Head of Finance, Capital Business Partnering (12 mth FTC)

Introduction

Discover a one-of-a-kind career. Our vision at Heathrow is to be an extraordinary airport, fit for the future. In the Finance team we know that generating income is critical to driving our business forward, but it’s also vital that we create positive passenger and customer experiences that make every journey better. You’ll help us to get the balance right so we can continue investing in our world-class environment.

Introduction

Discover a one-of-a-kind career. Our vision at Heathrow is to be an extraordinary airport, fit for the future. In the Finance team we know that generating income is critical to driving our business forward, but it’s also vital that we create positive passenger and customer experiences that make every journey better. You’ll help us to get the balance right so we can continue investing in our world-class environment.

Job Description

As a key member of the Development Leadership Team, this role works closely with Programme Directors and Leaders to drive strategic outcomes, assess and mitigate risks, and ensure financial targets are met. Responsibilities include leading a team in strategic business planning, programme prioritisation and the development of long-term plans for both operational and capital expenditure.

The role oversees capital investment decisions, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives via robust financial modelling and appraisal. It also influences internal and external governance forums, ensuring business cases are well-appraised and portfolio performance is tracked.

Additionally, the Head of Finance manages governance and control of project funding, drives continuous improvement, and leads, develops, and motivates the finance team through transformation, fostering strong cross-functional relationships to deliver business excellence.

Your role will involve

• Providing expert financial insight and analysis to support and influence key commercial and strategic decisions, ensuring a balance between customer service, cost, and revenue. This will require the building of strong relationships across the business and finance functions to drive value and continuous improvement.
• Leading the planning process, including target setting and deliverables, to ensure challenging yet achievable plans. Delivering high-quality, concise, and insightful regular reporting, and benchmarking performance (financial and non-financial) against other airports and industries.
• Overseeing investment analysis, benefits tracking, and the development of optimised programme portfolios through strategic prioritisation and robust business case appraisal. Providing financial assurance for business cases and ensuring capital is allocated effectively in a capital-constrained environment.
• Reviewing and challenging the cost base and its drivers, identifying risks and opportunities to improve financial performance. Supporting the business in understanding the impact and relative merits of different choices.
• Leading governance and controls for the business area, ensuring alignment with long-term business planning, budgeting, financial controls and financial constraints. Liaising with relevant teams to maintain compliance and robust control over project funding and approvals.
• Conducting ex post reviews of capital projects to assess performance against original business case metrics. Develop and maintain investment appraisal methodologies and models to support ongoing and future investment decisions.

These Skills Are Essential

• Qualified accountant, CFA or qualified by experience with extensive managerial experience as a Finance Business Partner operating at an operational and strategic level and/or corporate finance
• Strong influencer and communicator with the ability to structure and deliver persuasive arguments at Director, Executive Director and Shareholder levels.
• Knowledge and experience of global aviation industry or other capital-intensive industries advantageous
• Strong leadership skills with a demonstrable track record of leading high-performance teams
• Strong evidence of investment appraisal experience, including assessing the impact of carbon on capital investment projects

About Us

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

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. Here you’ll find everything you need for a fulfilling career journey that can take you in exciting directions.

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.

Sustainable Travel to work

Heathrow’s Sustainable Travel Guide sets out easy and sustainable travel options that everyone can access.

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.