Principal Airport Planner

Mott MacDonald; Croydon; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

An engineering consultancy in the UK is looking for a Principal Airport Planner. This role involves managing airport planning projects and requires a degree in aeronautical or civil engineering along with significant experience in the aviation industry. The ideal candidate will have excellent project management skills, aptitude for training staff, and fluency in English. This position offers a chance to work in a globally respected team contributing to impactful infrastructure developments.

Benefits

Private medical insurance

Health cash plan

Professional development opportunities

Flexible holiday policies

Qualifications

• Significant experience in the aviation industry.
• Chartership qualification desirable but not essential.
• Demonstrable professional experience in various technical fields of airport planning.

Responsibilities

• Manage and deliver airport planning projects.
• Handle capacity and demand analysis tasks.
• Develop and mentor junior staff members.

Skills

Experience in airport planning

Project management

Fluency in English

Ability to train junior staff

Collaboration skills

Education

Degree in aeronautical or civil engineering

Degree in architecture or airport planning

Tools

AutoCAD Civil 3D

Power BI

Job description

Location: London or Croydon, UK
Recruiter contact: Ainsley Anstess

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.

About the business unit: 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.

Overview of the role

Our specialist aviation team is based in London, UK and Madrid, Spain and delivers major airport planning and development projects globally, working collaboratively with our regional offices. We are seeking a Principal Airport Planner with a relevant qualification and professional aviation industry experience to join our aviation team, based in the UK.

The candidate will be part of a globally respected and diverse team of airport planners, airfield engineers and forecast, capacity and business analysts. 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.

Key responsibilities and duties

• 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.
• Deliver, coordinate and manage airport planning & capacity tasks in all aspects of airports including airfield and apron, terminals and satellite buildings, landside transport, ancillary/support facilities and utilities.
• Take on responsibilities of a 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.
• Be able to pass on your technical knowledge to new graduates, training them up on projects that you are managing.
• 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 professional with experience and a genuine passion for the aviation industry.

Requirements:

• A degree in aeronautical engineering, civil engineering, architecture, air transport management, or airport planning. Candidates with economics, sustainability, finance or business‑related studies may also be considered.
• Fluency in English – knowledge of other languages will be valued.
• 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 more than one technical field within airport planning (airfield & apron, 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 approach to problem solving and with the ability to apply critical thinking.
• 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 to deliver commercially successful projects.
• Ability to manage and supervise more junior staff members, including the ability to train them in developing new skills.
• Excellent verbal communication and presentation skills, which allow you to communicate effectively with colleagues and clients.
• Excellent written communication and attention to detail, being able to produce accurate technical drawings and professional reports.
• Ability to build and nurture client relationships, to identify and secure opportunities for follow‑on work and win new prospects.
• Proficient in Word, PowerPoint and Excel (Power BI desirable).
• Ability to manage others to work efficiently in drawing 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 terminal and the ability to manage others to use them to deliver capacity and demand analysis outputs.

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as 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.

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 [e-mail] 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.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, please contact us.