NATS
Technical Designer
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Technical Designer
Technical Designer – Technology (Technical) Solution Design
NATS is the UK’s leading air navigation service provider, handling over 2.4 million flights each year. We provide air traffic control services from two control centres and at airports around the UK. We also deliver a wide range of commercial products and solutions internationally. Our people are at the heart of our purpose to advance aviation and keep the skies safe.
Closing Date: 19/07/2026 Salary: £64,770.15 - £86,360.19
Please include a cover letter with your application.
Job Purpose/Overview
Responsible for the Technology (Technical) Solution Design for a specific service or asset that makes up the service. Managing and supporting the Technical Solution Design elements as part of the overall Service Design Pack for the service.
Other duties include:
- Within the NATS SI Framework, responsible for the end-to-end Technical Design of a large-scale, high-criticality, or enterprise-wide solution, representing the Service Design organisation to its Programme and Service Operations customers and stakeholders.
- Ensures that the design process for operational methods, procedures, facilities, and tools is established, reviewed, and maintained (Enterprise & Business Architect (STPL) Level 5).
- Responsible for Technical Design for a service and/or asset group, supporting the Service Designer in meeting their accountabilities for service design components.
- Review and approve High-Level and Low-Level Technical Designs. Approve “exceptions” identified in Low-Level Designs for underpinning capabilities and prepare submissions to the relevant Design Governance Mechanisms (Enterprise IT Governance (GOVN) Level 5).
- Assesses Operational Change Requests to ensure changes are within the Design Envelope and escalates through the Design Processes where not (Business Risk Management (BURM) Level 6).
- Provides Technology Design representation across the service and wider, with knowledge of each of the systems and assets that make up the system/thread.
Autonomy
- Ability to identify Technology Design issues and challenges before they impact project or service delivery, including potential corrective actions.
- Coordinate disparate teams with tight timescales and minimal additional support.
- Expected to apply personal judgement and expertise to determine the best course of action to resolve Technical Design decisions, escalating issues to a higher level as needed.
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Job Scope
The Technical Designer role aligns with the ITIL role for Service Design Management, reporting to the Service Designer (Service Design Manager). Key role-specific activities include:
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Tactical Planning
- Identify short-term design decisions that resolve programmatic challenges without undermining safety assurance or the service roadmap.
- Review change requests and associated plans raised by the Service Operations team to determine whether the proposed change fits within the design envelope.
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Strategic Planning
- Liaise with Project Managers, Service Transition Managers, customers, and other stakeholders to agree on technical performance requirements, timescales, work plans, and other deliverables affecting project tasks.
- Produce engineering papers using predictive modelling techniques, identifying service improvements, technology end-of-life risks, and mitigating future technical or operational problems.
- Develop technology strategies in conjunction with Service Owners, Service Delivery Managers, and Enterprise Architects to meet NATS business objectives, highlighting potential future technical or operational benefits and risks.
Essential Skills and Experience
Key Requirements
The role involves:
- Excellent oral and written communication, with the ability to critically review documents for reports, change descriptions, meeting minutes, or formal reports.
- Strong interpersonal communication and project management skills.
- Ability to lead, coach, and develop team members involved in design and service delivery, including work package management for projects and operational teams.
Qualifications & Experience
- Degree in an Engineering or IT subject with equivalent knowledge through experience in a safety-critical environment.
- Applicants without a formal degree but holding a professional engineering qualification (approved by a relevant industry body) combined with extensive engineering experience will be considered.
- Capable of operating at SFIA Level 6 (initiate/influence).
- Experience with a Service Design Organisation, developing technologies for safety-critical services to meet operational commitments.
- Demonstratable leadership in technology design focusing on continuous improvement while meeting market needs and balancing stakeholder requirements.
- Comfortable working under high uncertainty, particularly in early stages of the service lifecycle.
- Proven ability to balance risk vs. reward/return, with a track record of effective risk mitigation.
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Leadership & Collaboration
- Accomplished leader respected for communication, influencing, and negotiation skills in a complex, transforming organisation.
- Multi-disciplinary leadership experience across marketing, sales, architecture, engineering, suppliers, and service operations—through a matrix-based, safety-related framework, spanning the full service lifecycle.
- Successfully led technology design in business transformation programs.
- Strong understanding of ITIL methodologies, with ideally foundation and practitioner accreditation.
- Knowledge of the NATS operating environment and alignment with its strategic intent/objectives.
General Workplace Competencies
- Extensive engineering/IT/business management experience in dynamic, customer-centric, multi-site environments.
- exceptional interpersonal skills, capable of engaging and influencing both internal and external stakeholders, including senior levels.
- High energy and drive, with resilience to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic workplace.
- Commitment to improve customer satisfaction.
Additional Vacancy Information
We offer a highly competitive total reward package to support your personal and professional growth—visit Why NATS? for more information.
As part of NATS’ agile approach, we foster flexibility in working arrangements, including opportunities to work remotely and in our modern office environments. Discussions on flexible working or part-time roles are encouraged. For further details, explore flexible working arrangements.
We welcome individuals from all backgrounds to share their passion for advancing aviation safety—regardless of age, sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. Diverse perspectives contribute to our leadership in the industry.
No additional information provided.
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