Airfield Operations Officer

As an Airfield Operations Officer at Heathrow, you’ll play a vital role in keeping one of the world’s busiest airports running safely and efficiently. You’ll be part of the Airfield Operations team, working closely with Airside Safety, Air Traffic Control, Engineering, and Airline partners to ensure the smooth and compliant operation of the airfield. This role is central to maintaining safety, minimising disruption, and supporting Heathrow’s commitment to operational excellence and sustainability.

You’ll join a team that operates 24/7, ensuring that every aircraft movement, inspection, and response is handled with precision and professionalism. Success in this role means maintaining the highest standards of safety, responding swiftly to incidents, and contributing to continuous improvement across airfield operations

 

 

• Conducting regular airfield inspections to ensure compliance with safety and operational standards. 
• Coordinating with Air Traffic Control, airlines, and ground handlers to manage aircraft movements and stand allocations. 
• Responding to airfield incidents, hazards, and emergencies, ensuring timely communication and resolution. 
• Supporting winter operations, including runway condition assessments and coordination of snow and ice control activities. 
• Monitoring and reporting on airfield works, ensuring minimal disruption to operations and adherence to safety protocols. 
• Contributing to operational planning, audits, and continuous improvement initiatives within the Airfield Operations team
• Minimise the wildlife hazard risk to aircraft by detecting, identifying and dispersing birds with the use of specialist equipment and firearms.
• Act as first line response for airfield incidents, ensuring compliance with regulations, safety instructions and Heathrow By Laws, and that incident reporting is completed. The AA will minimise operations disruption and work with all stakeholders to manage incidents, escalating as required. 

 

 

 

• Strong understanding of airfield operations, aviation safety, and regulatory compliance. 
• Excellent communication and coordination skills, with the ability to work effectively under pressure. 
• Proven ability to make sound decisions in dynamic and time-critical situations. 
• Experience in operational or safety-critical environments, ideally within aviation or transport sectors. 
• Competent in using digital tools and systems for reporting, monitoring, and communication. 
• Full UK driving licence and ability to obtain an airside driving permit. 
• Ability to obtain a Firearms license - for this please review the met police website to fully understand the requirements. 

 

There’s nothing quite like the buzz you’ll feel when you’re playing a crucial role at the heart of one of the busiest airports in the world. With more than 1,000 arriving and departing flights on a normal day, the Airside and Airspace Operations team works with customers and suppliers to ensure the safe, efficient and effective operation of the airfield and aircraft. Every day, you’ll discover a world of fresh possibilities, when every decision taken has a real impact on the way our whole airport operates. 

You’ll join a high-performing team with a wide range of skills and a shared passion to make every journey better. You’ll be part of a team that not only delivers a safe and efficient operation every day but is also at the cutting edge of innovation, crafting and delivering new technology and infrastructure. Whether your role is to improve process efficiency, monitor aircraft movements or oversee safety measures, you’ll be vital to the continuing smooth running of our airport. 

There’s something so special about working at the world’s most iconic airport. Its sights. Its sounds. Its constant air of excitement. Heathrow is an amazing backdrop to a career filled with unique opportunities.  

Every day, you’ll discover a world full of fresh possibilities and come home buzzing with stories to tell, as you encounter people from all cultures, nationalities and experiences. A world full of pride for what we do and no end of exciting career prospects to explore.  

It brings out the best in all of us. And inspires everyone to deliver on our ambitious plans. Together, we’re working to welcome millions more passengers while ensuring aviation can continue to be a force for good by leading global efforts in sustainability. 

Join us on that journey and we'll help you achieve your ambitions too. Supporting you to learn, encouraging you to be yourself, backing you to achieve more than you might ever have imagined. Because there’s no place like Heathrow.  

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 our 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. Here you’ll find everything you need for a fulfilling career journey that can take you in exciting directions.

Working location

This is an airport-based position. Every day, you will play a critical role in helping us to give our passengers the best airport service in the world.
 
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, and through our diversity networks, we champion inclusivity and celebrate individuality.