Heathrow Support Team - Innovation Lead (12 months FTC)

A career without limits

As the nation’s flag carrier, we take great pride in connecting Britain with the world and the world with Britain.

It’s something we’ve been doing for over 100 years, ever since we launched the world’s first international scheduled air service between London and Paris.

This originality has been in our blood since day one. It’s the spirit we share with the people that fly with us, our partners, and our colleagues.

So, whether you are a reassuring voice on the end of a phone, a smile at the door, under a wing keeping the turbines spinning or landing us gently in far-flung places, a job at British Airways is yours to make.

We know great things can happen when you’re inspired to think big and bring your ambition to work every day, which is why, at British Airways the sky is never the limit.

The role: Heathrow Support Team - Innovation Lead (12 months Fixed-term Contract)

The Heathrow Support Team provides essential people‑related support to line managers and colleagues across Heathrow, ensuring consistent, efficient and compliant delivery of core people processes.

As the Innovation Lead for the Heathrow Support Team (HST), you will drive the end‑to‑end delivery of transformation and continuous improvement initiatives that enhance operational excellence and the colleague experience at Heathrow. You will champion a culture of agility, collaboration, and innovation—ensuring HST is equipped to lead, adapt, and thrive in a dynamic airport environment.

Please note, this role is not approved for an international assignment.

What you’ll do:

You will be responsible for creating and implementing a plan to embed change, enhance processes, and incorporate automation, aiming to achieve tangible improvements within our Heathrow Support Team Transformation.

Process Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Identify, prioritise, and deliver process improvement projects that streamline operations, improve efficiency and enhance service delivery.
• Use data analytics, AI, and root cause analysis to uncover inefficiencies and implement sustainable solutions in collaboration with the Leadership Team.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging team members to challenge the status quo and contribute ideas for operational enhancements.

Technology Innovation & Automation

• Lead the establishment of innovation trials or pilot programs within HST to test and scale new solutions.
• Collaborate with BA Digital, IT, and external partners to ensure seamless integration of technology and automation initiatives.

Change Management & Engagement

• Develop and implement communication and change management plans to foster buy-in and engagement with change.
• Act as a change ambassador, supporting change champions and subject matter experts within HST.

Collaboration & Strategic Alignment

• Serve as a strategic connector between HST and wider business functions, ensuring transformation initiatives align with Heathrow’s operational priorities, customer service and people goals.
• Partner with adjacent business areas to influence and embed change impacting HST from across the organisation.
• Participate in relevant risk and governance boards, ensuring compliance, risk mitigation, and alignment.

 What you’ll bring to British Airways

• Ability to align change and improvement initiatives to BA’s strategic priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through ambiguity and drive behavioural change at scale, using structured change methodologies.
• Proficient in using AI-driven data and analytics to identify improvement opportunities, measure impact and inform decision-making.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with a proven track record to communicate, influence and negotiate.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional change forums, ensuring consistent execution and adaptation of transformation strategies.
• Comfortable working with digital tools and platforms (eg Microsoft Copilot, PowerBI) to support transformation delivery and continuous improvement.
• Drives a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.

 Your experience:

• Proven track record of implementing change management strategies that generate measurable value for the organization.
• Familiarity with portfolio management software is preferred.
• Skilled in creating and executing engagement plans focused on change initiatives.
• Experience integrating automation and digital technologies into operational processes.

Inclusion & Diversity

At British Airways we all have a part to play in creating an inclusive place to work. Diverse representation among our people is really important to us and we recognise that all our colleagues are uniquely different and bring their own originality, creativity and identity to work.

Inclusion and diversity is a key driver of innovation and we’re committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they can be themselves. We’re looking for people from all backgrounds and cultures to join us and be a part of our journey to become a Better BA as we continue to connect Britain with the world and the world with Britain.