Contract type Open-Ended Appointment
Location Cambridge
Salary £37,614 - £69,727 per annum
Closing date 24th October 2026 23:55
Interview date 19th and 20th November 2026
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is a world-leading centre for polar science and polar operations, addressing issues of global importance and helping society adapt to a changing world. The BAS Air Unit sits within the Polar Operations and Engineering directorate, who provide operational support for UK polar research. The operations team cover a wide range of activities from managing Arctic and Antarctic Research stations, operating polar ships and aircraft. Our expertise is in polar fieldwork planning, aircraft and ship operations as well as developing engineering and technology solutions for science.
The Air Unit therefore requires exceptional pilots to work within a small team, flying DeHavilland Twin Otters in Antarctica and supporting science campaigns around the world. The right candidates are not just pilots, but people who would thrive working in diverse teams supporting the delivery of complex operations safely in some of the most extreme and challenging environments on Earth.
The role of an Air Unit pilot, supporting science in both Antarctica and across the world, involves considerable autonomy and a high level of leadership to ensure safe delivery. It is a physically and mentally demanding role, often working long hours and enduring unexpected nights camped out with the aircraft in field conditions.
The flying is very varied, dynamic and involves being deployed to Rothera, our Antarctic, base for periods of up to 6 months, between October and February each year. Our flying is predominantly orientated around delivering cargo and passengers into remote locations, where loading and unloading the aircraft is a manual activity, led by and involving the pilot. In addition, with a network of scientific instruments and fuel depots spread over western Antarctica, there is a considerable flying program to service these each year; often involving many hours of digging out fuel drums and instruments to raise them back to the surface after winter snow. Key to our success is maintaining operational professionalism and continued innovation in everything we do.
Our aircraft are maintained in Calgary in Canada, where we also undertake training flying and spend time in the DeHavilland Canada simulators. With Antarctic deployments and summer science campaigns, like the one we undertook in Brazil in 2025, it is not unusual for pilots to spend up to 8 months of the year outside of the UK; BAS Air Unit pilots are contracted for 221 working days and 144 days leave per annum.
Applicants must be mentally and physically robust with an inherent strong sense of adventure. For more information about the pilot role and living and working in Antarctica, please view the following resources:
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) pilots are responsible to the Chief Pilot for the safe and efficient operation of BAS aircraft, as laid out in the Air Operations Manual and relevant Airworthiness Authority Regulations. The responsibility will include:
Primary duties include flying and non-flying tasks, where pilots must be able to adapt to their surroundings and always display excellent leadership qualities. Pilots are expected to take a pro-active approach to all tasks and display initiative and good situational awareness, particularly when operating in remote environments. When deployed to Rothera, the non-flying tasks will involve time spent not only undertaking aviation operations support activity in the Air Unit Hangar, but also wider activity which collective supports the deployed community.
Key duties and responsibilities include:
Time apportioned to these duties should reflect their priority. The following is representative guide to the key work areas:
Flying 50%
It is expected that the time apportionment will vary from year to year, to accommodate changing internal and external demands. However, some of the apportionment should be predictable and will be communicated during the annual pilot performance appraisal.
BAS chooses to apply commercial operational restrictions with respect to pilot’s age. Therefore, we do not undertake single pilot operations with passengers after the age of 60. The retirement age is 65. Roles applicable within this restriction (as defined in the Air Operations Manual Part A) include:
Additional administrative tasking should be expected in addition to flying tasks. There would not be an expectation of transferring to a solely office-based role, or undertaking tasks not appropriate to the skills and experience associated with the role of a pilot.
The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment. As this role requires mandatory deployment to Antarctica, any offer of employment that is made is subject to passing a BASMU Medical
For this role, the only potential for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker VISA is where an individual currently holds a Skilled Worker visa issued for another role/employer before 4 April 2024 (salary of at least: £63,246).
UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.
Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.
More information can be found at www.ukri.org.
Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI.
At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’.
As users of the disability confident scheme, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered.
UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be rejected and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
As part of the pre-employment checks there is a requirement to undergo Baseline Personnel Security Screening. BPSS is a pre-condition of employment and failure to achieve it may mean that the employment offer is rescinded. UKRI reserves the right to run, or re-run, security clearance as required during the course of employment.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is the public sector organisation that invests £8 billion annually to support the entire research and innovation system. We strive for a society powered and empowered by research and innovation, with economic, social, environmental and cultural benefits for all.
We invest in people, places, ideas, innovation and impacts, empowering researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs to turn the many challenges we all face into opportunities, driving up prosperity and wellbeing across the UK and globally.
The impacts of our work are felt right across society. We enrich lives by increasing our understanding of ourselves and the world around us, supporting innovative businesses and public services, and creating high-quality jobs throughout the UK.
