Airspace Project Specialist

About the opportunity

The Air Navigation, Airspace and Aerodromes (ANAA) Branch conducts frontline activities for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) including entry control, ongoing surveillance and where required enforcement of certified and registered aerodromes, aerodrome rescue and firefighting services, air traffic control training and service providers, aeronautical telecommunications, communications, navigation and surveillance services, instrument approach designers and aeronautical information management. The Branch also exercise CASA's authority for the regulation of Australian-administered airspace and provides relevant advice to Government, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) fora, industry and internally within CASA.

The Office of Airspace Regulation (OAR) is within the ANAA Branch and assumes responsibility and accountability for the review of all Australian-administered airspace, delivering CASA's obligations under the Airspace Act (2007), Airspace Regulations (2007), the Civil Aviation Act and the Australian Airspace Policy Statement 2021 (AAPS).

CASA must regard the safety of air navigation as the most important consideration and the OAR must approach the development of its airspace regulation advice on the same basis to ensure Australian-administered airspace is managed safely and effectively. The OAR are the only authority in Australia with delegations under the Airspace Regulations 2007.

The OAR has an immediate, ongoing, permanent vacancy for the position of an Airspace Project Specialist. This position will be offered at the Aviation Safety Regulator 1 (ASR1) level and based in Canberra or Brisbane with other CASA office locations considered. The Airspace Project Specialist is accountable to the OAR Team Leader Airspace Planning for the day-to-day conduct of airspace risk profiles, airspace reviews, airspace studies and other airspace related tasks including availability to perform OAR on-call delegate duties.

This is a technical position operating with a significant degree of independence within a multi-disciplinary team. Some intrastate and interstate travel will be required. Some overseas travel may be necessary. This recruitment activity may also be used to create a merit pool to fill future ongoing and non-ongoing vacancies.

Key responsibilities

The Airspace Project Specialist will be required to produce quality, consistent and standardised reports, utilising evidence and analysis to support actions, recommendations, findings, airspace changes or other appropriate risk mitigators. You may also be required to assist with tasks in other OAR teams including Airspace Operations, Airspace Strategy and Geospatial Capability.

This role requires you to have a high level of integrity and, strong communication and organisational skills. You will be motivated to contribute to aviation safety, have good judgement, analytical skills, be proactive and organised.

As an Airspace Project Specialist, you will be responsible for the following deliverables, which represents an ongoing body of work:

• Planning, managing, conducting and delivering airspace studies, airspace reviews and risk profiles to determine the appropriateness of the classification of volumes of Australian-administered airspace including Prohibited, Restricted and Danger Areas.
• Conduct detailed risk analysis and assessment of aviation activity within Australia for the purposes of determining the need for airspace planning to mitigate risk.
• Undertake airspace planning activities including development, consultation, implementation and education.
• Using specialised skills, knowledge and experience, undertake technical writing of aviation reports to be published by the OAR in the assessment of aviation activity.
• Prepare and present briefs on airspace planning activities, including the provision of regulatory advice to industry and CASA Executive.
• Actively promote aviation and airspace safety.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with internal and external key stakeholders.
• Promote workplace safety, equity and diversity and participative management practices in the workplace and act in accordance with CASA's Code of Conduct and Values.
• Ensure decision making is conducted in accordance with CASA Regulatory Philosophy.
• Work supportively and cooperatively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to achieve shared outcomes.

Our ideal candidate

Our ideal candidate for ASR1 must demonstrate the following:

• Understanding of the issues associated with airspace classification, risk assessment, and emerging communications, navigation and surveillance technologies used in air traffic management.
• Applied knowledge of regulatory frameworks including Australian civil aviation legislation and Australia's obligations to ICAO.
• Understanding of the structure and operation of the Australian and international aviation industry.
• High level written and verbal communications skills with advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills.

The following ideal candidate requirements are highly desirable for the ASR1 classification:

• Demonstrated skills and capabilities in project management particularly an aviation discipline and/or an aviation safety role.
• An aviation industry background with a focus on aviation safety.
• Tertiary qualifications in an aviation related field.
• Qualifications or experience in ICAO PANS-OPS Instrument Flight Procedure Design and/or Performance Based Navigation (PBN) Airspace Design.

Eligibility Requirements

Employment with CASA is subject to conditions prescribed within the Civil Aviation Act 1988. The following eligibility requirements apply to this position:

• hold, or have held, an Australian pilot licence or an Australian Air Traffic Controller licence (or military equivalent); or
• demonstrate a thorough, reliable and well-founded understanding of operational aviation knowledge and the administration of Australian airspace.
• Must be an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident.
• The prospective CASA employee must undergo pre-employment screening. You must be willing to provide the required information to successfully undergo a police record check.
• As this position is safety sensitive, you may be required to undertake pre-employment alcohol and drug tests as part of CASA's Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy. If you are the preferred candidate, your offer of employment will be conditional on the drug and alcohol tests being completed and the verified results being received and accepted by CASA as meeting the requirements of the position.
• Hold or held an Aviation Security Identification Card (ASIC) card or have the ability to obtain and hold one.

Affirmative Measures

• This vacancy is being advertised concurrently under a general and an affirmative measure recruitment process.
• Affirmative measures is only available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait people or people living with a disability, evidence will be requested if your application progresses under an affirmative measures process.

How to apply

Your application will be submitted using our online e-recruitment portal and will need to include:

• a current resume (maximum 2 pages)
• a pitch (maximum 700-words)
• your personal information, which may include details of two referees, one of which is your current supervisor, and
• any other information requested in the job advertisement (e.g., reprint of pilot license, certified copy of qualifications).

The pitch is your opportunity to tell us why you are the right candidate for the role, why you want to work for us. Try not to duplicate information that can already be found in your resume but do highlight any specific examples or achievements that will demonstrate your ability to perform the role. The STAR model can be used to help you structure each work example by outlining the Situation, Task, Action and Result you obtained.

You can submit your application in Word or PDF format, please ensure you do not use any unique characters in the naming of your documents.

Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an acknowledgement of receipt email.

If you have problems submitting your application or do not receive an acknowledgement of receipt, please contact our Recruitment Team during business hours (AEST) by emailing or calling , prior to the closing date.

Candidates will be assessed on merit and a combination of assessments methods may be used, including application, testing, interview, and referee comments.

Reasonable adjustments

CASA will accommodate requests for reasonable adjustment for people with disability to assist in the application process and if successful, the inherent requirements of the position.

Requests for reasonable adjustments can be made in your online application or by contacting the or calling during business hours (AEST).