Employment Type: Permanent

About the job

Employment Type: Permanent

Contract Duration:

IATA strives to improve the understanding of the air transport industry among decision-makers and increase awareness of the benefits that aviation brings to national and global economies. Advocating for the interests of airlines across the globe, we challenge unreasonable rules and charges, hold regulators and governments to account, and strive for sensible regulation. You will report to the Director, Global Advocacy Strategy in GVA and, as Global Advocacy Lead, you will play a pivotal role in shaping aviation policy and defending the interests of our members worldwide.

This role can be based in Geneva, Montreal, Madrid or Brussels.

Global advocacy leads will be responsible for developing and promoting the advocacy positions of the airline industry on issues of high importance to our members for their relevant subject areas. They will also ensure that IATA’s advocacy positions are consistent globally and regionally.

•Working closely with subject matter experts in the relevant business unit to understand advocacy challenges vis a vis governments, regional institutions and international organizations.

•Working with business units and relevant IATA governance groups to identify and agree priorities at global, regional and national levels.

•Developing and managing a global advocacy strategy for relevant subject areas, including tracking progress and identify interventions as needed to ensure delivery of the strategy.

•Developing advocacy positions on the relevant issues as well as support content (position papers, white papers, reports, slide decks and other collateral etc) to support advocacy / lobbying and communication campaigns.

•Disseminating advocacy positions and supporting materials to the advocacy campaign teams (regional, local offices etc) via webinars and other channels so that these can deliver advocacy in an effective and impactful manner.

•Supporting business units and regional / local offices with delivery of advocacy / lobbying campaigns, including input to consultation responses and other submissions and regulatory filings as needed.

•Developing and maintaining an evidence base to support advocacy efforts, leveraging IATA’s data and relevant external sources.

•Developing and maintaining a network of contacts with relevant international organizations, think-tanks and other thought leaders / influencers in the relevant areas to establish IATA as a credible and influential voice in advocacy discussions.

This role will have a particular focus on one of the five areas below:

1. Accessibility and Facilitation:

Work towards ensuring that accessibility laws and regulations strike a rational balance between supporting the ability of persons with disabilities to travel by air and the operational realities of air travel. Areas of focus include handling of wheelchairs, accessible lavatories, passenger seating and accessible website design. Lobby to promote harmonized adoption of digital identity and passenger data management tools to facilitate frictionless travel and work to ensure that government facilitation regulations do not unnecessarily impede international air travel or impose unreasonable costs on member airlines.

2. Airports, infrastructure and ATC:

Advocate for a competitive infrastructure environment and regulatory framework, with focus on airport charges, a resilient ATM, competitive ATC fees and cost-efficient ground handling services.

3. Cargo, Customs and Trade:

Cargo and customs regulations should be fit for purpose and do not unnecessarily impede air cargo operations or impose unreasonable costs on member airlines. Issues include security screening and customs clearance requirements

4. Safety and Security:

Work with ICAO and relevant governments to ensure that key safety and security priorities are addressed with rational regulations while opposing initiatives that fail to advance those priorities. Areas of focus include equipage mandates, radio frequency interference (RFI), operational restrictions, and security policy harmonization.

5. Sustainability: Promote adoption of effective policies that accelerate SAF production and deployment (EU, Republic of Korea, Brazil, UAE, Africa) / facilitate robust CORSIA implementation / support Net Zero 2050 goals including through work with ICAO.

•15 years of experience, of which at least 10 in government affairs or public policy, ideally in an aviation or government / regulatory setting, and specific advocacy expertise in one or more of the 5 areas described above.

•Policy analysis and strategic thinking, with the ability to develop and manage an advocacy strategy.

•Capability to explain complex technical concepts to a non-technical audience. Ideally experience of briefing senior leadership and/or policymakers.

•Ability to manage multiple priorities and work to tight deadlines while ensuring attention to detail and that work is of a high standard.

•Teamworking and collaboration with both internal and external stakeholders, including member airlines and policy makers.

•Excellent communications skills in English, both written and oral.

Travel Required: yes: 5%

Diversity and Inclusion are one of our key priorities and we want to role model it. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills in which you can contribute at your best and be who you are. The more inclusive we are, the better we will be able to thrive to represent, lead and service the airline industry. If there is anything we can do to create a more comfortable interview experience for you, please let us know.

Learn more about IATA’s role in the industry, our benefits, and the team at iata/careers/. We are looking forward to hearing from you!