TITLE: Transport Delivery Lead (£55k-£65k)
DEPARTMENT: Commercial - Surface Access
REPORTS TO: Senior Surface Access Manager
WORK PATTERNS: Full Time (hybrid)
Help shape the future of sustainable travel at one of the UK’s busiest airports. At London Luton Airport (LLA), delivering a seamless, modern, and sustainable public transport experience is essential to our ambition to be the UK’s simplest and friendliest major airport. As we grow, we’re working to ensure that millions more journeys are made by public and shared transport, making travel better for people, and reducing the impact of our operations.
The Surface Access team leads this mission, overseeing strategic planning and delivery of all ground transport services used by over 17 million passengers and more than 10,000 airport staff each year. We’ve also launched our Sustainable Investment Fund (SIF) a nascent and bold new portfolio of projects designed to drive modal shift across Rail, DART, Coach and Bus services.
Now we’re looking for a passionate and capable Transport Delivery Lead to join our small but influential team. If you thrive in a fast-moving, multi-stakeholder environment, and you want to make a genuine impact on the future of transport, this is your opportunity.
In return, we offer:
- Competitive salary
- Flexible hybrid working
- 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays)
- Generous company pension
- BUPA private health insurance
- Discounted rail season tickets and other travel perks
JOB PURPOSE SUMMARY:
The Transport Delivery Lead will work closely with the Senior Surface Access Manager to deliver a diverse programme of strategic transport initiatives aimed at increasing public transport usage to and from the airport. The role involves managing high-profile relationships, driving complex delivery programmes and unlocking funding and operational partnerships across both public and private sectors.
You will take a lead role in shaping LLA’s multi-modal transport offer, enhancing the passenger and staff experience, supporting decarbonisation goals and ensuring public transport keeps pace with the airport’s growth.
Working dynamically within the Surface Access team, and with departments from across the airport, you will also contribute to the development of our early career professionals with potential line management responsibility as the team continues to develop in response to LLA’s changing transport needs.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES:
- Manage key external relationships with transport operators (Rail, DART, Bus, Coach) and delivery partners to define outcomes and deliver initiatives on time and within budget.
- Lead working groups and workstreams within the Airport Transport Forum (ATF), including Rail, Highways, Coach and Bus, and build actionable consensus around shared priorities.
- Sponsor projects through internal governance processes, ensuring robust business cases, alignment with strategic goals and clear value for money.
- Collaborate with consultants and internal teams to shape and submit outcome-driven business cases, drawing on data, insight and emerging trends.
- Own and deliver key workstreams within the Sustainable Investment Fund (SIF), reporting on progress, risks and benefits realisation.
- Champion continuous improvement in the end-to-end transport experience, including infrastructure, service delivery, ticketing and information; both on- and off-airport.
- Deputise for the Senior Surface Access Manager in internal and external forums.
- Manage relationships with local and regional authorities, such as Luton, Central Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, including navigating political landscapes and unlocking funding or regulatory support.
- Identify and act on strategic risks and opportunities, using horizon scanning and sound judgement to stay ahead of potential blockers or enablers.
- Work cross-functionally with teams including Marketing, Legal, Procurement, Sustainability and Projects to ensure holistic programme delivery within a Transport context.
- Contribute to future thinking around transport technology, decarbonisation, behavioural change and customer experience.
SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
- Transport Planning Qualification and/or Experience - A relevant academic qualification such as an MSc in Transport Planning or professional accreditation such as TPP. Alternatively, significant demonstrable experience of the strategic planning and delivering transport projects in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
- Project and Programme Management - Proven experience delivering transport-related projects from concept through to implementation, including planning, stakeholder coordination, risk management and performance monitoring. Able to manage multiple workstreams under pressure while maintaining strategic focus.
- Problem Solving, Strategic Risk Awareness and Decision Making - Strong analytical skills with a forward-thinking approach to spotting challenges and opportunities early. Skilled in navigating ambiguity, balancing trade-offs and making clear, evidence-based decisions that protect delivery and unlock progress.
- Stakeholder Management, Communication and Influence - Excellent relationship-building and influencing skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across diverse stakeholder groups. Confident operating at senior levels in both the public and private sectors, with strong political, transport industry, and commercial awareness.
- Business Case Development and Strategic Planning - Experience preparing business cases aligned to funding objectives and wider policy goals. Able to distil complex transport, commercial and technical considerations into persuasive strategic narratives.
- Customer-Centric and Inclusive Approach - Awareness of how transport interventions affect different user groups. Committed to improving accessibility, inclusivity and the end-to-end travel experience for passengers and staff alike. Some understanding of the challenges and constraints of working in a live operational setting, particularly within a regulated, safety-critical or 24/7 environment such as an airport or transport hub would be beneficial.
- Data, Budget Management and Future Insight - Comfortable working with data to track performance, monitor impact and inform decisions, including financial. Able to translate insight into actionable recommendations and measurable benefits. An interest and or experience in emerging technologies, digital tools, Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), or innovative service delivery models that enhance public transport efficiency and user experience is also highly desirable.
- Leadership and Accountability - Takes ownership of projects and outcomes, with the ability to lead through influence and drive change across organisational boundaries. A natural collaborator with resilience and adaptability.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:
We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the communities we serve. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds
and experiences, especially those traditionally underrepresented in the transport and infrastructure sectors.
