Airport Emergency Planning and Business Continuity Manager

Job Details

Position Title

Manager – AEP & BCP

Reports to

Accountable Manager

Division

CEO Office

Grade

N/A

Department

Emergency Planning & Business Continuity

Job Purpose

The Airport Emergency Planning and Business Continuity Planning Manager is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing emergency response business continuity plans, crisis management plan and communicable disease management plan in accordance with GCAA and federal and local regulations to ensure airport preparedness and resilience.

Key duties include coordinating emergency response planning, business continuity planning, crisis management planning, enterprise risk management, conducting risk assessments, organizing training and drills, and ensuring compliance with GCAA regulations.

The role involves close collaboration with stakeholders, ensuring effective response strategies, regulatory compliance, and operational resilience to protect passengers, staff, and airport assets.

The Manager – AEP & BCP reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer / Accountable Manager.

Functional Accountabilities

Area of Contribution

Key Activities

Emergency Preparedness and Planning

• Develop, maintain, and update the Airport Emergency Plan (AEP) for various scenarios, including aircraft incidents, natural disasters, and communicable disease outbreaks.
• Ensure the AEP is aligned with national and international aviation standards and local regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with internal departments and external agencies (fire, medical, police, health authorities) to ensure seamless coordination in emergencies.

Business Continuity Management

• Design and implement a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) for critical airport functions, ensuring that systems and resources are in place to maintain operations during disruptions.
• Identify critical business activities, assess potential risks, and implement mitigation measures to support rapid recovery.
• Ensure alignment of BCP with industry standards, and integrate lessons learned from incidents and exercises into plan updates.

Crisis Management

• Develop, implement, and maintain the Airport Crisis Management Plan in compliance with General Civil Aviation Authority CAR AGA Part ACM requirements.
• Coordinate activation and management of the Airport Crisis Management Team (CMT) during aviation emergencies and major incidents.
• Ensure effective communication and coordination between internal stakeholders, regulators, and external agencies during crisis situations.
• Plan, conduct, and evaluate crisis management exercises (tabletop, partial, and full-scale) in line with regulatory requirements.
• Lead post-crisis reviews, document lessons learned, and implement corrective actions to strengthen crisis preparedness and response.

Training and Drills

• Conduct regular training, tabletop exercises, and full-scale drills with airport staff and emergency responders to test response plans and improve preparedness.
• Ensure all personnel understand their roles within the AEP and BCP and are trained on protocols for a variety of incidents.

• Conduct post-exercise evaluations and use feedback to refine plans and improve readiness.

Risk Assessment and Mitigation

• Conduct thorough risk assessments to identify potential hazards that may impact airport operations.
• Develop and implement risk mitigation strategies to reduce the likelihood and impact of emergencies.
• Monitor changing risk factors (e.g., emerging diseases, extreme weather) and adjust plans accordingly.

Regulatory Compliance and Documentation

• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulatory requirements, maintaining accurate documentation and records for audits and inspections.
• Report to relevant authorities on compliance, plan updates, and incident management outcomes.
• Prepare and submit incident reports, plan revisions, and after-action reports to regulatory bodies as required.

Incident Management and Response

• Ensure emergency facilities (AEOC,SRC,etc)and equipment are maintained as per the standards
• Ensure MIMMS are in place including supporting equipment and strategies
• Oversee response actions during incidents, managing and activating the Airport Emergency Operations Center (AEOC) when needed.
• Coordinate real-time communication with response teams, ensure resource allocation, and support the incident command structure.
• Review incident outcomes, manage post-incident analysis, and implement corrective actions for continuous improvement

Financial

• Budget projection for the department

Communication & Working Relationships

Internal

• All Departments

Reasons for Interaction

• Discussing and coordinating AEP & BCP activities
• Communicating with all departments with regards to training & exercise planning

• Establish communication protocols for quick and effective information sharing during incidents, ensuring coordination across all departments and partners.

External

• General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA)
• Department of Civil Aviation (DCA)
• Airport Stakeholders
• Civil Defence
• Ministry of health
• Ministry of interior (Police)
• NCEMA
• National Ambulance

Reasons for Interaction

• Ensure regulatory compliance and response on AEP & BCP.
• Facilitate GCAA's audits for department.
• Communicate and share information with GCAA & the DCA for matters related to AEP & BCP requirements.
• Ensure airport stakeholders are aware of airport procedures and regulatory requirements.

• Serve as the primary liaison between the airport and external agencies, including airlines, emergency services, and health departments, for effective emergency response.
• Facilitate regular stakeholder meetings to review emergency and continuity plans.

Qualifications, Experience, & Skills

Qualifications

Educational Qualifications

Graduation / Business Management

Professional Qualifications

• Related to Emergency Planning & Business Continuity Planning

EXPERIENCE

Required Experience

• 8+ years of experience in airport emergency management, business continuity planning, or crisis management,.
• Experience in leading multi-agency coordination and managing incident command structures during emergency situations.
• Track record in planning and executing training exercises, drills, or simulations for emergency response and business continuity.
• Experience, with applied knowledge in the areas of industrial ISO standards, emergency response and business continuity or related disciplines.
• Experience of operating at the senior management level within Emergency Planning and/or Business Continuity
• Experienced in interfacing with regulatory bodies.

Other Requirements- Safety accountability and responsibilities

All staff has the following safety responsibilities and is accountable to their supervisor(s) and Head of Department:

• To comply with the relevant safety requirements and procedures outlined in the Aerodrome Operations Manual and Safety Management System and any other instructions or notices issued by Ras Al Khaimah International Airport.
• To comply with the safety requirements detailed within their training.
• To advise their Head of Department and the Airport Duty Officer team of any safety occurrence or system failure and to identify and report any situation of potential risk or concern affecting safety via one of the following means.
• Report directly to the Safety Department or an immediate supervisor.
• Submitting an Accident/ Incident Report.
• Support safety audits as and investigations as they occur.

Competencies

Level of Proficiency

Behavioural Competencies

Strategic thinking and foresight

High

Analytical skills & Problem solving

High

communication skills

High

Ability to understand business objectives and align BCP accordingly

High

Self-Motivated

High

Working under pressure

High

Decision Making

High

Technical Competencies

Familiarity with incident management system

High

Understanding of Standards and Regulations

High

Knowledge of Safety Management System

Medium

Familiarity with airport operational technology

Medium