Senior Project Controller

Job description

Title: Senior Project Controller

Department: Infrastructure

Reports to: Head of Capital Delivery

Direct reports: 2x Project Managers

Work patterns: Full-time

Job purpose summary:

The Senior Project Controller is a leadership role within the Capital Delivery team at London Luton Airport. This role is accountable for the end-to-end oversight, control, and successful delivery of a portfolio of small to medium-sized capital projects, typically ranging from £250k to £5 million in value. These projects span multiple disciplines, including infrastructure, terminal operations, facilities, and enabling works.

The role combines strategic programme oversight with hands-on delivery leadership, ensuring that projects are scoped, planned, funded, and executed to meet time, cost, quality, and safety requirements. As a senior figure within the Infrastructure Directorate, the role will work cross-functionally and play a key part in stakeholder engagement, governance assurance, and alignment with corporate objectives.

Key responsibilities and accountabilities:

  • Lead the delivery of a portfolio of small to medium-sized capital projects, ensuring robust planning, cost control, and timely execution.
  • Provide senior oversight and direction to project managers, ensuring alignment to delivery methodologies, standards, and airport operational requirements.
  • Manage resource planning, programme sequencing, and interdependencies to optimise delivery and minimise operational disruption.
  • Provide strategic reporting on project progress, risks, issues, and financial performance to the Head of Capital Delivery and internal boards.
  • Ensure effective governance, including compliance with internal controls, approvals processes, and contract management standards.
  • Support the development of business cases, option appraisals, and investment submissions, working closely with Finance and Commercial teams.
  • Lead risk management across the portfolio, ensuring mitigation plans are implemented and monitored.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders, including Operations, Safety, Engineering, Procurement, and IT.
  • Oversee contractor and consultant performance, ensuring contractual obligations and project milestones are met.
  • Champion continuous improvement, lessons learned, and contribute to the development of delivery frameworks, tools, and best practices.

Qualifications required:

Essential

  • Significant project/programme management experience in infrastructure or construction, ideally in an operational airport, transport, or similarly regulated environment.
  • Proven track record of delivering multiple concurrent capital projects up to £5m in value.
  • Strong leadership and team management skills, with experience of leading other project managers or technical professionals. 
  • Deep understanding of project controls, planning, cost management, and governance requirements.
  • Commercial awareness with experience in contract management (e.g., NEC, JCT), procurement processes, and financial oversight.
  • Skilled in stakeholder engagement and communication, with the ability to influence at senior levels.
  • Demonstrable risk and change management capabilities across live operational environments.
  • Proficient in project management and reporting tools (e.g., MS Project, P6, Power BI, Excel).

Desirable

  • Degree in Engineering, Construction, Project Management, or related field.
  • Professional accreditation such as MAPM, PMP, MSP, or equivalent.
  • Familiarity with airport development standards and regulated project environments.
  • Health & Safety qualification (e.g., SMSTS, IOSH) beneficial.

This job description is intended to give an appreciation of the role and the range of duties and responsibilities to be undertaken. It does not attempt to detail every activity. Specific task and objectives will be agreed on an on-going basis. The post holder will be required at all times to perform any other reasonable tasks, as requested by the Line Manager in order to meet the operational needs of the business.

For any further information, please contact the Human Resources department [email protected] London Luton Airport Operations Ltd collects your personal information when you submit your application. For more details about the personal information LLA collects, how we collect it, why we need it, what we do with it, how long we keep it and what your rights are, please see our privacy notice at www.london-luton.co.uk/privacy-notice.

LLA is committed to fostering, promoting and preserving a culture of diversity, equality and inclusion, as we carry out our mission. We will always be respectful and seek to learn from those different from ourselves. We strive to be an equal opportunities employer and we are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee has a negative experience for being who they are. We welcome all applications!

To apply:

Please email your CV and covering letter to [email protected] using reference SPC1308 in the subject line. In the body of the email please make sure to include the following:

  • Current and expected salary
  • Notice period / availability to start
  • Right to work in the UK / sponsorship requirements
  • Whether you are happy to travel to Luton three days a week