Nathan B

Commanding Officer - Royal Air Force Reserves Squadron

Management

Jan 2025 - Present • 1 yr 4 mos

Currently serving as the Officer Commanding (OC) of an RAF Reserve Squadron, with full leadership responsibility for up to 100 full-time and part-time personnel. Accountable for every aspect of the squadron’s performance, effectiveness, and output. Provide complete leadership across training, operational planning, recruitment, welfare, and delivery — balancing the needs of both full-time and reservist members. Drive recruitment and retention through targeted outreach and relationship-building with civilian employers, demonstrating strong commercial awareness to attract and retain high-calibre talent in a competitive environment. Partner with a major RAF station to enhance operational preparedness, delivering specialist advice and support for specific missions and contingency requirements. Build and maintain a high-performing, integrated team that delivers reliably while managing the unique challenges of a mixed full-time / reservist workforce. This role has further developed my ability to lead hybrid teams, influence external stakeholders, and deliver results with limited resources — skills I now help civilian leaders and managers strengthen in their own organisations

Volunteer leadership roles

Scout

Sep 2011 - Dec 2025 • 14 yrs 3 mos

Held key leadership positions in youth development organisations, applying mentoring, planning, and governance skills in a civilian context. Served as Scout Leader, mentoring young people in personal development, teamwork, and leadership. Supported and coached less experienced adult leaders to improve their planning and delivery of larger-scale events and activities. Acted as Chairman of the Civilian Committee for an Air Cadet unit, providing strategic oversight and governance to support effective unit management. Built strong capabilities in mentoring emerging leaders, stakeholder coordination, and delivering well-organised, high-quality programmes outside of a military environment. These volunteer leadership experiences enhanced my ability to develop others, improve planning at scale, and adapt leadership approaches across different contexts — skills I actively use when coaching leaders and managers today.

Head of Training - Royal Air Force

Management

Jan 2024 - Jan 2025 • 1 yr

Led a major RAF training establishment at a large operational station, responsible for delivering high-quality military skills training to several thousand personnel per year. Played a key role supporting senior station leadership in developing and assuring major incident and contingency plans. Designed, managed, and delivered large-scale training programmes that built essential skills, competence, and operational readiness across diverse cohorts. Oversaw the full training lifecycle — from curriculum development and instructor management to quality assurance and continuous improvement — ensuring consistently high standards at scale. Supported senior leadership in the development, testing, and assurance of major incident and contingency plans, contributing to the station’s overall resilience and emergency preparedness. Coordinated with multiple stakeholders to align training delivery with organisational priorities and operational requirements in a fast-paced environment. This role strengthened my expertise in large-scale programme delivery, instructional leadership, and building organisational resilience — capabilities I now help civilian leaders and managers develop through coaching.