Base Manager - Falklands Navitas

Overall Purpose of Role:

To work in collaboration with all on site and UK based Bristow teams, third party contracted services, the airport and the customer to ensure a safe, compliant and efficient delivery of contracted aviation services is delivered.

The Base Manager is the senior on-site representative of our organisation, responsible for ensuring the required service delivery standards are maintained , resolving operational challenges in a dynamic and remote environment, and ensuring alignment with company, regulatory and customer expectations.

This is a hands-on role requiring a flexible and proactive approach, the ability to adapt to changing operational demands and a willingness to support all aspects of the operation as required. The Base Manager will be expected to take ownership of issues, provide practical solutions, and contribute across multiple functions to ensure continuity of service.

Duties & Responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

Operational Delivery

• Understand, implement and deliver required service against agreed contractual requirements ensuring effective supervision and controls are applied to achieve this safely and to the agreed client service levels.
• Apply strong tactical management of the customer’s  flying programme requirements to ensure all resources are being effectively managed.
• Support the Chief Pilots/ Engineers (or their deputies) in the resolution of issues that impact contract delivery, such as aircraft or crew/ engineer availability.
• Ensure preparedness is a focus, particularly around contingency planning and flexibility to changes in flying requirements.
• Act as Duty Officer, readily available to deal with customer out of hours requests.
• Ensure that a Duty Roster is lodged with the customer.
• In agreement with the base Chief Pilots, ensure that Operations Controller functions are covered throughout all active flight operations.
• Act as the Operations Controller during flight operations including but not limited to passing payloads, tracking aircraft, maintaining two-way radio contact with aircraft.

Customer Liaison

• Act as the primary point of contact for communications with the customer (Navitas) for the delivery of the flying programme
• Agree final day’s schedule and support and action any change requirement.
• Provide updates in the event there is any anticipated delays to their schedule, and next steps.
• Ensure any customer reporting requirements are delivered.
• Investigate and provide responses to any concerns raised.
• Propose any service improvers and work collaboratively to achieve these.

Local Bristow Team

• Provide leadership, guidance and informal line management support to all personnel at base, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture.
• Promote staff welfare, particularly within a remote and rotational working environment, identifying and addressing wellbeing concerns.
• Support onboarding, induction and local familiarisation of new personnel.

UK Bristow Team

• Provide all reporting requirements as requested.
• Ensure any service non delivery is escalated and support requested when necessary.
• Provide updates on any requested service change or local factors that could potentially impact the operation.
• Escalate any team member welfare or other issues that may impact on resource availability.

Third Party Passenger, Freight and Fuelling Operations

• Ensure compliance to the required procedures/ restrictions for helicopter operations.
• Provide guidance in the event of any issue relating to the passenger transition through the check in process.
• Respond to any queries relating to freight requirement/ acceptance.
• Provide updates in the event of any event that may cause delays to a flight’s departure.
• Ensure any vehicles or equipment used is fit for purpose and required maintenance and calibration checks can be evidenced.
• Ensure required inspections are undertaken such as fuel sampling and bowser checks and this can be evidenced.

Government, Regulatory and Airport Liaison

• Build and foster strong relationships with the Falkland Islands Civil Aviation Department, the Falkland Islands’ government
• Ensure any queries are addressed or escalated for resolution.

Emergency & Contingency Response

• Lead the local response to operational disruptions, emergencies or unforeseen events.
• Act as the on-site coordinator for incident response, ensuring communication with key stakeholders.

Facilities

• Working with the UK Facilities Manager and the Customer to ensure functional operation of all Falkland Island facilities.
• Engage and build strong relationships with local providers.
• Must have a ‘hands on’ attitude to fixing problems as they arise.
• Organise shipping of essential parts and equipment to keep the base running in collaboration with our supply chain team.
• Ensure compliance to local security requirements for our team, assets and facilities.

Safety and Compliance

• Ensure that  the health & safety of our local team is prioritised and that all Safety Management Systems in place comply with Bristow Group and Legislative standards.
• Ensure that policies and procedures as set out in the Compliance & Safety Manuals are complied with at the base, and that a strong reporting culture is promoted.

General / Flexible Duties

• Undertake any additional tasks required to support the safe and effective operation of the base.
• Adopt a flexible, hands-on approach, including supporting operational, administrative or logistical tasks outside of core responsibilities when required.

Person Specification:

Essential Criteria:

• Experience in leading change within an organisation to achieve positive outcomes for both customers and internally.
• Able to plan and organise work to achieve goals; achieves targeted results with minimal supervision; is accountable or own actions.
• Experience in building long term customer relationships based on trust. 
• Broad experience in fast paced aviation operations , or similar.
• Proven experience in delivering service excellence and innovation. 
• Experience in high level customer liaison.
• Experience in people/ operations management.
• Experience in crisis management and maintaining motivation and commitment through period of change and unexpected events.
• Excellent verbal & written communications skills; able to provide timely, well organised verbal & written information that is audience appropriate; listens attentively to others and retains / processes information.
• Able to maintain positive, effective relationships with internal & external customers; ability to work independently and coordinate work with others; resolves conflicts in a professional manner.
• Able to lead by example; demonstrating commitment to the team, company, mission & customer through effective & frequent communications; promotes an environment of trust; fosters a respectful, energetic & positive work culture.
• Committed to passionately and consistently promoting a professional culture that is trustworthy, honest, socially responsible, and where differences are respected and valued.
• Should be a logical clear thinker, able to interpret, analyse and act effectively on information available
• Flexible  and able to adapt to a dynamic environment requiring the need to potentially  work out with ’standard operating hours’.

Desirable Criteria:

• Educated to Degree level or equivalent.
• Experience of managing commercial aviation operations within the regulatory framework of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
• Experience of successfully managing an overseas rotational workforce.
• Must be eligible to meet the requirements to hold a Falkland Islands work permit.
• Must be eligible to meet the requirements of National Security Vetting (SC).

Location: Falklands, Port Stanley

Work Shift: Monday to Friday, but required flexibility to cover weekends / on call where operational requirements are required

The successful candidate must have right to work/live in the Falklands.

Applicants should submit a CV and covering letter.

Closing Date: 19th May 2026