Chief Air Traffic Management Officer at ATNS

Key performance areas

• Strategic Alignment - Lead and align the ATM function with aviation operations/air traffic services to enable the achievement of the strategic and commercial objectives of ATNS, namely: ATM Planning, CNS Planning, Flight Procedure Design, Aeronautical Cartography. Lead the conceptualisation and design of the Air Traffic Management strategy ensuring alignment to ATNS strategic direction and business requirements; Provide input into the long-term ATNS strategy from an Air Traffic Management perspective as a member of the Executive Committee; Represent ATNS in the National Airspace Committee (NASCO) and Civil Aviation Regulations Committee ( CARCOM); Set clear targets and objectives for Air Traffic Management and ensure the achievement thereof; Develop the annual Air Traffic Management business plan to support the achievement of strategic objectives; Contribute to the development of the long-term ATM Roadmap and make relevant strategic contributions to other aviation bodies (e.g., ICAO, International Air Transport Association and Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) as required.
• Provide input into, and influence the ATNS Permission planning process to ensure that the required resources and infrastructure are allocated to air traffic services and its workstreams; Drive delivery of the required projects/initiatives within the department to be on time, within budget and to the required standards; Analyse trends and metrics to inform and develop required solutions and programs, and to drive continuous improvement; Analyse relevant data to identify gaps and opportunities especially in key areas to enable the achievement of greater efficiency and effectiveness; Lead the development and implementation of an integrated annual business plan for the ATM function to support the achievement of strategic objectives; Provide technical leadership and guidance in ICAO, CANSO, African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), and other relevant planning groups, working groups, and task forces; Instil the core vision, mission and values of ATNS in the ATM environment.
• Air Traffic Management - ATM Planning:  Develop strategic, medium- and short-term ATM capacity plans aligned with traffic forecasts, airspace demand, and ATNS strategy; Conduct traffic demand and capacity analyses, identifying constraints and mitigation plans and strategies; Lead airspace planning and restructuring initiatives, including sectorisation, airspace classification, and route optimisation; Conceptualise and define air traffic management in collaboration with ATS, OT, and IT, considering end-user requirements, global, regional, and national benchmarked concept plans, relevant regulation, and strategic ATNS business requirements; Identify, determine and quantify the ATM CNS system and technology needs for incorporation into system planning; Lead the planning of the introduction, modification, and decommissioning of air navigation services, airspace structures, and operational concepts when these initiatives are required; Ensure alignment of ATM and CNS planning activities with the ICAO Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP), regional air navigation plans, and national aviation policies; Ensure effective integration and implementation of ATM plans that meet benchmarked capability in order to meet user requirements as measured by delays, capacity and efficiency.
• CNS Planning - Develop strategic and long-term CNS infrastructure plans aligned with ATM demand, airspace design, and ICAO Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP); Ensure alignment of CNS planning with ICAO SARPs, national regulations, and spectrum requirements; Manage Architecture & Technical Planning; Manage CNS Programme & Portfolio Planning; Plan the introduction, replacement, and decommissioning of CNS systems; Monitor emerging CNS technologies and assess future applicability to ATNS operations; Manage continuous CNS modernisation and innovation planning. Flight Procedure Design - Design Flight Procedures; Conduct Ground Validation; Conduct PANS-OPS Obstacle Evaluation; Conduct Route and Airspace Design; Conduct traffic demand forecasting and capacity analysis to inform staffing, infrastructure, and technology requirements; Balance increasing demand for airspace with available capacity while ensuring the continued safety of operations; Ensure the enablement of safe and flexible use of airspace and air traffic data management for the efficient delivery of services that meet and satisfy the requirements of the aviation community in line with the required standards and practices;
• Ensure the effective integration and implementation of all Aeronautical, Flight Procedure Design, Air Traffic Flow Management, Aeronautical Cartography, and ATS Safety and Efficiency workstreams in line with benchmarked service levels to meet ATS operations and end-user requirements; Ensure operational readiness for new technology adoption through effective change management to ensure ongoing effective and safe air traffic services; Design, develop (model) and validate airspace and airport models and fast-time simulations to optimise air traffic management capacity, safety, and efficiency; Utilise simulations and modelling to enable informed decision making and improved planning. Aeronautical Cartography - Ensure the design of Flight Procedure Charts that are safe, accurate and reliable for operational use before publication; Design Aerodrome Charts; Design WACs; Design Enroute Charts; Manage GIS Data; Design and update aeronautical charts in line with ICAO SARPS (Standards and Recommended Practices) and international best practice for publication in the IAIP (Integrated Aeronautical Information Publication); Lead and manage the validation of Flight Procedure Design, charting and Obstacle assessment ensuring compliance with national and global regulatory requirements; Ensure that Instrument Flight Procedures are current, safe, effective and environmentally considerate prior to implementation; Ensure the verification of the accuracy and completeness of all relevant data, including obstacle and navigation data, and implement a systemic quality assurance process to ensure that the Instrument Flight Procedures are safe, reliable, and effective for use in various flight operations; Ensure the creation of custom maps and report data quality, analysis, interpretation, progress, and specifications.
