At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead data science and AI initiatives to enhance airport operations and passenger experiences.
- Company: Heathrow Airport, a global leader in aviation and sustainability.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, dynamic work environment, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Join a collaborative team focused on cutting-edge technology and sustainability.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on millions of passengers while driving innovation in aviation.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in data science and AI at an enterprise level.
The predicted salary is between 90000 - 110000 £ per year.
Introduction
Together, we're working to welcome millions more passengers, while ensuring aviation can continue to be a force for good by leading global efforts in sustainability.
At Heathrow, you can be part of this - providing solutions that make every journey better for millions each year.
That means ensuring we meet the changing needs of the passengers, colleagues and partners who use our airport to work, travel, trade, shop, eat, explore and connect.
Our Solutions team covers project management, process improvement, business change, technology, cyber defence, masterplanning, infrastructure and procurement.
It brings together people with the skills to deliver prestigious and often large-scale projects, from transforming terminals to making big reductions in our carbon emissions.
Every day will test your skills and give you the opportunity to make your mark.
You might be working with the technology and data that power our city within a city, driving vital commercial agreements with everyone from retailers to airlines, or improving the unique infrastructure that includes everything from 200 buildings to 250 HV substations.
It's a collaborative environment, where you can rely on the support of the experts around you as you take on projects you'll both take pride in and feel passionate about.
Job Description
This role shapes how data science and AI are used across Heathrow.
It sets direction for enterprise analytics and AI services that support safe, efficient and reliable airport operations.
The role oversees Data Science and AI services across multiple business areas.
It ensures AI use is responsible, well governed and delivers clear value.
It also supports senior decision making through insight and evidence.
- Principal Accountabilities
- Set the direction for data science and AI across Heathrow, aligned to business needs.
- Put clear AI governance, ethics and assurance arrangements in place.
- Ensure analytics services are reliable, secure and meet agreed service outcomes.
- Oversee investment, supplier arrangements and value tracking for AI and analytics.
- Build sustainable capability across data science, AI engineering and analytics.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience
- Strong experience delivering data science or AI solutions at enterprise scale.
- Experience guiding teams that develop and deploy machine learning models.
- Practical knowledge of responsible AI, governance and regulatory expectations.
- Experience shaping strategy and turning insight into business outcomes.
- Experience using cloud platforms for analytics and AI workloads.
- Ability to explain technical ideas clearly to non technical audiences.
Desirable
- Experience working in complex operational environments.
- Familiarity with production level model deployment and monitoring approaches.
About us
With 80 million passengers passing through our airport each year, it takes hundreds of systems, platforms and networks to keep our airport running smoothly, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Join us, and you'll thrive on the buzz of providing the technology, data, cyber and digital capabilities that run all the services you'd expect to see in a city - and more.
Tech at Heathrow isn't typical - the scale and non-stop nature of our airport make it truly unique.
Our Data, Digital and Technology team are leading the way in innovations that will make our airport more efficient, resilient and competitive, in an increasingly digital marketplace, as well as keeping Heathrow safe and secure.
Every day will test your skills and give you the opportunity to make your mark.
We're constantly looking for new ways to help Heathrow transform and grow, responding to the changing needs of passengers, colleagues and partner businesses.
It means the chance to work on a huge variety of inspiring projects and to develop in lots of exciting directions.
Our team covers technology, cyber defence, data and digital, offering one-of-a kind careers you won't find anywhere else.
Apply before 28/08/2026
Head of Data Science and AI employer: Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment where innovation meets operational excellence. Employees benefit from a strong focus on professional development, collaborative culture, and the opportunity to contribute to a world-class passenger experience. With a commitment to aligning IT initiatives with strategic goals, team members can expect meaningful work that directly impacts the airport's long-term vision.
