Ground Security Operatives

  • Role: Ground Security Operatives
  • Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract (February – October 2025)
  • Hours: Hours range from a minimum of 20 per week to 40+ in busy months and shift start times range from 03.30 to 22.00
  • Remuneration: £11.75
  • Closing Date: 05/01/2025

Glasgow Prestwick Airport (GPA) has exciting fixed-term opportunities for Ground Security Operatives to join our team ahead of a busy summer season. The roles available are on a variable hours’ roster basis of early, back and night shifts, Monday to Sunday. Hours range from a minimum of 20 per week to 40+ in busy months and shift start times range from 03.30 to 22.00.

Due to working time regulations and shift patterns, you must be 18 or over to apply for this vacancy. Due to shift times often being out-with public transport hours, own means of transportation is essential. If successful in your application, you must be available for two initial weeks of paid training, Monday to Friday, 40 hours per week.

Owned by the Scottish Government, GPA directly employs more than 250 people and supports over 4,000 jobs across the aerospace cluster. Situated in the heart of Scotland’s aerospace industry we offer a diverse range of in-house aviation services providing vital connections to the rest of the world.

Role Scope:

This role involves protecting our site, passengers, staff, contractors, stakeholders and aircrafts at all times from any threats posed. Your duties will be varied, including greeting passengers at the entrance to search areas, checking their boarding cards, CCTV / control room monitoring and full site patrols on foot and by vehicle. You will be responsible for carrying out searches of bags and people, both by hand and via advanced technology. A high degree of integrity is required, along with excellent attention to detail and the physical and mental capability to deal with challenging situations.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Conducting security inspections and searches of people and vehicles.
  • Loading, off-loading, and screening of passengers and baggage at search points.
  • Liquid testing and trace detection procedures.
  • Inspection of dangerous goods.
  • Handling of suspicious articles and confiscation of non-compliant articles.
  • Operating security equipment and x-ray screening of luggage.
  • Responding to security and emergency incidents.
  • Monitoring CCTV system and responding to various alarms.
  • Maintaining logs, reports and recording information on paper and electronically.
  • Liaising with internal and external departments / stakeholders as required, including the Department for Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority and Police Scotland.
  • Safe keeping and/or disposal of passenger’s belongings and/or confiscated items.
  • Access control including security identification inspection and validation.
  • Operation of gates / entry mechanisms as required.
  • Guarding aircraft.
  • Dealing with disruptive passengers.
  • Escorting duties both on foot and by vehicle where authorised.
  • Airside and landside security patrols both on foot and in a vehicle where authorised.
  • Lone worker monitoring by telephone / radio.
  • Carrying out fire evacuation procedures including fire warden duties.

Key requirements, skills and attributes:

  • Aged 18+
  • Positive and flexible approach to work, with willingness to be deployed to priority work.
  • Professional, with good people skills.
  • Excellent and quick decision-making skills.
  • Ability to work under pressure, in a fast-paced and challenging environment.
  • Good team player, as well as being able to work on own initiative.
  • Desirable Full Driving Licence, with less than 6 points and no bans within the last 5 years.
  • Been resident in the UK for the past 3 years.

In accordance with regulations, please only apply for this role if you can meet the following standards:

  • Vision – with or without spectacles or contact lenses, be able to correctly read a vehicle number plate at 23 metres distance and be able to read labels on bottles of spirits and aerosols at a distance selected by the candidate of between 30-50 cms.
  • Colour perception – applicants are required to distinguish the colours red, green, and white using the Ishihara test plates (24) – 15 plates, presented in a random order, which must be identified without error or via an approved advanced colour vision test. The use of colour correcting lenses are not acceptable.
  • Hearing – with or without an aid, be able to hear radio and telephone communications, audio signals emitted by security equipment, and an average conversational human voice at 2.5 metres in a quiet room.
  • General Health– have good general health, reasonable strength and no physical incapacity which would prevent them from undertaking the normal range of aviation security duties.

The above will be assessed via our occupational health partner during the recruitment process and does not affect your statutory rights associated with the Equality Act 2010.

Benefits of working at GPA:

  • Cash Health Care Plan (after six months employment).
  • Life Assurance 4 x salary (after six months employment).
  • Auto enrolled into our Pension Scheme (after 3 months employment) – enhanced upon request.
  • Electric Car Scheme.
  • Bike 2 Work scheme.
  • Technology scheme (December).
  • Uniform (as required).
  • Enhanced Annual leave, depending on service length.
  • Free Parking.
  • Staff discounts in partnership with Dufry World Duty Free, access to their ‘Staff Shopping Website with an excellent 30% discount on most brands across the site.

Please note that to work at GPA you are required to:

  • Comply with UK Right to Work checks and provide associated relevant documentation at interview.
  • Confirm your identity by providing a copy of your passport or driving licence.
  • Provide GPA with a complete five-year referencing history inclusive of all employment, self-employment, and education. Any gap period of 28 days or more must be covered by a personal reference to which you must also provide contact details.
  • Upon request, provide a Criminal Record Check Certificate (Basic Disclosure) from Disclosure Scotland. This must not display any disqualifying convictions as detailed on the Civil Aviation Authority website.
  • Where applicable, undertake a Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) and understand that deployment to any security related activities is conditional upon the satisfactory result of such a check.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and are committed to applying equal opportunities at all stages of our recruitment and selection process. Reasonable adjustments will be made to our recruitment process to ensure that no applicant is disadvantaged.

If you are interested please follow the steps below: