Chief Operating Officer (COO) / Accountable Manager

1.Job purpose

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) / Accountable Manager is responsible for ensuring the safe, secure, compliant, reliable and efficient conduct of Uganda Airlines’ flight operations and aircraft maintenance activities. The role provides executive direction to Flight Operations, Maintenance and Engineering, the Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO), Safety and Quality. As Accountable Manager, the job holder has ultimate executive accountability for ensuring that the Company’s approved operations are properly financed and resourced, that the Safety Management System (SMS) and Quality Assurance arrangements are implemented and effective, and that operations are stopped or restricted whenever safety risk or non-compliance becomes unacceptable. The COO translates corporate strategy and the approved network plan into executable operations while protecting airworthiness, operational control, regulatory approvals, people, assets and the Company’s reputation.

2. Key accountabilities

(a)Accountable Manager and regulatory accountability

• Serve as the Company’s Accountable Manager for the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and relevant operational approvals, subject to acceptance by the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA).
• Ensure that all activities authorized by the Company’s certificates, approvals, operations specifications and manuals are financed, staffed, equipped and conducted in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, approved procedures and conditions of approval.
• Maintain sufficient authority and control over financial, human, technical and operational resources to correct deficiencies and sustain safe operations.
• Ensure that nominated post holders and responsible managers are competent, accepted or approved where required, have clear authority, and discharge their regulatory responsibilities without improper commercial pressure.
• Maintain open and timely engagement with UCAA and other relevant authorities; ensure mandatory reports, applications, variations, responses and corrective-action evidence are accurate and submitted within required timelines.
• Stop, suspend, restrict or decline any operation where safety, security, airworthiness, crew fitness, regulatory compliance or operational control cannot be assured.

(b)Operational strategy and executive leadership

• Develop and execute the airline’s operations strategy, annual operating plan, manpower plan, fleet-operability priorities and operational budget in support of corporate objectives.
• Translate the approved schedule and commercial plan into a safe and achievable operating programme, identifying capacity, crew, maintenance, airport, fuel, navigation, permit and service-provider constraints before commitment.
• Advise the Chief Executive Officer and Board on operational performance, safety exposure, fleet availability, resilience, major disruptions, regulatory matters and material investment requirements.
• Chair operational performance and readiness reviews, assign accountable owners, and ensure that operational risks and deficiencies receive timely corrective action.

©Flight operations and operational control

• Provide executive oversight of flight operations, fleet technical pilots, flight crew management, operational engineering, dispatch, electronic flight bag administration, weight and balance, flight documentation and navigation support.
• Ensure effective operational control through the Integrated Operations Control Centre, including flight planning, dispatch, flight watch, disruption management, crew control and recovery decisions.
• Ensure all flights are planned, released, crewed and operated within approved limitations,  manuals, licences, recency, duty-time and fatigue-risk requirements.
• Maintain effective command, dispatch and escalation arrangements for irregular operations, diversions, technical events, adverse weather, security threats and emergencies.
• Ensure fuel policies, records and operational decisions balance safety, regulatory compliance, environmental responsibility and cost discipline.

(d) Crew resources, training and competence

• Ensure adequate numbers of qualified, current and medically fit pilots, flight dispatchers, instructors, examiners, operations controllers and other operational personnel are available for the approved programme.
• Oversee crew resource planning, rostering, crew travel and system administration, with effective controls over flight and duty time, rest, leave, training and operational coverage.
• Ensure approved training and checking programmes are properly resourced, delivered, recorded and continuously improved, including recurrent, differences, command, instructor and examiner training.
• Promote professional standards, just culture, fatigue awareness, effective crew resource management and disciplined compliance with standard operating procedures.

(e) Maintenance, engineering and continuing airworthiness

• Provide executive oversight of Maintenance and Engineering and the AMO, including maintenance operations, maintenance control, line and base maintenance, outstations, workshops, engineering, planning, technical records, publications, reliability and airworthiness review.
• Ensure aircraft released to service are airworthy, maintained under approved programmes/schedules and supported by valid records, approved data, competent and authorized personnel, tooling, facilities, spares and contracted services.
• Ensure timely compliance with airworthiness directives, mandatory continuing-airworthiness information, approved maintenance requirements, reliability controls and defect rectification standards.
• Oversee fleet technical availability, aircraft-on-ground recovery, deferred-defect management, maintenance reserves and major checks without compromising airworthiness or approved procedures.
• Ensure effective control of materials, stores, components, unit traceability, calibration, warranties and maintenance supply-chain risks.

