CAA Director Airspace policy - £170 000 + bonus

[astir 8]

Job advertised in the Sunday Times Business Section 08/06/08

Director Airspace Policy, Civil Aviation Authority - £130 000 - £170 000 plus bonus!!!!

The Role
Create, gain support for and ensure the implementation of the CAA Strategy for airspace policy and practice.
Influence the development of UK and European policy to meet the needs of users of UK airspace and undertake air navigation functions ......


So for are start, since all you GA pilots must clearly better off than the Director, you can all shell out £5 grand for a Mode S transponder ... then what charges can I think of next to cover my salary!!!!

Are the powers that be taking the UK taxpayer for mugs yet again? Discuss

[S-Works]

Er no. They are trying to attract high calibre individuals for a challenging job. I would not even work for such a figure and I know of many life sucking lawyers etc who spend more on expenses.

Not everyone has to be part of the socialist 2.4 children living in a tacky 'standard' box and taking home the national wage utopia.

People who have the skills for these roles are paid the market rates. This is a director level role and it is actually on the low side for the level of responsibility but is certainly on the market rate band.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Really? I'm no socialist, but do feel that this salary is excessive (not that I'd decline it if offered!)

Most of the public sector pays about £50-£70k for a department head, and at this level a bit under £100k would be more normal. A quick search online tells me that a cabinet minister is making about £102k.

So we're talking a salary around 30-70% above, say, the defence or transport minister and just a little below the Prime Minister. I really don't think that this post carries 70% more responsibility than a cabinet minister, or only 10% less than the PM.

G

[S-Works]

No Genghis, but a standard government job salary is kept low on purpose. The CAA has more latitude being a 'corporate' to pay market rates. As for the cabinet ministers etc, the make it up in the couple of million in expenses and when they leave posts the cushy directorships. It is a means to an end. Blair makes millions on his book tours and after dinner speeches.

And you have just hit the nail on the head....

(not that I'd decline it if offered!)

It is about attracting the right people into the job and really what this complaints are about is the green eyed monster. If anyone here complaining about the jobs salary believes they have the skills to fill the post, they should apply for it......

[astir 8]

Well Bosey, I'm happy for you that you are earning enough that you wouldn't consider the job.

I'm in one of your "tacky" houses (sans brats fortunately). Not noticeably socialist.


errr - you're not paid by the great British taxpayer as well by any chance?

[S-Works]

Sorry Astir not meant as a personal pop more a reflection of the socialist society that rather than promotes excellence seeks to bring everybody down to make them equal.

No I am not a government employee, I have been in the past, I am a good old fashioned private sector person, 'delivering capitalism with lead pipe brutality' - 'Gross Point Blank'

I understand the difficulty in recruiting skilled and motivated people to do a job and filling senior positions with the right people not just another faceless droid requires a significant reward. The type of candidate that this role requires would attract double that salary in the private sector. Take a look at the salary packages for senior execs in the private sector. My boss is on £4m a year to run a PLC, most board positions are between £250k and £1.25m in our company. So a senior position in a large organisation like the CAA at board level as this one is, is actually below the market rate.

Like I said, most of the anti feelings here are from the green eyed monster. Those that are upset are usually those that would never have a chance at such a job.

[PompeyPaul]

lol

No Genghis, but a standard government job salary is kept low on purpose

Because the minister is invariably receiving cash and benefits else where due to their position ?

[S-Works]

Because the minister is invariably receiving cash and benefits else where due to their position ?

Now there is a contentious question!!!! Take a look in this weeks times for an opinion.

My point was that those in senior government know the real gravy train starts when they leave office.

[astir 8]

I wonder what the bonus will be based on? Achievement of 100% controlled airspace over the UK? Number of GA aircraft grounded?

Sorry folks, if a bloke's running a productive private business he's welcome to all he can grab.

Yet another overpaid bureaucrat shuffling memos from other overpaid bureaucrats in Brussels - all paid for by us. There are way way too many of them about

Maybe I watched too much "Yes Minister"

[Mariner9]

I wonder if the bonus is related to percentage increase in Controlled Airspace

[S-Works]

God you lot are so cynical. Don't get me wrong I know this lefty government wastes way to much of our money on useless people and projects but at the same time if things are going to change you have to attract the people of the ight calibre from the private sector into public sector jobs. Otherwise it just ends up as promoting from within and nothing changes.

Bonus for this type of job is calculated on performance which will be an overall evaluation of the job was performed the tasks set by the authority and how they were completed. Overall performance of the authority based on the public audit etc.

[Contacttower]

Yet another overpaid bureaucrat shuffling memos from other overpaid bureaucrats in Brussels - all paid for by us. There are way way too many of them about

I know GA-CAA relations have always been a bit fraught but I consider (and I think most people would) the CAA to be a highly professional organisation which does very important work and needs to attract good people. To label the Director of Airspace Policy as an "overpaid bureaucrat" and lump him in the same boat as the many superfluous minions who inhabit Brussels seems completely unfair.

There is rightly a lot of anger at the way public money is spent in the whole political and administrative establishment both at home and in Europe but I wouldn't target that at the salary of the CAA's top staff.

[gasax]

I know GA-CAA relations have always been a bit fraught but I consider (and I think most people would) the CAA to be a highly professional organisation which does very important work and needs to attract good people. To label the Director of Airspace Policy as an "overpaid bureaucrat" and lump him in the same boat as the many superfluous minions who inhabit Brussels seems completely unfair

Spoken like a true Sir Humphrey! Yes they should be a highly professional organisation and yes they should under very important work. So why have their efforts over the last couple of years resembled your average local council? All the bright ones leaving for EASA or just rubbish management and leadership? I'd be delighted to pay this sort of money for someone who actually was capable and had never been in the RAF or NATS! However past experience shows that is what this moeny will probably buy.

[S-Works]

gasax, bit of a circular argument you just made!!


For the regulator to be the best, they have to invest in good people as you rightly pount out many have left for greener pastures. to bring in brighter and better people you have to go outside the organisation and bring in new blood from the private sector. To do this you have to make the grass as green or greener which means offering near to private sector packages.

Senior management in this country these days is in the multiples of hundreds of thousands of pounds climbing up to the multiples of millions of pounds. It is the way life is!!!

[astir 8]

That's the way it is. Not a convincing argument.

[XX621]

I wonder if the person occupying this role really would be pro-active in reducing the amount of CAS in this country if utilisation levels dropped signficantly over the next few years? Looking at the future of oil this is not beyond imagination.

Does it really matter what calibre of person sits in this role from "our" (GA) perspective if the answer to the above questions is in the negative?

[astir 8]

Whatever happened to "Do job well, keep job" "Do job badly, get fired"


Oh sorry, my mistake, this is the Civil Service we're talking about

(Definitely been watching too much "Yes Minister")

[S-Works]

Whatever happened to "Do job well, keep job" "Do job badly, get fired"


Oh sorry, my mistake, this is the Civil Service we're talking about

(Definitely been watching too much "Yes Minister")

Because in the real world it was discovered many years ago that reward outweighs threat. If you intimidate people they do not work well for you and are always looking for greener pastures. If you nurture and reward you keep good people.

I realise as I only have a few thousand people working for me that I have little understanding of the concept but I like to think I understand the basic elements.

[Contacttower]

However past experience shows that is what this moeny will probably buy.

That may well be true but how would paying less help the situation?

[DC10RealMan]

I will guarantee that this post will go to a newly retired ex-RAF senior officer on an superannuated pension. One might think that it is the old boys network at work again?