As Specialist - Regulatory Affairs, you will be responsible for protecting and enhancing Virgin Atlantic’s interests in the economic regulation of airports and airspace, with a focus on Heathrow and Gatwick. Reporting to the Director of External Affairs, you will be working on high profile issues that matter to our customers and the business, like the funding and delivery of Heathrow expansion, the CAA’s H7 Heathrow price control review, and the CAA’s RP3 NATS regulatory review. You will lead on defined policy issues, with the recently launched government aviation strategy consultation process an immediate priority.
You will also lead or support on competition, economic and regulatory work, working with our Legal Counsel for regulatory issues, as well as commercial and airports colleagues. This will include proactively and reactively engaging with UK, EU and US competition authorities to protect our interests and pursue new opportunities.
This is an outward-facing role requiring significant external engagement and advocacy with our regulator, the Government, our airport partners, and our trade associations, as well as participation in a number of industry forums.
Day to day
With guidance from Director, External Affairs & Sustainability, and working with key business areas including Legal and Airport Operations and Procurement, you will coordinate Virgin Atlantic policy and approach in relation to airport and air traffic control (ATC) regulatory issues.
Ensure internal awareness of external developments in airport and ATC regulatory issues. Devise policy and influencing strategy and articulate impact.
Represent Virgin Atlantic in specialist trade association and industry working groups on airport and ATC regulatory issues.
Lead regulatory activity on H7 and Heathrow expansion, including through direct engagement with the CAA and Heathrow and by producing compelling evidence-based consultation responses.
Represent Virgin Atlantic at external H7 and expansion regulatory forums.
Support Senior. Manager, Legal Counsel on economic work on slot allocation review for Heathrow expansion.
Represent Virgin Atlantic on Airlines UK expansion group and HAL expansion planning working groups.
Respond to the government draft airports National Policy Statement in relation to capacity expansion.
Support Senior Manager, Legal Counsel in proactively and reactively engaging with UK, EU or US competition authorities to protect our interests and support new opportunities.
Shape compelling arguments and marshal appropriate evidence and data.
Respond to requests for information from UK, EU or US competition authorities.
Respond to government consultations on wider aviation policy, including the aviation strategy, aircraft noise and airspace policy changes.
Lead on to changes to the night flying regimes at Heathrow and Gatwick.
Support the External Affairs crisis communication plan if activated.
About you
You will be working as part of a small team alongside our senior leaders and external stakeholders, so we’re looking for someone confident, articulate and persuasive. We are looking for an Economics graduate (or equivalent) or someone with experience in an analytical role who is just as comfortable producing a well-evidenced detailed consultation response as they are presenting and speaking in one-on-one and large meetings.
We need an effective communicator with a focus on relationship building with internal and external stakeholders and someone confident in challenging often contentious charges or regulatory negotiations. You will be able to produce concise and effective briefings, having assimilated detailed and lengthy reports/consultation papers/impact assessments.
Experience of working in a similar role within a regulator, relevant government department or in a business in a regulated sector is essential. Proven successes in influencing a regulator’s thinking with a positive result for your organisation is highly desirable. Knowledge and understanding of the economic regulation of monopoly airport and airspace suppliers in the UK is desirable.