Head of Customer Strategy

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.

We believe the best way to drive growth across our iconic airport is by improving the services offered within it. So although we know generating income is critical to driving our business forward, we’re also passionate about delivering the best possible passenger experience. You’ll help us to get the balance right - not least so we can continue investing in an airport that leads the world.

The Head of Customer Strategy and Planning is a member of the Customer Leadership Team (CLT) and Customer Strategy and Experience (CSE) Leadership Team. The role requires extensive management of cross-functional ‘virtual teams’ and very strong communication and stakeholder management skills in order to inspire and influence at Exec level across Heathrow and wider.

You will be responsible for:

- Setting and Driving Customer Strategy - Leading the strategic direction, aligning the Management Business Plan, Customer Capital Plan, and functional delivery plans to bring the strategy to life.
- Overseeing the Customer Capital Programme - Acting as ‘super sponsor’, chairing the Customer Capital Governance Group, and ensuring effective prioritisation and delivery on behalf of the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).
- Championing Engagement and Culture - Representing the CLT on engagement and wellbeing, and leading team-building activities to foster collaboration and high performance.

This role is instrumental in delivering future annual revenue and shaping Heathrow’s future service agenda, requiring strong cross-functional leadership and executive-level influence across HAL and Team Heathrow.

**Customer Strategy, Planning & Governance**
- Lead the development and integration of the Customer Strategy across H7 and H8, aligning the Management Business Plan and Customer Capital Plan into a cohesive roadmap.
- Oversee the ongoing maintenance and implementation of the Customer Strategy, ensuring alignment across the function and supporting CLT members in delivering their plans.
- Partner with the CCO and CLT to shape strategies that maximise revenue, profitability, sustainability, service and broader business outcomes.
- Ensure high standards of governance across Customer, including risk management, audits, delegated authorities, continuity planning, and policy compliance.
- Collaborate with central functions (e.g., Regulation, Legal, Finance, Comms, Solutions) to embed best practice and champion the use of high-quality management information.

**Capital Investment Leadership**
- Lead the Customer Capital Governance Group (a sub-committee of the Heathrow Investment Committee) and act as super sponsor for the £700m H7 Customer Capital Programme on behalf of the CCO.
- Drive timely progression of business cases through the Gateway process, providing hands-on support for complex investments and building capability across the Customer function.
- Represent Customer Revenue Capex in H8, both in strategy setting and delivery.

**Leadership Engagement & Delivery Activation**
- Lead planning and delivery of Customer Leadership Team (CLT) activities, including the quarterly ‘Growth’ agenda, team days, and workshops.
- Represent CLT in Extended Leadership Team (ELT) planning, organising quarterly sessions to align and engage wider leadership.
- Bring functional plans to life through regular Customer huddles, half-yearly events, and cross-functional engagement to ensure delivery of the strategy.
- Act as the focal point for Customer updates, reporting, and coordination across HAL, ensuring visibility and alignment of key initiatives and plans.

**Value Creation (Revenue and Service)**
- Lead early-stage incubation and business case development for new commercial opportunities identified through corporate strategy, especially those beyond existing functional remits.
- Partner with the Corporate Strategy team on strategic adjacencies and long-term growth initiatives.
- Driving strategic alignment between cross functional teams, including but not limited commercial and service considerations in T5 during H8.
- Experience in developing and delivering functional business plans and business cases.
- Experience of successfully managing a range of internal and external stakeholders, with the ability to communicate effectively and influence at all levels up to Exec level.
- Proven track record of delivery via complex matrix organisation and ‘virtual teams’.
- Experience of delivering large, preferably commercial, change program