At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of customer strategy and drive commercial planning for sustainable growth.
- Company: Heathrow, a dynamic city within a city with ambitious goals.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, performance bonuses, generous leave, and market-leading pensions.
- Other info: Hybrid working model with a focus on inclusivity and diverse talent.
- Why this job: Shape the future of airport services and enhance passenger experiences at a global hub.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in commercial strategy and leadership in complex environments.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 € per year.
Heathrow is a city within a city. And there's no place like it when it comes to the scale of our ambitions. You'll be part of a Customer team that drives our profitability across everything from retail, property and airport transport, through to passenger services, forecasting and contracts with airlines. Customer insight is at the heart of what we do, supported by a strong commercial strategy. We have a pioneering agenda for digital, e‐commerce and innovation, as we look to transform the way our passengers spend at our airport.
The Head of Customer Strategy & Planning plays a critical leadership role within Heathrow's Commercial Leadership Team, shaping and driving the integrated commercial planning agenda to deliver sustainable revenue growth and strategic outcomes. Sitting on the Customer leadership team, this role provides oversight and leadership of the Customer & Commercial Programme benefits and ensures alignment between functional strategies, investment priorities, and Heathrow's business plan.
Your role will involve:
- Shape and Drive Commercial Strategy - Own the development and evolution of the Heathrow Customer Strategy, ensuring alignment to the corporate strategy, Heathrow Business Plans and long‐term growth ambitions, while balancing experience, flow and revenue outcomes.
- Governance and Performance Excellence - Champion robust governance across commercial planning and investment activities, embedding risk management, compliance, and assurance frameworks that enable confident decision‐making.
- Capital Investment Leadership - Provide senior Customer leadership into capital planning and regulatory strategy, ensuring customer priorities are clearly articulated, evidenced and aligned to investment decisions across regulatory periods.
- Act as the principal business case lead for One Stop Security and supporting T5O – accountable for shaping and progressing the end‐to‐end strategic and investment case, aligning customer, operational, regulatory, commercial and airline objectives to enable long‐term growth.
- Enterprise and Cross‐Functional Collaboration - Inspire and lead virtual teams across multiple functions, fostering collaboration and accountability to translate strategic objectives into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.
- CLT team effectiveness - Own the strategic cadence, agendas and effectiveness of the Customer Leadership Team, including leadership of away days, ensuring decisions are aligned to strategy and translated into clear actions and delivery plans.
- Stakeholder Engagement and Influence - Act as a trusted advisor to the Customer Director and senior leadership, influencing decisions at Executive level and securing alignment across Heathrow and external partners.
- Innovation and Growth - Identify and incubate new commercial opportunities, partnering with strategy teams to develop business cases that unlock future revenue streams and enhance Heathrow's competitive position.
- Leadership and Culture - Role‐model Heathrow's values, creating an inclusive, high‐performing culture that empowers teams, builds capability, and drives continuous improvement.
These Skills Are Essential:
- Proven experience in shaping and delivering commercial strategies and integrated business plans within a complex, multi‐stakeholder environment.
- Strong track record of leading large‐scale investment programmes and business case development, ideally within regulated or capital‐intensive sectors.
- Demonstrated ability to influence and engage at Executive level, building trusted relationships and driving alignment across diverse stakeholder groups.
- Leadership experience in managing cross‐functional teams and virtual networks to deliver strategic outcomes.
- Exceptional analytical, financial, and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to translate insights into actionable plans.
- Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, capable of inspiring teams and influencing senior decision‐makers.
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.
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.
Head of Customer Strategy & Planning in London employer: Heathrow
Heathrow Airport is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment that fosters innovation and collaboration within its Customer team. With competitive salaries, generous benefits, and a commitment to employee growth through varied learning opportunities, Heathrow empowers its staff to thrive both personally and professionally. The hybrid working model and focus on inclusivity further enhance the appeal of joining a forward-thinking organisation that values diverse talent and sustainable practices.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Customer Strategy & Planning in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy to reach out on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand Heathrow's ambitions and how your skills align with their goals. This will help you stand out and show that you're genuinely interested in being part of their team.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain how your experience in shaping commercial strategies can benefit Heathrow. Keep it concise and impactful, focusing on how you can drive revenue growth and enhance customer experiences.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to engage directly with us. Let’s make it happen!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Customer Strategy & Planning in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to reflect the specific skills and experiences that align with the Head of Customer Strategy & Planning role. Highlight your experience in shaping commercial strategies and leading cross-functional teams, as these are key aspects of the job.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills:In your application, emphasise your leadership experience and how you've successfully managed large-scale investment programmes. Use examples that demonstrate your ability to influence at an executive level and foster collaboration across diverse teams.
Be Data-Driven:Since this role involves a lot of analytical thinking, make sure to include any relevant data or metrics that showcase your past successes. Whether it's revenue growth or successful project outcomes, numbers can really make your application stand out.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website for the best chance of success. This way, your application will be reviewed by the right people who are looking for talent like yours to join our dynamic team at Heathrow.
How to prepare for a job interview at Heathrow
✨Know Your Commercial Strategy
Before the interview, dive deep into Heathrow's commercial strategy and understand how it aligns with their long-term growth ambitions. Be ready to discuss how your experience in shaping commercial strategies can contribute to their goals.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your leadership experience, especially in managing cross-functional teams. Think about times when you inspired collaboration and drove strategic outcomes, as this will resonate well with the Customer Leadership Team.
✨Master Stakeholder Engagement
Be ready to discuss your approach to building trusted relationships with stakeholders at all levels. Share specific instances where you've influenced decisions and secured alignment across diverse groups, as this is crucial for the role.
✨Demonstrate Analytical Prowess
Brush up on your analytical and strategic thinking skills. Prepare to discuss how you've translated insights into actionable plans in previous roles, particularly in complex, multi-stakeholder environments, as this will be key to driving performance excellence.
