Salary:
Competitive
Hours:
Full Time
Location:
Crawley (Hybrid)
Contract:
Permanent
Closing Date:
8th October 2025
In a nutshell
At Virgin Atlantic Airways, we believe that everyone can take on the world, and it's our vision to become the most loved travel company. As we embark on this next exciting stage of our journey, we're harnessing our spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation to challenge the status quo.
As Senior Manager – Business Resilience, you will be responsible for the delivery of planning and exercising Business Continuity, Crisis Management & Emergency Response (Business Resilience disciplines) across Virgin Atlantic Airlines and Virgin Holidays.
Day to day
Crisis Management & Emergency Response Planning
* Lead training of Silver and Gold Commanders and support teams.
* Develop and maintain corporate business continuity plans and playbooks to handle incidents and crises.
* Ensure the Crisis Management Centre remains in constant readiness, providing training and briefings to all required stakeholders, and working with other business leads to ensure their own departmental plans are frequently updated and remain fit for purpose.
* Design and deliver exercises from table-tops to full-scale complex simulation exercises, involving a large number of people from all levels of the business.
* Conduct formal reviews and audits post-incident and record all significant lessons learned which may lead to further strengthening of the company's resilience programme.
* Represent Virgin Atlantic at key industry forums and events, including: IATA Emergency Response Forum, UK
* Aviation Emergency Planning Group, NTSB, FCDO, FCDO Tour Operator Emergency Response Forum, SkyTeam Emergency Response Forum.
* The role requires out of hours contact ability and a level of "on call" throughout the year.
Business Continuity
* Maintain a view of current & emerging risks that could impact the company's ability to operate flights or generate revenue.
* Develop and maintain response plans and playbooks to handle incidents.
* Working with many areas of the business to understand impacts during disruptive events and the development of comprehensive continuity plans and contingency processes to improve business resilience.
* You will provide strategic development and ownership of the Business Resilience policy and management systems.
* Work with many areas of the business to map business process flows, document processes and procedures and make recommendations for improving business resilience.
* Ensure that there is adequate business continuity plans within internal departments and during contracting with third party suppliers.
Duty Commander
* Acting as the Silver Commander during crises, you'll coordinate a business-wide team of senior leadership, prioritising the safety, security and wellbeing of our people and customers, maintaining business operations and protecting the reputation of the business.
* As a Silver Commander, you will retain accountability and decision-making authority to safeguard VAA's interests to any event that triggers the company's crisis and emergency procedures. This role must provide strong leadership, proactively coordinate the actions of all disciplines represented, and make balanced decisions to deliver a safe and compliant operation, considering the best interests of the customer and the business.
Leadership
* Direct line management for the Crisis & Emergency Response Manager and Business Continuity Manager.
* Lead the development of material for the Organisational Resilience Board
About you
Are you a Business Resilience professional, ideally from the airline industry (or similar) with significant experience in a resilience-related field (crisis management, business continuity, emergency response) or in an operational risk and compliance-based role. If the answer is 'yes' and you meet or exceed the below criteria, we'd love to hear from you:
* Have completed accredited training in Crisis Management, Emergency Response (e.g. IATA accredited training) and Business Continuity (CBCI or equivalent).
* Demonstrate excellent understanding of the principles of resilience.
* Demonstrate a deep knowledge of the related aviation emergency response regulations and legislation.
* Experience of working with third-party suppliers and external partners.
* Strong leadership and decision-making capability under significant pressure.
* Excellent interpersonal skills with strong ability to influence others at all levels through the business.
* Ability to objectively challenge.
* Ability to use initiative and work independently.
* Experienced and confident in report writing techniques, facilitating workshops and presentations to VP/SVP/EVP/CEO level
* Strong influencing capability, comfortable with working with senior management and other key internal and external stakeholders.
* Ability to make dynamic decisions and cover 24/7 operational service