(f) Safety Management System and emergency preparedness

• Approve and actively promote the corporate safety policy, safety objectives and acceptable safety performance expectations.
• Ensure the Safety Management System is properly implemented, maintained, resourced and integrated across operational departments and contracted activities.
• Review safety performance, hazards, safety risk assessments, occurrence trends, flight data and other safety intelligence; require effective mitigations and verify their continued effectiveness.
• Protect confidential and non-punitive reporting within the limits of the Company’s just-culture policy, while ensuring willful violations, reckless conduct and unlawful acts are appropriately addressed.
• Ensure the emergency response plan is current and tested, with a trained response organization, reliable communications, family-assistance arrangements and coordination with authorities and service providers

  (g) Quality and compliance monitoring

• Ensure an independent and adequately resourced quality and compliance monitoring function.
• Approve a risk-based audit and surveillance programme covering Flight Operations, dispatch, maintenance, AMO activities, training, manuals, records, contracted providers and operational stations.
• Review significant findings, root causes, repeat findings and overdue corrective actions; assign resources and authority necessary for permanent closure.
• Ensure controlled manuals, procedures, records and regulatory submissions remain current, approved where required, accessible and consistent with actual practice.
• Maintain organizational readiness for UCAA, foreign authorities, IOSA, customers and other external audits, and ensure findings are closed within agreed timelines.

(h) Operational performance, resilience and efficiency

• Set and monitor operational targets for safety, completion, punctuality, technical dispatch reliability, aircraft availability, crew productivity, fuel efficiency and disruption recovery.
• Lead cross-functional management of significant disruptions, ensuring decisions protect safety, passengers, aircraft, crews, regulatory compliance and network recovery.
• Ensure continuous improvement in operational performance by reducing avoidable delays and cancellations, eliminating recurring technical defects, minimizing operational waste, and strengthening the reliability and accountability of third-party service providers.
• Ensure operational data is complete, timely and reliable, and use it to identify systemic constraints, improve planning and support accountable decision-making.
• Sponsor appropriate operational technology, automation and process improvement, with effective change management, cybersecurity, business continuity and user competence.

(i) Financial and resource management

• Own the Operations budget and capital priorities, ensuring expenditure is necessary, approved, controlled and directed first to safety, compliance and operational continuity.
• Prepare credible resource cases for fleet support, spares, tooling, maintenance, training, crew, operational facilities and safety or quality improvements.
• Ensure outsourced operational and maintenance activities are governed by clear contracts, approved interfaces, competent providers, service measures, audit rights and effective oversight.
• Balance operational efficiency with safety and airworthiness, ensuring financial pressure never results in operations outside approved limits or the deferral of mandatory action.

(j) People leadership and stakeholder management

• Build a competent, ethical and accountable operations leadership team; establish objectives, review performance, develop successors and address capability or conduct gaps.
• Promote effective cooperation among Flight Operations, Maintenance and Engineering, Safety, Quality, Commercial, Customer Services, Finance, Security, People and Culture, Legal and Information Technology.
• Represent Uganda Airlines with UCAA, foreign regulators, airports, air navigation service providers, manufacturers, lessors, maintenance providers, fuel suppliers and industry partners.
• Foster a culture in which safety, compliance, professional discipline, learning, respectful challenge and operational excellence are visible leadership priorities.

  3. Minimum qualifications and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in aviation, Aeronautical or Mechanical Engineering, Air Transport Management, Operations Management, or the equivalent in Airline Commercial working experience.
• A Master’s degree in Aviation Management, Aeronautical or Mechanical Engineering, Air Transport Management, Operations Management or the equivalent Airline Commercial working experience of ten (10) years.
• Appropriate aviation professional qualifications and training relevant to flight operations, aircraft maintenance, continuing airworthiness, safety management, quality management or executive aviation leadership is a MUST.
• At least fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible aviation experience, including at least ten (10) years in senior airline operational leadership with substantial authority over people, budgets and safety-critical activities.
• Demonstrated senior experience in at least one core technical domain, flight operations or aircraft maintenance and continuing airworthiness, together with strong working knowledge of the other domain.
• Sound knowledge of Uganda’s civil aviation requirements, ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices, Safety Management Systems, compliance monitoring, human factors, emergency response and applicable international operating standards.
• Proven experience dealing with civil aviation authorities, maintaining operational approvals, leading regulatory or IOSA audits, managing significant disruptions, and closing complex safety or compliance findings.
• Must satisfy UCAA’s applicable competence, experience, fit-and-proper and acceptance requirements for the Accountable Manager role.
• Must be 45 years and above

4.  Knowledge, skills and competencies

• Visible safety leadership and uncompromising regulatory judgement
• Airline operations, operational control and disruption management
• Aircraft maintenance, engineering and continuing airworthiness governance
• Safety Management Systems, quality assurance and compliance monitoring
• Operational planning, fleet availability and resource optimization
• Risk assessment, root-cause analysis and corrective-action governance
• Emergency response and business continuity
• Financial management and investment prioritization
• Data-led performance management and systems thinking
• Regulatory engagement, technical communication and Board-level reporting
• Decisiveness under pressure and authority to stop unsafe operations
• People leadership, just culture, coaching and succession development
• Negotiation and oversight of technical and operational service providers

NB: The applicants shall apply and submit their application and resumes through the website and additionally send a copy of application to directors@ugandairlines.com

Should you have any inquiries concerning the job advertisement please send them to directors@ugandairlines.com