Head of Capital Efficiency & Delivery

Civil Aviation Authority; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 97,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the UK's aviation and aerospace regulator. We regulate airports and air traffic services, oversee price controls and investment oversight, and guide policy programmes across the organisation.

This permanent, full-time role leads capital efficiency and delivery work, reporting to senior leadership and coordinating cross-team analysis. Based in London with hybrid working (about two days in-office per week), the role focuses on monitoring capital expenditure,

Qualifications

• Experience working on large infrastructure projects, with responsibility for technical analysis and delivering work through others.
• Ability to design regulatory frameworks, assess costs and efficiency, or design incentives and mechanisms for sharing risk.

Responsibilities

• Lead key areas of policy development for the economic regulation of airports and air traffic services, including capital programmes and expenditure scrutiny.
• Coordinate analysis and oversight to support timely, robust decisions and ensure publications are clear and defensible under external scrutiny.
• Oversee the work of economists, policy experts, advisers and consultants; provide advice to Programme Directors and Board as required.
• Develop engagement with senior stakeholders and empower team members through training and development.

Job description

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Head of Capital Efficiency & Delivery

Date: 14 Oct 2026

Location: London, GB

Salary: £97,000 up to £100,000 dependent upon experience

Contract Type: Permanent, Full-time. Part-time or FTC appointments are also available.

Security Level: BPSS

Location: London, Canary Wharf – 40% in the office per week.

Visa Restrictions: This position does not offer visa sponsorship

Closing Date: 6th November 2026

Shortlist: 23rd November 2026

Interview Date: 7th and 8th December 2026

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 part of the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Consumers and Markets Group (CMG). We protect consumers by ensuring that airports and air traffic service providers do not exploit their market position. We also oversee the CAA’s competition responsibilities and provide economic analysis and advice for its wider policies and initiatives.

The team is responsible for the economic regulation of Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL), Gatwick Airport Limited (GAL) and NATS (En Route) Plc (NERL), the UK’s monopoly provider of en route air traffic services. Understanding the effects of policy options and our actions is essential to protecting consumers’ interests while supporting wider aviation policy.

We are looking for an experienced professional with expertise in capital expenditure and infrastructure projects to lead significant parts of our work on the regulation of airports and NATS, and contribute to policy programmes across the CAA.

Reporting to a Programme Director, you will lead work on key policy issues that support the successful delivery of high-value capital programmes. You will manage the work of economists and policy experts and oversee the commissioning and delivery of consultancy work.

Your initial focus is expected to be developing our approach to the implementation and oversight of regulated companies’ capital programmes. You will help ensure that we can analyse and scrutinise their key technical investment proposals effectively. This will include monitoring costs and efficiency, assessing whether benefits are delivered, and implementing incentives for timely delivery.

The role is also likely to include scrutinising and overseeing proposed capital expenditure as part of price control reviews and airport capacity expansion. Your responsibilities and areas of work will need to adapt as the team’s programmes and priorities change.

You will develop and deliver coordinated work plans, identify the most effective approach to analysis and oversight, and engage with senior stakeholders. You will ensure that technical analysis and policy are delivered on time, supported by robust evidence and appropriate quality assurance. This work will inform key decisions and must respond effectively to legal and stakeholder scrutiny.

You will apply first principles to resolve important issues and produce high‑quality documents for publication. Excellent drafting and editing skills are essential.

This permanent role offers opportunities for professional development. You will work with a highly experienced team, engage with and directly influence senior leaders, and contribute to a wide range of high‑profile economic and policy issues.

We recognise the importance of work‑life balance and welcome candidates seeking part‑time work, a job share or a full‑time role. We are committed to hybrid working, with flexibility to work remotely for part of the week. Full‑time team members currently attend the office for an average of around two days per week, with attendance adjusted proportionately for part‑time colleagues. We will keep this arrangement under review based on the team’s needs.

