Security Team Manager

Hear from Stuart Lawson, one of our Security Team Managers, on his career journey and why he enjoys working at Edinburgh Airport

Who am I and what is my role at Edinburgh Airport?

My name is Stuart Lawson and my role at EDI is a Security Team Manager, this is a role I have been in for roughly 3 years, before this I was a supervisor in Security for 6 years and a Security officer for around 2.5 years. Prior to this I was a cavity wall technician for 11 years so had no prior experience in the Aviation Industry.

Why do I love working in Security at Edinburgh Airport?

Every single day is different in our role, every passenger is different meaning your days are always varied in terms of the things you deal with, Security is a fast-paced environment meaning you are always on the go. Things change all the time in regards to regulations so you’re constantly learning new things all the time.

Career development at the Airport

You have so many opportunities at the Airport to develop yourself both in a career perspective and a personal level. Since starting here I have went on to complete courses such as Mental Health First Aid/First Aid/Management Development/B-Tec. This has helped my career path at the airport into becoming a part of the Security Management Team. Several departments across the airport campus have all started in Security, such as the Control Centre, Fire Service and Airside Operations.

Skills required to be a Security Officer

If becoming a part of the Security team is something that interests you, here are some of the skills required to become a part of our team.

Customer Service – As you are dealing with the public, Customer Service Skills are vital to our daily role, We want people to keep coming back to our Airport and how we treat those passengers goes a long way to helping that.

Attention to detail – Essential for identifying potential security threats and to ensure you comply with regulation.

Communication Skills – As you will be communicating with multiple passengers on a daily basis it is important to be able to communicate effectively, Edinburgh is an international airport and many of our passengers are international so we need to be able to communicate to help make their journey easier.

Would I recommend Security as a career?

Absolutely! Both my son and his partner now work in Security, and they both really enjoy it, so if you’re considering applying… Go for it!