Manager Aeropolitical Affairs

Job Purpose: At Emirates, we believe in connecting the world, to and through our global hub in Dubai and in constantly innovating to ensure our customers ‘Fly Better’. Our Aeropolitical Affairs team’s activities are essential to our success as a global airline. By securing market access, building relationships with governments, and advocating for the interests of the industry, Emirates is able to expand its network, grow its business, and provide its customers with more travel options.

About the role

We are looking for a Manager Aeropolitical Affairs to join us at Emirates Group in Dubai. Reporting into the Senior Vice President Aeropolitical Affairs, the Manager Aeropolitical Affairs will be responsible for obtaining, protecting and expanding traffic rights and market access for Emirates in the assigned geographical areas through direct interactions with the UAE and foreign governments and inter-governmental bilateral air services negotiations. You will be responsible for promoting Emirates’ Aeropolitical objectives as well as wider positions on liberalisation and competition through advocacy efforts and stakeholder engagements in the UAE and globally.

What you will do

• Provide all necessary guidance to Aeropolitical Affairs Managers and Analysts within the Aeropolitical Affairs Department in discharging their duties.
• Prepare aeropolitical positions, requirements and correspondence on traffic rights issues in the assigned area towards the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority/UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and government authorities worldwide.
• Represent Emirates at inter-governmental bilateral air services negotiations with countries in the assigned area with the objective of protecting and expanding the airline’s traffic rights and other aeropolitical entitlements.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with the civil aviation authorities in the UAE and foreign countries with a view to maximising Emirates’ access to international markets. Engage directly with governmental and other stakeholders in the assigned area to promote the airline and its aeropolitical objectives.
• Research, organise and prepare focused briefing notes, advocacy submissions and presentations ahead of inter-governmental bilateral air services negotiations and stakeholder meetings, aimed at achieving Emirates’ aeropolitical or wider policy objectives in the assigned area.
• Assess emerging international and domestic air transport policies and analyse other airlines’ competitive activities. Apprise Emirates’ management and field representation of the impact of those policies and activities on Emirates’ aeropolitical and commercial objectives and seek to ensure that Emirates concerns and interests are adequately reflected in government decisions.
• Represent Emirates at industry for a and wider inter-governmental economic committee meetings to promote the airline’s position on aeropolitics, liberalisation and competition.
• Draft letters, policy proposals and briefing notes for senior management on key aeropolitical files and for high-level negotiations as required.
• Obtain government authorisations and schedule approvals for Emirates’ operations to new destinations or, when so required, for additional flights to existing points and select code share flights in the assigned area.
• Carry out stand-alone special assignments and projects in aero politics, as may be assigned from time to time by SVP Aeropolitical and Airline Industry Affairs or VP Aeropolitical Affairs.

Qualifications & Experience: This job might be for you if you have:

• Degree or Honours (12+3 or equivalent), in a business, international relations or legal related subject area
• 10+ years in Commercial, Sales, Research or Analysis
• Experience in the airline industry with a significant number of these years spent in a managerial/senior capacity managing aeropolitical/international/government or public affairs.

You will have an edge if you have:

• Excellent stakeholder relationship, communication and negotiation abilities.
• Expert knowledge of aeropolitics, including bilateral air services agreements and other aeropolitical arrangements.
• In depth experience in bilateral air services negotiations and robust track record of contributing to tangible outcomes.
• Outstanding expertise in advocating and campaigning for airline traffic rights/market access.
• Superb writing skills and comprehensive experience in drafting effective correspondence, position papers and briefing notes on strategic aeropolitical and aviation policy issues.
• Demonstrated ability to use and interpret complex data sets in promoting the company’s aeropolitical objectives.
• Full attention to detail and accuracy of the presented data as well as written documents.
• Practical awareness of the workings of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Chicago Convention as well as ICAO’s evolving policies and guidance on competition and economic regulation of air transport.