SMS Technical Officer

OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE JOB

• Primarily this role is to implement and monitor international safety requirements (e.g. ICAO SARPS GASP etc) assess and analyse the local environment to identify safety deficiencies develop local civil aviation regulations and guidance material to ensure alignment with international standards and recommend strategic interventions to address safety management deficiencies.

• In addition develop and coordinate safety management activities including South Africas State Safety Programme National Aviation Safety Plan and other safety initiatives pertinent to Safety Management Systems for all certificate and approval holders to ensure a performance-based approach to improving aviation safety levels within the industry. Conduct activities to entrench Safety Culture with internal and external stakeholders.

• Act as resident technical aviation safety expert to support the SACAA technical areas and the industry in the implementation and oversight of the safety management systems. Manage the safety occurrence data system to ensure the accurate validation distribution and conversion to data. The role further ensures the development of standards and recommendations on how to improve aviation safety and recommendation of best industry standards for adoption.

Strengthened Safety and Security Oversight system

• The responsibility of this role is to ensure that the following are developed implemented and coordinated to ensure aviation safety and international best practices are implement as required:
• Ensure South Africas compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) contained in Annex 19 Safety Management as well as related guidance material and supporting documents through the development implementation monitoring and continuous improvement of the State Safety Programme (SSP).
• Develop implement and maintain the National/Civil Aviation Safety Plan in accordance with the Global/Regional Aviation Safety Plan and ensure implementation of approved national goals and safety enhancement initiatives.
• Develop and maintain the guidance material procedures and oversight tools for effective implementation of Safety Management Systems to support the Aviation industry and technical divisions within SACAA.
• Identify analyse review regulatory changes and draft amendments as required to Part 140 of Civil Aviation Regulations and technical standards. Contribute to the other regulatory reviews and amendments where Part 140 is affected.
• Manage and maintain the Centralized Occurrence Reporting System to ensure its continuous functionality and accessibility for all users through effective liaison with the ICT team.
• Validate reported occurrences and ensure the accurate conversion of occurrence reports into reliable data for analysis reporting and safety decision-making.
• Proactively identify safety deficiencies through safety risk management activities in collaboration with SACAA technical areas and industry stakeholders to improve and promote aviation safety.
• Manage coordinate and collaborate with the Safety Action Group and the State Safety Programme Implementation Committee to identify trends in reported and investigated occurrences and recommend risk mitigation activities and safety promotion initiatives.
• Support the implementation of Risk Based performance.
• Provide technical advice and serve as secretariat to the Safety Action Group and the State Safety Programme Implementation and Monitoring Committee
• Promote aviation safety through various strategic initiatives including the provision of training and hosting workshops within the SACAA industry and the region.
• Participate in international regional and national safety management platforms as subject matter experts in support of ICAOs No Country Left Behind initiative.

The role combines business process improvement regulatory intelligence analysis development and transposition recommending of compliance standards which overarch the authority and at a national level safety management system and accident and incident investigation and review outcomes to achieve the desired outcome.

Planning

• Develop annual internal/industry Safety Management workshops/ training engagement and safety promotion plans.
• Develop and implement the State Safety Program Plan.
• Develop and implement the Civil Aviation Safety Plan.

Financial Sustainability

Contribute to the development of annual budgets control of expenditure and implement control procedures by providing annual plans.

Quality and Safety Management

• Determine and define the scope of SMS SSP and CASP Implementation.
• Maintain all QA standards in compliance with the QMS ISO 9000.
• Implement High-level tasks as assigned by the manager.

Liaison and Policy

Represent the Authority in engagements and liaise with stakeholders and industry bodies.

Improved Stakeholder Management and Service Excellence

• Technical engagement as required with internal and external stakeholders.
• To project a satisfactory image of the SACAA to all stakeholders.
• To engage with and provide feedback to internal and external stakeholders on technical and regulatory amendments regarding Safety Management.
• To provide support to the divisions and the industry to implement the Safety Management Systems.
• Participate and contribute to the Regional Cooperation Plan.

Personal Development

• Adhere to formal and informal training requirements.
• Manage own key performance areas to ensure the achievement of agreed objectives.

Sustain Good Corporate Governance

• Closure of audit findings.
• Implementation of recommendations emanating from audit findings.
• Concise and accurate reporting on strategic and operational deliverables.

Minimum Qualification:

Commercial Pilot License with 500 flying hours or Air Traffic Control License or Aircraft Maintenance Engineer License

Added Advantage:

• Relevant Bachelors Degree at NQF Level 7
• Quality Management Qualification
• Assurance Qualification
• Accident Investigation Qualification
• Project Management Qualification
• Exposure to regulatory inspections

Experience:

• 500 Flying Hours or
• 3 Years as a Air Traffic Controller or
• 3 Years as a Aircraft Maintenance Engineer or
• 3 years Aviation Safety management experience

Closing Date: 03 November 2026

All SACAA appointments are subject to S98 of the Civil Aviation Act 13 of 2009 and all successful candidates will be subjected to security vetting. Employment Equity candidates will be prioritised in line with Employment Equity Plan. If you have not heard from the SACAA 90 days after the closing date consider your application unsuccessful.