Regulations Manager
Tekever · Bristol, United Kingdom · hybrid
Are you ready to revolutionise the world with TEKEVER?
At TEKEVER, we lead innovation in Europe as the European leader in unmanned technology, where cutting-edge advancements meet unparalleled innovation.
Digital | Defence | Security | Space
We operate across four strategic areas, combining artificial intelligence, systems engineering, data science, and aerospace technology to tackle global challenges — from protecting people and critical infrastructure to exploring space.
We offer a unique surveillance-as-a-service solution that delivers real-time intelligence, enhancing maritime safety and saving lives. Our products and services support strategic and operational decisions in the most demanding environments — whether at sea, on land, in space, or in cyberspace.
Become part of a dynamic, multidisciplinary, and mission-driven team that is transforming maritime surveillance and redefining global safety standards.
At TEKEVER, our mission is to provide limitless support through mission-oriented game-changers, delivering the right information at the right time to empower critical decision-making.
If you're passionate about technology and eager to shape the future — TEKEVER is the place for you.
Mission:
TEKEVER's Regulations Manager holds overall responsibility for the regulatory and governance framework behind the company's flying activity, spanning both civil and defence contexts. The role is accountable for ensuring TEKEVER obtains and keeps in place the licences, authorisations and accreditations that let its uncrewed air systems (UAS) fly legally in the UK and in the other jurisdictions where TEKEVER operates.
Based within the Defence Division's Safety and Regulations team, the postholder produces SORA submissions and Operational Safety Cases for both civil and defence customers, runs several concurrent Operational Authorisation applications, and represents TEKEVER to a wide range of aviation regulators, among them the UK CAA, MAA, Ofcom, EASA, JARUS, Japan's JCAB and the US DoD, as well as other national aviation authorities as TEKEVER's international footprint grows. A working command of SORA BVLOS regulation underpins almost everything the role does.
ResponsibilitiesFlight Operations Governance & Documentation
• Own the suite of documents that govern how TEKEVER flies, among them OSC, OA, CFAOS and SORA, keeping them aligned to where the business needs to operate.
• Author and maintain SORA submissions and Operational Safety Cases on behalf of both civil and defence programmes.
• Prepare and lodge variations to existing SORAs, technical amendments and site-specific flying permissions as new requirements arise.
• Keep operational procedures, safety systems and supporting documentation compliant across every area of civil and defence flying.
Regulatory Liaison, Approvals & Accreditation
• Lead Operational Authorisation (OA) applications with National Aviation Authorities from first submission through to approval.
• Represent TEKEVER in dealings with aviation regulators, among them the UK CAA, MAA, EASA, JARUS, JCAB, the US DoD and other national authorities, whenever approvals, exemptions or authorisations are being sought.
• Support the business through accreditation under the Contractor Flying Approved Organisation Scheme (CFAOS) and, where needed, the Maintenance (MAOS) and Design (DAOS) Approved Organisation Schemes.
• Track the business's standing against MAA Regulatory Publications (MRP) so flying operations, safety management and operational readiness stay at the required level.
• Hold responsibility for TEKEVER's Ofcom spectrum permissions, watching expiry dates, lodging renewals ahead of time, and applying for coverage at new sites as they come online.
• Work with the design engineering team to pull together the technical data regulatory submissions depend on.
Risk & Safety Management
• Help run the Air Safety Management System (ASMS) so it meets NAA expectations.
• Contribute to hazard identification, risk assessment and mitigation planning as part of the wider risk management process.
• Monitor flight safety, airworthiness, airspace use and crew qualification practices in step with both internal procedure and external regulation.
• Support flight trials jointly with engineering and test teams so they run safely and under proper control.
• Make sure aviation activity across the business follows TEKEVER's Safety, Health & Environment (SHE) policies.
Compliance Monitoring, Reporting & Continuous Improvement
• Keep the business audit-ready for regulatory inspections, and close out any findings quickly.
• Work with the safety team to turn corrective actions around promptly and effectively.
• Report regularly on the status of regulatory applications and overall compliance.
• Track changes in national and international air legislation and update TEKEVER's documentation whenever the rules move.
• Put forward improvements to training, maintenance and flight operations practice.
• Push for continual improvement across safety culture, operational efficiency and the compliance process more broadly.
Emergency Response & Advisory
• Help put the Emergency Response Plan (ERP) into practice and keep it current.
• Act as the first port of call for colleagues with regulatory questions.
• Serve as the main point of contact, for both regulators and internal stakeholders, on accreditation and compliance matters.
Qualifications & ExperienceEssential
• A track record of preparing and submitting SORA assessments, including applications in the UAS Specific Category, or equivalent regulatory process (crewed or uncrewed).
• Solid working knowledge of the UK's UAS regulatory landscape and the policy that underpins it.
• Familiarity with BVLOS operations and the rules that govern them.
• Able to communicate clearly, in writing and in person, within safety-critical and operational settings.
• Comfortable pulling together input from engineering, flight operations, flight test, safety and QA to get a submission over the line.
• Good analytical and problem-solving ability.
• Grounding in safety management principles and how they're applied day to day.
• Disciplined record-keeping: documentation and audit trails that hold up for both air systems and personnel.
• Comfortable representing the company to regulators, stakeholders and customers on aviation matters.
• Organised and safety-minded, with a bias toward getting ahead of problems.
• Degree-level education, or equivalent experience.
• Comfortable working in MS Teams and the wider MS Office suite.
Desirable
• A compliance monitoring qualification from the MAA, CAA or EASA.
• Background in civil and/or defence aviation or the wider aerospace sector.
• Experience juggling technical workstreams across several teams at once.
• Hands-on knowledge of UAS platforms: airframes, sensors, systems.
• Broad exposure to the regulatory frameworks that shape UK and international UAS operation, such as CAP 722, the MAA's MRP, OSC, SORA and SAIL.
• A good map of the regulatory landscape, UK and international bodies alike, from the MAA and CAA through to Ofcom, EASA, JARUS, JCAB and the US DoD.
• Comfort working with risk-based operating constructs such as SORA and PDRA.
• Some grounding in aircraft systems, maintenance needs and airworthiness paperwork.
• Awareness of how aviation safety management systems and incident reporting actually work in practice.
• A background in military aviation, maritime air operations, or a flight-operations/safety-culture role.
• Some knowledge of what flight training entails from a regulatory standpoint.
Security• Candidates must be able to obtain SC clearance, which requires five years' continuous UK residency; TEKEVER will support applicants through that process.
Working Conditions• Office-based in Bristol roughly two days a week, with the remainder spent on national and international travel (around 50% of the role).
• Regular trave