• Safety and Efficiency - Advance safety and efficiency within aviation operations by driving the development and execution of relevant plans and programs; Ensure the investigation of accidents and safety events to determine and understand root causes in order to prevent reoccurrence; Monitor and ensure the analysis of safety trends, developments and metrics to inform adoption of the required solutions, programs, and initiatives in line with business needs and priorities.
• Permission Process - Determine and develop accurate submissions to the ATNS Permission process as required by the Regulator; Participate in the regulatory permission application consultations required in terms of the ATNS regulatory framework; Manage the development of specific ATM submissions into the ATNS Permission Plan to be provided to the Regulator; Represent ATNS on behalf of ATM with regards to submissions to the Regulator to ensure positive outcomes for ATNS.
• Governance, Compliance, Risk Management, and Reporting - Ensure a robust governance environment within ATM by leading the development, maintenance, monitoring and continuous review of Air Traffic Management policies, processes, procedures, and service level agreements; Ensure full compliance to all relevant national and international legal, and regulatory requirements, and ATNS governance frameworks; Monitor the overall performance of Air Traffic Management in relation to set targets and strategic business objectives; Through OPSCOM and other relevant structures, ensure that ATNS provides a forum in which all users of and stakeholders in ATNS are able to participate in the planning of relevant processes, services and infrastructure in accordance with requirements and acceptable service levels; Prepare strategic level reports for EXCO, Board and other key stakeholders by consolidating input from all workstreams within Air Traffic Management; Identify strategic and operational business risks and develop and implement appropriate mitigation; Monitor the implementation of approved plans, and report on planning risks, dependencies, and performance indicators; Ensure all identified risks are appropriately and timeously measured, corrected, and managed; Oversee SACAA certification and licensing to ensure compliance and enable service provision.
• Stakeholder Relations Management - Develop, manage and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with relevant internal and external stakeholders including regulatory bodies, airlines, professional institutions, and service providers to ensure ongoing alignment and collaboration; Develop and maintain sound relationships with key stakeholders through ongoing communication and engagement
• Financial Management - Manage expenditure within approved financial parameters and in line with business objectives and priorities to enable effective utilisation of funds; Develop the ATM budget in conjunction with Finance to ensure financial sustainability; Report all costs incurred against the approved budget including any deviations on a monthly basis; Provide planning inputs to capital investment programmes, business cases, and organisational capacity plans; Manage the overall Air Traffic  Management budget in accordance with ATNS Finance policies and processes.
• People Management - Manage staff in accordance with Human Capital policies, processes, practices and the disciplinary code; Ensure that new employees have been properly on-boarded prior to commencing work; Monitor the time and attendance of subordinates, take appropriate action in the case of absenteeism, and report issues to Human Capital; Ensure the appropriate deployment and adequate levels of competent staff are available, developed, managed and maintained in order to meet the required ATM targets and objectives; Promote high levels of safety, discipline, output standards within a motivational climate so that performance and other outputs are achieved; Manage performance outputs of employees through the performance management system, and take corrective action promptly and effectively; Facilitate change in the Air Traffic Management environment through approved change management processes; Mentor and coach staff as required and ensure the transfer of knowledge to ensure ongoing performance improvement; Develop the ATM Capacity Plan to acquire and deploy required skills to support the achievement of current and future ATM plans and objectives; Implement transformation initiatives within Air Traffic Management to ensure an inclusive environment and a representative staff complement; Drive employee engagement and retention within  Air Traffic  Management.

Qualifications Requirement

•  Masters level qualification in Business Management or related field
• Formal Leadership and Business Management qualification is an advantage

 Experience Requirement

• At least 10 years technical and/or operational experience within the field of Air Traffic Services of which 7 years should be at senior management level and 5 years at operational management level

Apply by: 20 July 2026