At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of Heathrow's surface access strategy for a major infrastructure project.
- Company: Join Heathrow, the UK's iconic airport, and be part of a transformative journey.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salaries, generous leave, private health insurance, and flexible working options.
- Other info: Diverse team culture with endless opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Why this job: Shape the future of travel while making a real impact on sustainability and connectivity.
- Qualifications: Experience in transport strategy and strong stakeholder management skills are essential.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 75000 £ per year.
When it comes to pioneering ambition, there’s no place like Heathrow. Our Heathrow Expansion programme offers a unique and exciting opportunity to play a defining role in one of the UK’s most significant infrastructure projects. You’ll help shape a national legacy that millions will experience for decades to come, as we deliver the third runway, improve passenger experience, stimulate jobs and opportunities across the UK, and strengthen the global connectivity that powers trade and travel.
Modernising and expanding the UK’s only hub airport and critical national infrastructure whilst keeping it fully operational and safe creates a pace and complexity unlike other major programmes. It demands collaboration, resilience, problem solving and a desire to take on challenges that genuinely matter. From securing planning consents to designing a new runway, modernising terminals and improving public transport access, and delivering on environmental and community commitments - the scale is unmatched. You’ll be part of a diverse team of talented colleagues, built on mutual respect and where excellence thrives. It’s an inspiring place to work, with unlimited opportunities to make a difference as you help to shape the future of our world‑class airport.
The Surface Access Strategy Manager leads the development and delivery of Heathrow Airport Limited’s surface access strategy in support of the Airport National Policy Statement (ANPS) requirements and the Development Consent Order (DCO) process. The role provides strategic leadership and specialist input across all surface access modes, ensuring that transport strategies, modelling inputs, and stakeholder engagement materials are robust, auditable, and suitable for statutory examination. The role plays a key part in supporting the DCO process by ensuring that surface access impacts are clearly understood, effectively mitigated, and aligned with national and local policy expectations.
Your role will involve:
- Lead the development of an integrated Surface Access strategy for the DCO, encompassing public transport, active travel, taxi, and private hire, while ensuring alignment with long‑term network planning and ANPS commitments.
- Ensure Surface Access strategies are evidence‑based, well‑developed, and robust, capable of withstanding consultation, examination, and audit, and supporting the overall requirements of the DCO submission.
- Produce high‑quality strategy documentation and supporting materials for inclusion in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and DCO, maintaining clear and auditable links between strategy development, modelling assumptions, and outputs.
- Provide strategic input into future rail and wider transport planning, working collaboratively with relevant stakeholders to ensure effective integration with transport modelling and impact assessments.
- Act as a subject matter lead in stakeholder engagement, working with organisations such as Transport for London, National Highways, Network Rail, and industry forums, responding to feedback while maintaining alignment with programme objectives.
- Oversee delivery of Surface Access workstreams to agreed timelines, ensuring readiness for DCO milestones, identifying and mitigating risks, and supporting efficient delivery through minimising rework and maintaining controlled, evidence‑based change.
These skills are essential:
- Significant experience in transport or surface access strategy development within complex infrastructure or planning environments.
- Strong understanding of statutory planning processes, including Development Consent Orders (DCOs) and environmental assessment frameworks.
- Demonstrated ability to translate strategic policy requirements into clear, evidence‑based deliverables.
- Experience of working collaboratively with transport modelling teams and using modelling outputs to inform strategy.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills, with experience engaging statutory bodies and senior external partners.
Ideally, you will also have:
- Experience of airport, aviation, or nationally significant infrastructure projects.
- Knowledge of the Airport National Policy Statement (ANPS) and its surface access requirements.
- Familiarity with multi‑modal transport strategy development at regional or national level.
There’s something so special about working at the world’s most iconic airport. Its sights. Its sounds. Its constant air of excitement. Heathrow is an amazing backdrop to a career filled with unique opportunities. Every day, you’ll discover a world full of fresh possibilities and end the day buzzing with stories to tell, as you encounter people from all cultures, nationalities and experiences. A world full of pride for what we do and no end of exciting career prospects to explore. It brings out the best in all of us. And inspires everyone to deliver on our ambitious plans. 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.
Join us on that journey and we'll help you achieve your ambitions too. Supporting you to learn, encouraging you to be yourself, backing you to achieve more than you might ever have imagined. Because there’s no place like Heathrow.
Our rewards include 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. Here you’ll find everything you need for a fulfilling career journey that can take you in exciting directions.
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.
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.
Take the next step and join Heathrow to discover unlimited opportunities to make a difference.
Surface Access Strategy Manager employer: Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport Limited is an exceptional employer, offering a unique opportunity to contribute to one of the UK's most significant infrastructure projects while working in a dynamic and diverse environment. With a strong focus on employee growth, competitive salaries, and generous benefits, including family-friendly policies and extensive learning opportunities, you will be supported in achieving your career ambitions. The hybrid working approach allows for flexibility, making it an inspiring place to work as you help shape the future of global connectivity.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Surface Access Strategy Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join relevant groups on social media, and don’t be shy to reach out to professionals on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its projects. Understand Heathrow's expansion plans and how your skills can contribute. Practice common interview questions and think about how you can showcase your experience in transport strategy development.
✨Tip Number 3
Follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way in showing your enthusiasm for the role. It’s also a chance to reiterate why you’re the perfect fit for the Surface Access Strategy Manager position.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of the Heathrow team and contributing to its exciting future.
We think you need these skills to ace Surface Access Strategy Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Surface Access Strategy Manager role. Highlight your experience in transport strategy and how it aligns with the DCO process. We want to see how you can contribute to our ambitious plans!
Showcase Your Skills:Don’t just list your skills; demonstrate them! Use specific examples from your past experiences that showcase your stakeholder management and strategic planning abilities. We love seeing how you’ve tackled challenges in complex environments.
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. We appreciate well-structured documents that are easy to read. Make sure your key points stand out, so we can quickly see why you’re a great fit for us!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to the right people. Plus, you’ll find all the details you need about the role and our amazing team at Heathrow!
How to prepare for a job interview at Heathrow Airport
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you’re well-versed in the specifics of surface access strategy and the Development Consent Order (DCO) process. Brush up on the Airport National Policy Statement (ANPS) and be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with these frameworks.
✨Showcase Your Collaboration Skills
This role requires working with various stakeholders, so be prepared to share examples of how you've successfully engaged with external partners or statutory bodies in the past. Highlight your ability to translate strategic policy into actionable plans.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving skills in complex infrastructure environments. Think of specific challenges you've faced and how you navigated them, especially in transport strategy development or stakeholder management.
✨Bring Evidence-Based Examples
When discussing your previous work, focus on evidence-based deliverables. Prepare to explain how your strategies were developed, supported by data and modelling outputs, and how they stood up to scrutiny during consultations or audits.
