Head of Department (HOD), Engineering

Job Summary

• The Head, Engineering/AGL is responsible for providing strategic leadership, technical oversight, and commercial direction for all engineering activities relating to Airfield Ground Lighting (AGL), navigational aids, and associated electrical infrastructure.
• The role is accountable for the successful planning, design review, installation, commissioning, maintenance, and lifecycle management of AGL systems while ensuring full compliance with ICAO, FAA, NCAA, FAAN, and other applicable aviation standards.
• As the leader of the Engineering Department, the incumbent serves as the Company's principal engineering representative and will, on behalf of the Managing Director when required, represent the organization in high-level meetings, technical negotiations, client engagements, regulatory discussions, and business development activities.
• The role requires an accomplished engineering leader with strong business acumen, exceptional stakeholder management skills, commercial awareness, executive presence, and the ability to lead multidisciplinary engineering teams while delivering complex projects within scope, schedule, quality, and budget.

Key Responsibilities
Engineering Leadership & Strategy:

• Provide strategic leadership for all engineering and technical operations within the AGL Department.
• Develop departmental strategies, engineering standards, policies, and operational procedures.
• Lead engineering planning from project conception through commissioning and final handover.
• Establish engineering priorities aligned with the Company's strategic objectives.
• Drive engineering excellence, innovation, continuous improvement, and operational efficiency.

Airfield Ground Lighting (AGL) Engineering:

• Provide technical leadership for the design, installation, testing, commissioning, operation, and maintenance of runway lighting systems, taxiway lighting systems, primary and secondary cable networks, LV/MV electrical distribution systems, and airfield electrical infrastructure.
• Ensure all engineering activities comply with ICAO Annex 14, FAA Advisory Circulars, NCAA requirements, and other applicable aviation regulations.
• Review and approve engineering drawings, technical specifications, method statements, calculations, and project documentation.

Project Management & Delivery:

• Lead the successful execution of multiple engineering projects simultaneously.
• Develop project execution plans, schedules, budgets, and resource allocation strategies.
• Monitor project progress and proactively resolve technical, commercial, and operational challenges.
• Ensure projects are delivered safely, within budget, on schedule, and to the highest quality standards.
• Oversee testing, inspection, commissioning, acceptance testing, and project handover.

Business Development & Executive Representation:

• Represent the Managing Director during technical meetings, client engagements, project negotiations, regulatory interactions, and industry forums.
• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with clients, government agencies, consultants, contractors, and key industry stakeholders.
• Support the identification and pursuit of new business opportunities.
• Provide technical leadership during bid preparation, tender evaluations, proposal development, and contract negotiations.
• Identify emerging market opportunities within the aviation infrastructure sector.
• Contribute to contract acquisition strategies and commercial growth initiatives.

Regulatory & Stakeholder Management:

• Serve as the primary engineering liaison with aviation authorities and relevant stakeholders, including FAAN, state and federal government agencies, airport operators, consultants, equipment manufacturers, and international technical partners.
• Ensure the Company maintains excellent professional relationships with all external stakeholders.

Team Leadership & People Management:

• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop engineers, supervisors, technicians, and project teams.
• Build a high-performance engineering culture focused on accountability, professionalism, innovation, and safety.
• Provide technical oversight and approval of engineering work performed by subordinate staff.

Engineering Governance & Quality Assurance:

• Ensure engineering activities comply with approved standards, specifications, and regulatory requirements.
• Lead quality assurance inspections throughout project execution.
• Ensure accurate engineering documentation, drawings, commissioning records, and as-built documentation are maintained.

Commercial & Financial Management:

• Develop and manage departmental budgets.
• Monitor engineering expenditure and optimize resource utilization.
• Negotiate favourable commercial terms with contractors, suppliers, and vendors.
• Ensure engineering projects achieve financial performance objectives.

Operations & Maintenance:

• Develop preventive and predictive maintenance programmes.
• Lead emergency response during critical airfield electrical failures.
• Forecast maintenance requirements and equipment replacement schedules.
• Drive initiatives that improve system reliability, availability, and maintainability.

Health, Safety & Risk Management:

• Promote a strong safety culture across all engineering operations.
• Ensure compliance with HSE policies and statutory regulations.
• Identify engineering risks and implement effective mitigation strategies.
• Ensure project sites maintain the highest standards of safety, security, and environmental compliance.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering or a related discipline.
• Master's Degree in Engineering, Project Management, Business Administration, or a related field will be an added advantage.
• Must possess a valid COREN certification or active COREN membership.
• Minimum of 15 years of progressive engineering experience.
• Minimum of 7 years in a senior engineering leadership or management role.
• Demonstrable experience delivering major Airfield Ground Lighting or airport infrastructure projects.
• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Preferred age range of 45–52 years at the point of application.
• Must reside in Lagos. Accommodation will not be provided.
• Must be willing to travel extensively within Nigeria and internationally.

Behavioural Competencies:

• Exceptional leadership and executive presence.
• Strong commercial and business acumen.
• Excellent negotiation and influencing skills.
• High emotional intelligence and political awareness.
• Ability to represent the Company confidently before clients, regulators, and executive stakeholders.
• High level of integrity and professionalism.
• Ability to command respect through technical competence, leadership, and character.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build lasting stakeholder relationships.
• Ability to read situations, adapt communication styles, and influence outcomes positively.
• Must maintain the highest level of professionalism, confidentiality, and ethical conduct while representing the Company.
• Must be capable of serving as the Company's senior engineering representative whenever delegated by the Managing Director.

Salary
N1,200,000 per month. 

Application Closing Date
Not Specified. 

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV to: View email address on hotnigerianjobs.com using the Job Title as the subject of the email.

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