The Head of Major Displaced Uses holds senior responsibility for directing Heathrow's strategy for acquiring and relocating seven operationally critical occupiers impacted by major infrastructure development. Operating in a highly complex commercial, political and regulatory environment, the role provides authoritative leadership across negotiations, land strategy, operational continuity and stakeholder influence, ensuring Heathrow's long-term capacity objectives are delivered while protecting day-to‑day resilience.
Responsibilities
* Lead the long‑term strategy for acquiring and relocating displaced users, ensuring alignment with Heathrow's masterplan, regulatory commitments, programme outcomes, and wider airport growth objectives.
* Act as the senior subject‑matter authority on displacement, representing strategy at executive governance forums and providing scenario analysis, risk positions, and strategic recommendations to senior decision‑makers.
* Lead complex, multi‑dimensional negotiations covering land acquisition, hybrid compensation, re‑provisioning, relocations, and commercial settlements, balancing commercial value, legal robustness, and political and community sensitivities.
* Direct the design and delivery of relocation and re‑provisioning strategies, ensuring solutions are feasible, compliant, minimise operational disruption, and integrate effectively with planning, engineering, operations and programme controls.
* Oversee external commercial, technical, and valuation advisors and manage a high‑performing team of Project Managers, ensuring outputs meet strategic intent, budget parameters, governance standards and programme risk appetite.
* Identify, assess and mitigate strategic, legal, commercial, political and operational risks across all displacement activity, ensuring compliance with legislative frameworks, robust audit trails and high‑quality board‑level reporting and evidence for scrutiny.
Qualifications
* Extensive senior experience in major infrastructure, regeneration or development projects that include land acquisition, displacement or re‑provisioning of significant occupiers.
* Proven capability leading complex, politically or commercially sensitive negotiations with senior external stakeholders.
* Strong leadership experience managing multidisciplinary delivery teams in high‑risk, high‑value programme environments.
* Deep understanding of commercial structures, valuation, land strategy and compensation frameworks.
* Ability to shape long‑term strategies, influence senior leaders and operate with autonomy in ambiguous, high‑pressure scenarios.
* Strong financial and commercial literacy, with ability to interpret valuations, business cases and cost models.
Ideally
* Degree in Property, Planning, Law, Engineering or related field.
* Professional membership (RICS, RTPI, APM or equivalent).
* Experience of compulsory purchase, hybrid compensation schemes and NSIP/DCO‑style planning regimes.
Our rewards
We offer competitive salaries and excellent benefits that will support you now and in the future. As well as performance‑based annual bonuses and 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 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.
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