As Head of Capital Efficiency and Delivery, you will:

• Lead key areas of policy development for the economic regulation of airports and air traffic services. This includes our approach to implementing and overseeing regulated companies’ capital programmes and scrutinising proposed capital expenditure as part of price control reviews and capacity expansion.
• Where appropriate, support wider CAA work on consumer policy, aviation markets, and new innovations and technologies.
• Ensure that key deliverables are clearly defined, delivered on time and of a high standard, with appropriate quality assurance so they are supported by robust evidence and can be effectively defended under external scrutiny. Review and draft consultation, decision and policy papers covering difficult technical issues, including issues that may attract intense media and stakeholder interest. Draft and quality‑assure papers for the CAA Board.
• Develop the overall approach to engagement with senior internal and external stakeholders and engage directly with them on a wide range of policy issues.
• Oversee the work of economists, policy experts, technical advisers and consultants.
• Critically evaluate regulatory business plans and submissions from other stakeholders.
• Work closely with the Programme Directors to coordinate your work with the wider ERCP work programmes.
• Provide advice to the Programme Directors, Economics Director, Chief Economist, CAA Executive Committee and Board, as required.
• As a senior leader in the team, develop and empower team members through training and opportunities to build their skills.
• Champion the CAA’s values and diversity and inclusion policy.

About You

Capital expenditure and infrastructure expertise

• A track record of working on large infrastructure projects, including responsibility for technical analysis and delivering work through others. Relevant experience would include reviewing the technical design and procurement of large projects; designing regulatory frameworks; assessing costs and efficiency; or designing appropriate incentives and mechanisms for sharing risk.

Senior analysis and policy development

• Experience at a senior level of planning and carrying out analysis and policy development, in a government department, regulator, regulated company or another relevant setting. Demonstrate the ability to design and oversee complex analysis, assess evidence and assumptions, and use the analysis to make recommendations on the design of the regulatory framework to further the interests of consumers.
• The ability to develop effective work programmes for the CAA’s economic regulation. This includes defining the work required, setting priorities and timescales, and coordinating analysis and oversight to support timely, robust decisions.

Communication, stakeholder engagement and informed decision‑making

• The ability to explain complex analysis clearly to a wide range of audiences, including non‑economists. You should be able to scrutinise work by consultants, influence stakeholders and respond constructively to different perspectives and communicate evidence‑based recommendations.

Clear drafting and editing for publication

• You should have Proven drafting and editing ability, with a track record of producing clear, concise written material for publication. The ability to structure and present complex technical issues in a clear and accessible way, with appropriate attention to detail.

Multidisciplinary teamwork and delivery through others

• Experience of working in multidisciplinary teams and delivering work through team members. Evidence of coordinating contributions from different disciplines, setting clear expectations and supporting colleagues to develop their skills and deliver high‑quality work.

Additional Information

For many appointments within the CAA, these roles require access to operationally sensitive infrastructure and/or Nationally Protected information. For these roles the post holders must undergo National Security Vetting and achieve the appropriate level of clearance.

To be vetted you must have the right to work in the UK so that meaningful checks can be undertaken.

If you do not meet these requirements, we may not be able to accept your application.

The CAA is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and ethical conduct. To help ensure transparency and protect the independence and reputation of the CAA, candidates invited to interview will be required to complete a Declaration of Interests form, disclosing any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could influence, or be seen to influence, their ability to perform the role objectively and impartially.

Relocation & Property

The CAA will be relocating from Aviation House (Our Gatwick Office) to new premises in a few years’ time. Our move is driven by strategic, operational and environmental considerations.

We will be moving to a new local home, up to a 15-mile radius of Aviation House, to minimise disruption for our valued colleagues and customers.

We are now working with colleagues and visitors to understand what we need in our new office, before we start our property search. We will sell Aviation House and land, vacate the site and move to new premises, but we do not expect to move before 2028

Inclusive Recruitment

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcome applications from all backgrounds. As a Disability Confident employer, candidates who meet the minimum requirements will be guaranteed an interview. Find out more about the Disability Confident Scheme . If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Use of Artificial Intelligenceby candidates in the CAA recruitment process

We recognise that many of our candidates find Artificial Intelligence to be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factuallyaccurateand taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has beenidentified(presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be rejected on that basis.

Working With Us

Explore What We Offer section on our careers website to find out about our benefits and how we support work-life balance.

Our Values

Do The Right Thing, Never Stop Learning, Build Collaborative Relationships, Respect Everyone – For more information please Click Here

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