Head of Infrastructure Delivery

Description

Heathrow is a unique national infrastructure asset, serving a premium global customer base from a prime location, and is one of the world’s busiest hub airports. With plans to deliver one of Europe’s largest privately funded capital investment programmes, we are entering a transformational period for our infrastructure.

We are seeking an experienced leader with a proven track record of delivering complex infrastructure or capital projects within operational or highly regulated environments.

This is a rare opportunity to deliver landmark projects while helping to define, shape, and implement the future delivery operating model. Working alongside a senior leadership team and world-leading contractors, you will drive strategic outcomes while leading a skilled and high-performing team.

With over £1bn invested annually in a live operational environment supporting 84 million passengers each year, this role offers the chance to shape the future of one of the world’s most complex airports - where no two days are the same.

Responsibilities

Lead delivery of major infrastructure hub within Heathrow’s capital portfolio, ensuring alignment with strategic, regulatory and operational requirements.
Champion safety and wellbeing, embedding a proactive, industry-leading safety culture across delivery teams and supply chain partners.
Drive programme performance, maintaining rigorous control over cost, schedule, quality and risk to achieve committed outcomes.
Provide integrated leadership across internal functions, delivery partners and the supply chain to ensure coordinated, efficient execution.
Establish clear governance and reporting, delivering transparent, timely insights on progress, risks, dependencies and performance to senior stakeholders.
Enable operational continuity, ensuring construction activities are planned and delivered with minimal disruption to airport operations.
Lead stakeholder engagement, building strong, collaborative relationships with airlines, regulators, and key partners.
Embed continuous improvement, driving innovation, productivity and capital efficiency through improved delivery methodologies and ways of working.
Develop high-performing teams, fostering capability, accountability and a culture of inclusion and excellence across the delivery organisation.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in leading delivery of complex, large-scale infrastructure or capital programmes, ideally in live operational environments.
• Strong understanding of regulated environments, including compliance, governance and assurance requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and integrate multiple delivery partners, driving performance across complex stakeholder landscapes.
• Expertise in programme controls, including cost management, scheduling, risk and performance optimisation.
• Ability to balance competing priorities and constraints, making sound, timely decisions in a dynamic environment.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage effectively from frontline teams to executive level.
• Experience in driving value and outcomes from investment, including capital efficiency and benefits realisation.

Desirable

• Experience in aviation, transport, or major public infrastructure programmes of comparable scale and complexity.
• Familiarity with modern methods of construction, digital delivery, and off-site manufacturing approaches.
• Experience of working within client/operator organisations, balancing asset delivery with operational performance.