Head of Capital Efficiency & Delivery

Requirements of the role

We are the UK’s aviation and aerospace regulator and recognised as a world leader in its field. Our activities are diverse, enabling the aviation industry to meet the highest safety standards, and we pride ourselves on our ability to adapt to the constantly evolving aviation environment.

The role

The Economic Regulation and Competition Policy (ERCP) team is a vital part of the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Consumers and Markets Group (CMG). It protects consumers by ensuring that airports and air traffic service (ATS) providers do not exploit their market position, oversees the CAA’s competition responsibilities and provides economics input and support to the CAA’s wider policies and initiatives. The team is responsible for the economic regulation of Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL), Gatwick Airport Limited (GAL) and the monopoly air traffic services provider for the UK, NATS (En Route) Plc (NERL). Understanding the impact of policy options and our actions is essential in ensuring we protect the interests of consumers, while enabling wider aviation policy. 

We are looking for a highly experienced expert in capital expenditure and infrastructure projects to play a key role in leading significant elements of our work in the regulation of airports and NATS, and policy input to programmes across the CAA. Reporting to a Programme Director, as the Head of Capital Efficiency and Delivery, you will lead on key policy issues to support the successful delivery of high value capital programmes, by managing the work of economists and policy experts in the team, and overseeing the commission and delivery of work by consultants. 

We expect the initial focus of this role to be on developing our approach to the implementation and oversight of regulated companies’ capital programmes. The challenge will be to ensure we can provide effective analysis and scrutiny of key technical investment proposals from the regulated companies, including monitoring of costs and efficiency, the delivery of benefits and implementation of incentives around timely delivery. This is also likely to include work on the scrutiny and oversight of regulated companies’ proposed capital expenditure as part of price control reviews and airport capacity expansion. We will need to be flexible to changes in specific responsibilities and work areas over time as the teams’ work programmes and priorities evolve.

You will be responsible for developing and delivering cohesive work plans, identifying the best approach to analysis and oversight, and engaging with senior level stakeholders. You will be responsible for the timely delivery of robust, evidence based and assured technical analysis and policy to support key decisions that stand up to intense legal and stakeholder scrutiny, applying first principles to solve important issues and the production of high-quality documents for publication – excellent drafting and editing skills are an essential requirement of the post.

This role is permanent and offers the opportunity for professional development, through working within a highly experienced team, directly influencing and engaging with senior leaders, and working across a wide variety of high profile and interesting economic and policy issues.

We understand that work-life balance is key and would be happy to consider those seeking part time work and/or a job share as well as those seeking a full-time role. We operate (and are committed to) a hybrid working model, with the flexibility to work remotely for part of the week. The team currently requires attendance in the office around one and half days per week for full-time employees (pro rata for part time colleagues) on average and we will keep this under review based on team needs.

Core accountabilities

The Head of Capital Efficiency and Delivery will be responsible for:

• Leading the delivery of key elements of policy development on the economic regulation of airports and air traffic services, including our approach to the implementation and oversight of regulated companies’ capital programmes, and scrutiny of companies’ proposed capital expenditure as part of price control reviews and capacity expansion;
• Where appropriate, supporting wider CAA work on areas of consumer policy, aviation markets, and new innovations and technologies.
• Ensuring key deliverables are clear, on time, produced to a high quality, robust to external challenge and scrutiny, and supported by appropriate quality assurance processes. This includes reviewing and drafting consultation, decision and policy papers that cover difficult technical issues as well as issues with the potential to generate intense media and stakeholder interest. It also includes the drafting and quality assurance of CAA board papers.
• Developing the overall approach to senior engagement with key internal and external stakeholders on the range of policy issues and engaging at a senior level with key stakeholders on a wide range of issues.
• Overseeing the work of our economists and policy experts, technical advisors and consultants.
• Reviewing and challenging regulatory business plans and submissions from other stakeholders.
• Working closely with the Programme Directors to ensure work is fully coordinated across the wider ERCP work programmes.
• Providing advice to the Programme Directors, Economics Director, Chief Economist, the CAA Executive Committee and Board as required.
• Development and empowering of team members, through opportunities to develop skills and training, as a senior leader in the team.
• Championing CAA values and D&I policy.

View on member website