Assistant Scheduling Specialist
General Information
1. Salary – BALPA pay band 4 (current starting salary £65,268 rising to £72,728).
2. Permanent contract.
3. Full time (35 hours per week).
4. Location – BALPA, One Heathrow Boulevard, 286 Bath Road, West Drayton. BALPA's hybrid working policy applies to this role which allows working from home up to 3 days per week.
5. Reports to the Director for Flight Safety, Policy and Regulation.
6. Other benefits include a defined contribution pension scheme and 30 days of annual leave (rising to 32 days after 5 years' service).
7. This post is entitled to a BALPA lease car under BALPA's car allowances and mileage policy.
About BALPA
BALPA is the trade union and professional body representing pilots and helicopter crews in the UK. We have around 10,000 members and are recognised in around 20 companies.
BALPA is currently in a period of reform and improvement, working to modernise and put members at the front and centre of our union. With a new General Secretary and a new President, it is an incredibly exciting time to join our team and play a leading role in developing our Association for the better.
BALPA represents members both individually and collectively with workplace issues ranging from individual advice on disciplinary and capability issues to collective industrial bargaining on pay, terms and conditions, to professional issues around flight safety, policy and regulation.
BALPA have a thriving network of pilot workplace representatives in our Company Councils and eleven flight safety and flight policy committees of members in addition to our small team of staff.
BALPA is affiliated to the Trades Union Congress (TUC); the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF); the European Cockpit Association (ECA); and the International Federation of Airline Pilots' Associations (IFALPA).
Job Description
Summary
The Assistant Scheduling Specialist's role is to assist the BALPA Scheduling Specialists in providing scheduling expertise and support to the Association in all areas of Flight and duty Time Limitations (FTL), scheduling and fatigue risk management.
The Scheduling team works in a number of bargaining areas and provides expert and high-level technical and specialist knowledge and guidance to the staff team and Company Councils in their bargaining, so that BALPA is able to influence positive change in the deployment of FTL schemes and fatigue risk management systems (FRMS).
The Assistant Scheduling Specialist is expected to deputise for the Scheduling Specialists on occasion including representing BALPA at industry forums and events relating to FTL, scheduling and fatigue risk management.
BALPA is currently in a period of reform and modernisation. All BALPA staff are expected to show willingness to learn, change and develop and contribute to a positive, supportive and collaborative workplace culture.
Key Duties
Main responsibilities
8. Work closely with the National Officers and BALPA's Company Councils, and other member committees, to develop and drive forward BALPA's strategic objectives on FTL, scheduling and fatigue risk management.
9. Support each Company Council and staff support team to develop a strategy for each bargaining area around the issues of FTL, scheduling and fatigue risk management.
10. Possess, maintain and develop knowledge and expertise in the areas of FTL, scheduling and fatigue risk management to ensure the best possible outcomes for BALPA members.
11. Willingness to acquire and develop knowledge in the application of tools and methodologies used to identify and manage pilot fatigue, including, but not limited to, sleep science principles and biomathematical models.
12. Possess, maintain and develop knowledge of Crew Management Systems for Flight Crew Scheduling to ensure the Flight Safety Department is suitably appraised of the latest developments in this field and to assist the Scheduling Specialists in providing advice to National Officers and Company Councils.
13. Understand the commercial imperatives experienced by operators and support the Scheduling Specialists in the pressure testing of operator assumptions relating to the Flight Crew establishment calculations in any given commercial flying plan.
14. Work with the Engagement Officers and Company Councils to continue to grow BALPA's membership and increase our already high density of membership including securing recognition in target organisations.
15. Under the oversight of the Scheduling Specialists, provide individual members with analysis of potentially fatiguing rosters where concerns are raised.
16. Provide active support for the BALPA Fatigue and Scheduling group including, but not limited to, planning meetings, providing technical material for discussion and producing minutes of meetings.
Building Relationships
17. Develop and maintain good working relationships with all reps on Company Councils and facilitate good working relationships within the Company Councils.
18. Play a supporting role on a team compromising of a National Officer; a Communications Officer; and an Engagement Officer, together with scheduling expertise, to support Company Councils representing members in a bargaining area.
19. Maintain good working relationships with stakeholders in aviation safety; other trade unions, both in the UK and internationally; and other stakeholders.
Communications and Influence
20. Attend meetings of BALPA representatives and staff and make technical presentations on FTL, scheduling and fatigue risk management.
21. Under the oversight of the Scheduling Specialists, respond to requests for advice and assistance from individual Flight Crew members regarding scheduling agreements and FTL.
22. Contribute to policy documents and safety promotional material for publication to both internal and external audiences about issues to do with FTL, scheduling and fatigue risk management.
23. Contribute to project work and research to support policy development in the areas of FTL, scheduling and fatigue risk management.
Working Practices and Working Culture
24. Work as part of a team in Flight Safety, collaborating with colleagues to share best practice and cover for colleagues as appropriate.
25. Promote a positive and inclusive culture with a collaborative team which is open to new ideas and change.
26. Deputise for the Scheduling Specialists as appropriate.
27. Undertake any duties that are reasonably in scope of the role as directed by the Director for Flight Safety, Policy and Regulation.
(Please note that this job description is not an exhaustive list of duties and may be reviewed
from time to time).
You can apply for the role by sending your CV and a covering letter (no more than two sides) setting out why you would be a great fit for the role to recruitment@balpa.org