Deputy Head of Training
Department: Flight Operations – Training
Reports to: Head of Training (Nominated Person Crew Training)
Role Type: Management – full-time; combined management and instructional flying post
Location: Malta

Role Purpose

The Deputy Head of Training supports and deputises for the Head of Training, the nominated person responsible for crew training under EASA Regulation. The role exists to ensure crew training and checking programmes are correctly designed, approved, resourced, delivered and evidenced, and that the standard applied by the instructor and examiner cadre is consistent across the operation.

Organisational

• Reports to the Head of Training and deputises for that post during planned and unplanned absence
• Functional leadership of the flight crew instructor and examiner cadre
• Works alongside the Pilot Manager, Flight Operations Manager, Cabin Operations Manager and Cabin Crew Training Lead.
• Key internal relationships: Head of Training, Director of Flight Operations, Pilot Manager, Cabin Crew Training Lead, Flight Safety Officer, Compliance Monitoring, Crew Planning, Flight Operations Administration.
• Key external relationships: Transport Malta Civil Aviation Directorate, approved training organisations, simulator providers, aircraft manufacturer training departments.
• Budgetary responsibility: training delivery costs, including simulator hire, instructor time and third-party courses.
• Decision-making authority: may suspend a crew member from line duty pending training or checking; approves individual remedial training plans; recommends instructor and examiner appointments to the Head of Training; may not amend an approved training programme without the Head of Training’s approval and, where required, authority acceptance.

Key Responsibilities

Deputy Duties and Nominated Person Support

• Deputise for the Head of Training, exercising the accountabilities delegated in writing for the period of absence.
• Support the Head of Training in the operator’s relationship with the competent authority on training matters, including programme approvals and variations.
• Represent the training function at the Safety Action Group and at operational and compliance meetings as required.
• Chair the Training policy group meeting in the absence of the Head of Training

Training Programme Design and Approval

• Maintain the operator’s crew training programmes so that they meet IOSA and EASA Regulation.
• Design and maintain conversion, differences, familiarisation, command, recurrent and refresher training courses, and the associated checking.
• Maintain the training content of the Operations Manual Part D and submit amendments through the approved process.
• Ensure programme content is driven by operational evidence – occurrence data, flight data monitoring trends, audit findings and check results – rather than repeated unchanged.

Instructor and Examiner Cadre Management

• Recruit, develop, standardise and monitor the instructor and examiner cadre.
• Run instructor and examiner standardisation activity, including seminars and cross-monitoring, so that the same standard is applied by every checker.
• Maintain instructor and examiner qualification, currency and authorisation records.
• Manage instructor allocation and workload against the training plan.

Training Delivery and Scheduling

• Own the annual training plan and its integration with the crew roster and the commercial schedule.
• Manage simulator and classroom capacity, third-party training contracts and instructor availability.
• Ensure training is delivered within validity windows so that no crew member becomes unavailable through expiry.
• Manage the training footprint associated with recruitment, command upgrades and fleet or type changes.

Records, Currency and Compliance

• Ensure training and checking records are complete, accurate, retrievable and retained for the required period.
• Conduct, establish and maintain departmental compliance checks.
• Ensure the departmental Policies, Processes and Procedures are reviewed and updated.
• Monitor licence, rating, medical and recency validity across the crew population in conjunction with the Pilot Manager, Cabin Operations Manager and the Cabin Crew Training Lead.
• Support internal and external audits of the training function and own the resulting corrective actions.

Standards, Assessment and Continuous Improvement

• In conjunction with the Head of Training and the Cabin Crew Training Lead establish and maintain a standards team for both Flight and Cabin Crew.
• Maintain the competency framework and grading standard used in training and checking, and monitor grading consistency between examiners.
• Analyse training and checking outcomes to identify systemic weaknesses rather than treating each failure as an individual matter.
• Manage the process for crew requiring additional training, ensuring it is proportionate, documented and consistently applied.
• Support the development of evidence-based and competency-based training approaches where the operator adopts them Instructional Duties when required
• Deliver instruction and conduct checking as an active member of the cadre, maintaining personal instructional and line currency.

Qualifications, Experience and Attributes

Regulatory Prerequisites

• Valid Part-FCL Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL(A)) issued under EASA Regulation, with a current type rating.
• Valid Part-MED Class 1 medical certificate.
• Type Rating Instructor (TRI) privileges under Part-FCL;
• Current recency, recurrent training and operator proficiency checks under Regulation
• Satisfies the competence and experience requirements for a nominated person deputy under Regulation to the competent authority’s satisfaction.
• Language proficiency endorsement at ICAO Level 5 or above.
• Right to work in Malta – Universal Air will support with sponsorship for the required candidate.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• Previous Leadership and Management experience with in an AOC environment.
• Substantial commercial air transport experience in command
• Demonstrable instructional experience in a commercial air transport training environment, including simulator instruction.
• Indepth knowledge of IOSA standards and recommended practices and EASA regulations.
• Working knowledge of Part-ORO Subpart FC and Subpart CC training and checking requirements and of Operations Manual Part D structure.
• Experience of training records, currency tracking and audit evidence.
• Experience of managing or standardising a group of instructors or examiners.
• In-depth working knowledge of Microsoft 365

Desirable

• Experience of training programme approval or variation with a competent authority.
• Previous Experience operating the EMB190 or CRJ900 family.
• Type Rating Examiner qualification already held.
• Experience of training programme approval or variation with a competent authority.
• Experience of evidence-based or competency-based training implementation.
• Working knowledge of Centrik.

Skills and Competencies

Essential

• Ability to assess competence objectively and to justify a grading decision on evidence.
• Clear written English sufficient to author training programmes, course material and authority submissions.
• Analytical capability with training outcome and safety data.
• Planning and scheduling capability across competing operational demands.
• Credibility and firmness with experienced peers when holding a standard.

Desirable

• Familiarity with learning management and training records platforms.

Working Conditions and Requirements

• Malta-based, combining office and training centre duties with rostered instructional and line flying.
• Simulator detail scheduling routinely includes nights, weekends and public holidays.
• Flying and instructional duty is subject to the operator’s approved flight time limitation scheme under EASA Regulation, and to the working time regime for mobile staff in civil aviation derived from Directive 2000/79/EC. Management duties must be planned so that they do not compromise pre-duty rest.
• Travel to simulator and training venues, manufacturers and industry meetings is required.

Development and Progression

• Typical entry route: Type Rating Instructor or Type Rating Examiner with fleet or standards responsibility.
• Onward paths: Head of Training and Nominated Person Crew Training, Director of Flight Operations, or a compliance and safety leadership track.
• The role is the designated succession position for the Head of Training.