About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and people-focused Area Operations Lead to provide leadership and operational oversight across multiple aviation training centres within the CAT South region.

The Area Operations Lead is accountable for delivering safe, efficient, and customer-focused pilot training operations while ensuring consistent standards, regulatory compliance, asset reliability, workforce capability, and financial performance across all assigned sites.

The successful candidate will lead local operations teams, drive operational excellence, support business growth, and act as a key partner to regional leadership and commercial stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

- Lead operational performance across multiple training centres in the CAT South region including, but not limited to, Spain & Italy.

- Ensure delivery of safe, compliant, and efficient training operations.

- Monitor and improve KPIs relating to customer experience, simulator utilisation, quality, and operational performance.

- Drive continuous improvement initiatives across sites.

People Leadership

- Lead, coach, and develop operational managers and local leadership teams.

- Build a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, and operational excellence.

- Support workforce planning, succession planning, recruitment, and talent development.

- Ensure consistent implementation of policies, processes, and best practices across all locations.

Customer & Stakeholder Management

- Develop strong relationships with customers and strategic partners.

- Act as a senior escalation point for operational issues.

- Partner with various internal teams such as Sales, Training, Technical Operations, and Corporate Functions to ensure customer expectations are met.

Financial & Business Performance

- Support achievement of revenue, profitability, and utilisation targets.

- Manage operational budgets and cost control initiatives.

- Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and profitability.





- Contribute to business development planning and regional growth strategies.

Safety, Compliance & Quality

- Ensure full compliance with regulatory, safety, and quality requirements.

- Promote a proactive health and safety culture throughout the region.

- Support audits, inspections, and corrective action programmes.

- Ensure operational risks are identified and effectively managed.

Asset & Infrastructure Management

- Oversee operational readiness of facilities and training assets.

- Work closely with Technical Operations teams to maximise simulator availability and reliability.

- Support infrastructure development, facility improvements, and capital investment projects.

- Partner with internal procurement teams to drive, manage and improve upon vendor and landlord deals and relationships

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

- Significant experience leading multi-site operations across regions and different countries.

- Demonstrated success managing geographically dispersed teams.

- Strong operational management background within aviation, aerospace, pilot training, engineering, or a similarly regulated environment.

- Experience managing budgets and operational performance metrics.

- Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.

- Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving abilities.

Desirable

- Aviation training or simulator operations experience.

- Knowledge of EASA, UK CAA, FAA, or equivalent regulatory frameworks.

- Experience supporting regional or international operations.

- Degree in Business, Operations Management, Engineering, Aviation, or a related discipline.

Key Competencies

- Strategic Leadership

- Operational Excellence

- Change Management

- Financial Acumen

- Team Development

- Customer Focus

- Continuous Improvement

- Stakeholder Management

- Decision Making

- Risk Management

Travel Requirements

- Regular travel throughout the assigned region (approximately 25–50%).

About CAE

Position Type

Regular

Equal Opportunity & Accommodations

Data Privacy

Required Skill Profession

Top Executives

📌 Area Operations Leader Commercial Aviation Training (CAT) EMEA South (Madrid)
🏢 Cae
📍 Madrid