Principal Airfield Planner

Locations

Croydon, London

Recruiter Contact

Ainsley Anstess

About The Business Unit

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices. We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual. Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee‑owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

Overview Of Role

We help conceive, drive, and implement transport solutions for cities, regions, and asset owners/operators around the globe. From preparing the business case and advising on related issues – such as revenue, procurement, and environmental legislation – to delivering the completed infrastructure and helping maintain it. Our planning, engineering, environmental and management skills cover the whole project cycle. We play a major role in developing and delivering the Global Transport Sector Strategy.

We are looking for a Principal Airfield Planner with a relevant qualification and professional aviation industry experience to join our aviation team, based in the UK. Ideally the candidate will also have a chartership with a relevant institution. The successful candidate will be part of a dynamic team, actively participating in the delivery of airport planning assignments across the world and for a large variety of airports and clients. The aviation team takes great pride in its diverse workforce – in fact we feel that cultural and personal diversity is one of the key strengths of our team. Our aviation team consists of planners, engineers, project managers and analysts with over 20 different nationalities, working together to deliver world‑class airport consultancy services to our clients.

We provide planning, engineering and analytical services for all sizes of airports: ranging from small regional airports to some of the biggest and best airports in the world, including London Heathrow, Hong Kong International Airport, Singapore Changi and New York JFK. As one of the world’s most experienced aviation consultancies, our client portfolio includes airports, governments, civil aviation authorities, airport companies, equity investors and providers of debt finance.

Our mission is to always connect globally, seek and open opportunities for clients and continue supporting the sustainable growth of our aviation sector. As such, it is not uncommon that during your time with Mott MacDonald you may have the opportunity to travel overseas or be seconded to another office for project related work.

Key Responsibilities

• Be a technical specialist with expertise in airfield planning and operations, having experience of all airfield facilities and types from multi‑runway systems to small regional airports.
• Be able to train others in this specialist field, nurturing junior members of the team and helping them to develop their airfield planning expertise.
• Be responsible for the management and delivery of a variety of projects including airport masterplans, airport facility planning, capacity and demand analysis and simulation modelling.
• Coordinate, manage and deliver airport planning & capacity tasks in all aspects of airports including airfield and apron, terminals and satellite buildings, landside transport, ancillary/support facilities and utilities.
• Be responsible as the Project Manager for medium to large‑sized projects and significant technical airport planning workstreams.
• Continue to learn and practice new people management skills including managing larger planning project teams and nurturing and developing junior members of staff as a line manager.
• Nurture relationships with clients and key project stakeholders on the projects you manage, to ensure successful delivery and satisfied customers, while seeking to identify new opportunities.
• Be responsible for the co‑ordination, management, production and submission of quality proposals, winning work for the team.
• Collaborate with and learn from other disciplines in our aviation team, including airfield engineering, transaction advisory, forecasting, project & asset management, and business planning.

Candidate Specification

We are looking for a flexible and motivated person with a genuine passion for the aviation industry and a desire to make a difference in the world, with an appreciation for sustainability. We are recruiting a diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve. We recognise that differences in ability, skills and experience are a strength and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds.

• A degree in aeronautical engineering, civil engineering, air transport management, or airport planning. Candidates with other relevant qualifications may be considered.
• Significant experience in the aviation industry, with a chartership qualification or the ability to demonstrate equivalent transferable skills from another relevant industry.
• Demonstrable professional experience in multiple technical fields within airport planning (airfield & aprons, operations, terminal, landside, utilities, airspace, etc.) is expected and required.
• Chartership is not essential to apply for this role but is expected of a candidate who has qualifications aligned with a professional institution.

Desired Characteristics

• Proactive and with a learning mindset.
• Foster teamwork and collaboration in others as part of a multi‑disciplinary team and a diverse range of projects.
• Methodical problem solver with critical thinking and the ability to find and prove the best solutions.
• Ability to organise, manage and supervise medium projects to large workstreams, including resources across various disciplines.
• Expertise in project and programme management with contractual knowledge and the ability deliver commercially successful projects.
• Ability to manage and supervise project teams, including the ability to train junior staff in developing new skills.
• Excellent verbal communication and presentation skills, which allow you to present work to clients at all levels.
• Ability to build and nurture client relationships, to identify and secure opportunities for follow‑on work and win new prospects.
• Excellent written communication and attention to detail, being able to produce accurate technical drawings and professional reports.
• Proficient in Word, PowerPoint and Excel (Power BI desirable).
• Ability to manage others to work efficiently in drawings platforms, such as AutoCAD Civil 3D, AviPlan, Infraworks, Navisworks, Revit, etc. to produce airfield and terminal spatial planning outputs.
• Knowledge of simulation & modelling tools for airfield and the ability to manage others to use them.

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Agile Working

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well‑being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

Benefits

Health and Wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with everyday health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing programme, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Financial Wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 × your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 × your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long‑term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33–35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high‑street retailers.

Enhanced Family and Carers Leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.

Learning and Development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self‑development options.

Networks, Communities, and Social Outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.

Contract Information

Contract Type: Permanent

Work Pattern: Full Time

Market: Transport

Discipline: Aviation

Job Ref: 12980

Recruiter Contact: Ainsley Anstess