Principal Project Manager

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. This includes meeting the changing needs of passengers, colleagues and partners who use our airport for 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 large‑scale projects, from transforming terminals to reducing our carbon emissions.

A Principal Project Manager at Heathrow will provide senior leadership across a portfolio of complex infrastructure projects. The role is accountable for leading and developing Project Managers, providing first‑line assurance, and acting as the escalation point to ensure delivery aligns with Heathrow’s strategic, commercial and operational priorities. Operating in a highly regulated live airport environment, the role balances safety, performance, cost, risk and benefits while maintaining strong stakeholder relationships and driving high‑performing supply chain outcomes.

Your role will involve:

• Building capability by leading and developing Project Managers and technical specialists, deploying resources effectively and promoting a culture of safe, accountable, inclusive delivery.
• Acting as the single point of leadership for the portfolio, defining clear scope, securing appropriate resourcing, and maintaining control of cost, time, risk and benefits across the project lifecycle.
• Building strong internal and external relationships to strengthen Heathrow’s delivery capability and ensure programme performance meets commercial and operational expectations.
• Providing first‑line assurance across project documentation, challenging proposals to ensure plans are robust, portfolio‑aligned and deliver agreed outcomes safely, efficiently and to the required quality.
• Leading and holding accountability for supply chain performance, enabling teams to operate effectively, work efficiently and achieve consistently high‑performing delivery.
• Leading and taking accountability for team health, safety and wellbeing, ensuring Construction Design and Management Regulations (CDM) duties are met across all activities.

These Skills Are Essential:

• Highly effective communicator with strong interpersonal, coordination and stakeholder management skills, able to work effectively across multicultural and multidisciplinary teams.
• Comfortable working across all levels of the organisation, highly effective in conflict resolution, building relationships with key stakeholders, and aware of personal strengths and weaknesses.
• Proven experience autonomously leading, managing and developing diverse teams on large infrastructure projects or programmes.
• Good understanding of balancing operational, commercial and strategic priorities to deliver measurable value, optimise cost efficiency and support long‑term business performance.
• Experienced practitioner of contracts (ideally NEC) and supply chain performance management, including developing proposals for pricing, setting up and executing contracts, undertaking tenders and administering delivery including change.
• Experienced practitioner of project controls, including developing project forecasts and understanding earned value, programme reliability and projected outturn costs.
• Experienced practitioner of project and business risk management, including identification, assessment and development of mitigation strategies. Demonstrable experience of applying these to support project success.

Ideally you will have:

• Degree qualification in an appropriate discipline or equivalent academic achievement.
• Working towards APM Chartered Project Professional (CPP), achieved APM PMQ or equivalent.
• Achieved NEC accreditation.

We offer a hybrid working approach with the opportunity for colleagues to work from home for an average of two days a week, while ensuring we deliver on operational needs. Working arrangements vary from team to team and will be confirmed during the recruitment process. Candidates must 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.