At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead design assurance and governance across multiple programmes, ensuring high-value outcomes.
- Company: Join a dynamic team at Heathrow, transforming travel experiences.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, performance bonuses, generous leave, and private health insurance.
- Other info: Hybrid working model with a focus on inclusivity and diverse talent.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on large-scale projects while supporting team wellbeing.
- Qualifications: Experience in design-led Programme Controls and strong stakeholder engagement skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 € per year.
As Senior Design Programme Controls Manager, you'll provide leadership across a portfolio, ensuring consistent application of design assurance, governance and approval processes. The Senior Design PCM will provide senior leadership in the governance and programme controls, setting expectations on performance, ensuring cross‑portfolio consistency and leading the strategic engagement with Supply chain and Procurement to drive high‑value outcomes. Programme and Project Controls is central to delivering effective programme and project outcomes – the Senior Design PCM ensures programmes and projects are held to account for adherence to established project management processes ahead of investment decisions, providing independent assurance that robust, validated data underpins all decision‑making.
Responsibilities
- Provide assurance that programme design, approvals and agreed processes are consistently applied, while driving alignment and consistency across multiple programmes in design approaches.
- Accountable for providing a direct interface with Programme Directors, ensuring consistent delivery of PMO services and outputs across all programmes during the pre‑investment phase.
- Provide senior leadership and direction to a multi‑disciplinary team of Design PCMs, driving alignment, capability development and performance across programmes, with a strong focus on team wellbeing.
- Embed a constructive, collaborative and appropriately challenging Project Controls culture that supports programme success and enables continuous improvement and learning.
- Support the implementation of best practice Project Controls across core disciplines, including planning, cost management, estimating, risk management, integrated change control and management information.
- Oversee resource allocation and provide day‑to‑day direction, ensuring timely and robust cost and performance data is available to inform decision‑making during the pre‑investment phase.
Qualifications
- Deep understanding of design across programme and project performance data in the design stage, to ensure integrity of data and information reported to support effective decision‑making.
- Experienced as a design‑led Programme Controls SME, supporting projects through the design phase and ensuring robust application of design assurance and control disciplines.
- Extensive experience in Programme Controls and PMO processes, including estimating, planning, cost management, risk and change management.
- Highly effective in presenting complex design, controls and governance insights to senior stakeholders, including executive leadership and shareholders, enabling informed decision‑making.
- Significant experience working collaboratively with supply chain partners across the project lifecycle, ensuring alignment to design standards, controls and governance requirements.
- Highly skilled in presenting complex information, insights and recommendations to senior executives and shareholders.
Our rewards
We offer competitive salaries and excellent benefits that will support you now and in the future. As well as performance‑based annual bonuses and our longer‑term Share in Success Bonus plans, we also offer generous annual leave allowances and market‑leading pensions. With family‑friendly policies, access to private health insurance and a wide range of wellbeing tools, we’ll support you to be at your best inside and outside work. And of course, we’ll provide varied learning and development opportunities too.
Working Location
Our Hybrid working approach offers the opportunity for colleagues in some roles to work from home for an average of two days a week, providing the flexibility to work in an agile way whilst ensuring we deliver for the operational needs of Heathrow. Working arrangements vary from team to team and will be confirmed during the recruitment process. You’ll need to be based in the UK and within a commutable distance to Heathrow.
Equal Opportunities
As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all. We believe that diverse talent makes us stronger – not least because we welcome passengers from all corners of the globe, every single day. Heathrow is an accessible place to work. With five diversity networks, we champion inclusivity and celebrate individuality.
About the Team
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. The team is collaborative and supportive, providing solutions that make every journey better for millions each year.
Senior Design Programme Controls Manager employer: Heathrow Airport
As a Senior Design Programme Controls Manager at Heathrow, you will join a dynamic and inclusive team dedicated to delivering high-value outcomes across prestigious projects. The company offers competitive salaries, generous benefits, and a hybrid working model that promotes work-life balance, alongside extensive learning and development opportunities to foster your professional growth. With a strong focus on team wellbeing and a commitment to diversity, Heathrow is an excellent employer for those seeking meaningful and rewarding careers in a collaborative environment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Design Programme Controls Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to industry contacts on LinkedIn or attend relevant events. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can help you land that Senior Design Programme Controls Manager role.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews by practising your responses to common questions. We recommend using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers. This will help you showcase your experience in programme controls and design assurance effectively.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t forget to research the company culture! Understanding their values and how they align with your own can give you an edge during interviews. We want to see how you can contribute to our collaborative and supportive team environment.
✨Tip Number 4
Finally, apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are genuinely interested in joining our team at Heathrow.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Design Programme Controls Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in design assurance and programme controls. We want to see how your skills align with the role of Senior Design PCM, so don’t hold back on showcasing relevant projects you've led!
Showcase Leadership Skills:As a Senior Design PCM, leadership is key! Use your application to demonstrate your ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams and drive alignment across programmes. Share specific examples where you’ve successfully managed teams or influenced stakeholders.
Highlight Collaborative Experiences:Collaboration is at the heart of what we do. Be sure to mention any experiences working with supply chain partners or cross-functional teams. We love to see how you’ve fostered relationships that led to successful project outcomes!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website for the best chance of success. It’s the easiest way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves. Plus, you’ll find all the info you need about the role there!
How to prepare for a job interview at Heathrow Airport
✨Know Your Design Assurance Inside Out
Make sure you have a solid grasp of design assurance processes and how they apply to programme controls. Brush up on your knowledge of governance and approval processes, as you'll need to demonstrate your expertise in ensuring consistency across multiple programmes.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your experience in leading multi-disciplinary teams. Be ready to discuss how you've driven alignment and performance in previous roles, focusing on team wellbeing and capability development.
✨Master the Art of Communication
Since you'll be presenting complex information to senior stakeholders, practice articulating your insights clearly and confidently. Use specific examples from your past experiences to illustrate how you've enabled informed decision-making through effective communication.
✨Understand the Bigger Picture
Familiarise yourself with the broader context of project management processes, including risk management and change control. Be prepared to discuss how these elements contribute to successful programme outcomes and how you've applied them in your previous roles.
