modern avionics or flight test, a broad understanding of aircraft operations, coupled with strong software skills? If so, this is a unique opportunity to join the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) as an Inspector of Air Accidents (Recorded Data), and we'd love to hear from you. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is part of the Department for Transport (DfT), and our purpose is to improve aviation safety by determining the circumstances and causes of aircraft accidents and serious incidents and promoting aviation safety by determining the circumstances and causes of aircraft accidents and serious incidents and promoting safety action to prevent recurrence. We investigate accidents and serious incidents to civil aircraft in the UK and overseas, where there is a UK interest. 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 AAIB Working for AAIB - Air Accidents Investigation Branch - GOV.UK Job description This is a crucially important role at the leading edge of aviation safety. You will be instrumental in determining the circumstances in which civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents take place worldwide, highlighting factors which influenced the outcome and indicating areas where change would lead to further improvements in safety. Working as part of an investigation team, Inspectors of Air Accidents (Recorded Data) manage the investigation of all aspects of an aircraft accident or serious incident where recorded data, form both on-board (e.g. flight recorders) and off-board sources (e.g. rada data/radio telephony recordings).The recovery and replay of the recorded data, analysis of this data to assess aircraft performance and the drafting of Safety Recommendations and reports. The role involves extensive liaison with your colleagues and technical personnel from aircraft manufacturers, operators, maintainers, and regulators. You will be expected to attend Coroners' court and give evidence. Your responsibilities will include, but aren't limited to: Deploying at short notice to civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents within the UK or worldwide. Conducting detailed technical investigations in the UK and overseas in the UK's Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. Supporting foreign safety investigation authorities in their work. Producing reports into the recorded data aspects of an event and promoting action to improve safety. Keeping the families of victims of fatal accidents informed of the progress of an investigation and briefing them on the findings and conclusions. Giving technical evidence at coroners' inquests to explain the findings of a report. Identify safety issues and actively monitor safety actions or make safety recommendations to address them. Writing software tools, console and GUI-based to support the development activities of the recorded data group. For further information on the role, please read the attached 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. Person specification Essential qualifications/licenses: A valid passport for international travel A full UK driving license You will need to hold an Aerospace Engineering or other relevant technical degree together with experience commensurate with that of a Chartered Engineer, or having already achieved Chartered Engineer status. You will be required to provide evidence that you hold any essential qualifications/licenses at some point during the recruitment process. If you cannot provide evidence, your application will be withdrawn. Required experience: To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience: Extensive professional aviation and aerospace engineering experience possibly better tested at interview A good knowledge of modern avionic systems and system architecture. A good knowledge of aircraft operations. A good knowledge of aircraft performance. Experience of writing GUI-based software tools in a modern language (e.g. Python/.NET) Additional Information Due to the nature of AAIB operations, the successful candidate will be exposed to situations, information and material of a sensitive of a sensitive or traumatic nature. You will also be required to use tact and compassion when meeting the victims of accidents, bereaved relatives and witnesses, and when working with colleagues in stressful conditions. It is essential that you consider how you would react to these aspects of the role before applying. Applicants will be required to participate in a wellbeing and traumatic stress risk review in advance of their assessment day. Potential applicants are welcome to contact the AAIB for further information (contact point below) Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements You will be contracted to work 37 hours each week and expected to spend at least 60% of your working time either at the AAIB offices at Farnborough House or at other locations on official business. The AAIB site is in a semi-rural area and is not served by public transport, but there is a secure car park on site together with covered bike sheds and changing facilities with showers. There will be occasions where you will be required to travel internationally, sometimes at short notice. The role requires the position holder to be on-call for deployments anywhere in the world at short notice, except whilst on Annual Leave or by mutual agreement with your line manager. A roster is managed to ensure there will be periods where you are less likely to be called. An allowance for being on call is included at part of the basic salary. Training You will be required to complete six weeks of training on a residential course to learn the basics of accident investigation and, throughout your employment, will be encouraged to learn about new techniques and develop your professional and investigation skills. You will undertake training to enable you to carry out your role safely in a wide range of environments, including offshore and in mountainous terrain. You will also be encouraged to develop general aviation flying experience. Visa Sponsorship DfTc does not offer Visa Sponsorship for this role Licences A valid passport for international travel A full UK driving license Qualifications You will need to hold an Aerospace Engineering or other relevant technical degree together with experience commensurate with that of a Chartered Engineer, or having already achieved Chartered Engineer status. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Making Effective Decisions Communicating and Influencing Working Together Delivering at Pace Technical skills We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: AIB Competency Benefits Alongside your salary of £84,838, Department for Transport contributes £24,577 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits: 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). 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King's birthday. Access to the staff discount portal. Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc. 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff. Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies (opens in a new window). Things you need to know Artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use. Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills. How to apply: Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's qualifications, skills, and potential fit within our organisation. The selection process for this role will be: Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement Stage 2: Wellbeing and Traumatic Stress Risk Review Stage 3: Assessment Day (interview, role play exercise, presentation and written assessment). You must be successful at stage 1 and stage 3 progress to the next stage. We can confirm that stage 2 does not impact your outcome or performance in any assessment stages. As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. Stage 1: Sift At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements: Experience - you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (1000-word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following: A good knowledge of modern avionic systems and system architecture. A good knowledge of aircraft operations. A good knowledge of aircraft performance. Experience of writing GUI-based software tools in a modern language (e.g. Python/.NET). The sift will take place week commencing 25th May. Stage 2: Wellbeing and Traumatic Stress Risk Reviews Due to the nature of AAIB operations, the successful candidate will be exposed to situations, information and material of a sensitive or traumatic nature. Applicants will be required to participate in a wellbeing and traumatic stress risk review in advance of their assessment day. The outcome of this risk review will not determine whether you progress to Stage 3. It will include a questionnaire which is followed up by a short telephone call with a psychologist. Potential applicants are welcome to contact the AAIB for further information (contact point below). The Wellbeing and Traumatic Stress Risk review will take place from 4th June 2026. Stage 3: Interview At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements: Behaviours - (Making Effective Decisions, Working Together, Communicating and Influencing) Experience Technical - (AIB Competency Framework in attachments) Strengths The assessments will include: An interview A Role Play Exercise A Written Exercise A Presentation Exercise The interviews will take place week commencing 22/06/2026 The Assessment Days will take place on the week commencing 22nd June 2026 and will be conducted in person, at our Aldershot office (Farnborough House, Berkshire Copse Road, Aldershot, Hampshire, GU11 2HH). Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview. You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site (opens in a new window). Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. Further information on the selection process Feedback on your application can only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. We will also hold a12-month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for. You can read more about our reserve lists here. Reasonable Adjustments As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. Complete the "Assistance required" section in the "Additional requirements" page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you're deaf, a Language Service Professional. If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. Document Accessibility If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section. This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance. Further Information For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role. Pre-employment Checking Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. All External applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as: Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour Threats or acts of violence Illegal activity or substance misuse Sexually explicit material Extremist views or affiliations Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public. Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It's not about judging your personality or lifestyle-it's about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture. If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what's being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly. Vetting For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window). See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. Nationality requirements This job is broadly open to the following groups: UK nationals nationals of the Republic of Ireland nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020 Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy. Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). Apply and further information This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window). Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Contact point for applicants Job contact : Name : Eileen Collins Email : recruitment@aaib.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk Further information If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website Here