Head of Inventory & Material Planning

Reference 12414 Closing date 26/10/2026 Brand British Airways Career area Engineering Contract type Permanent Full Time Location Heathrow Airport, London

A career without limits

As the nation’s flag carrier, we take great pride in connecting Britain with the world and the world with Britain.

It’s something we’ve been doing for over 100 years, ever since we launched the world’s first international scheduled air service between London and Paris.

This originality has been in our blood since day one. It’s the spirit we share with the people that fly with us, our partners, and our colleagues.

So, whether you are a reassuring voice on the end of a phone, a smile at the door, under a wing keeping the turbines spinning or landing us gently in far-flung places, a job at British Airways is yours to make.

We know great things can happen when you’re inspired to think big and bring your ambition to work every day, which is why, at British Airways the sky is never the limit.

The role:

Head of Inventory & Material Planning

Every aircraft depends on thousands of parts and components being available when they're needed. Long before an engineer requests a part, decisions have been made about what should be stocked, where it should be held and how future requirements will be met.

As Head of Inventory & Material Planning, you'll lead the strategy behind British Airways Engineering's inventory and rotable asset portfolio. You'll oversee forecasting, provisioning and lifecycle planning, helping the business strike the right balance between availability, resilience and cost.

Leading a team of around 80 specialists, you'll influence how British Airways plans for future maintenance requirements, fleet demands and asset investments. This is an opportunity to lead one of the largest and most complex inventory portfolios in the aviation industry and make decisions that will affect the business for years to come.

What You'll Do

Lead inventory and material planning strategy across Engineering.

Oversee demand forecasting, provisioning and asset lifecycle planning.

Ensure materials are available to support maintenance programmes, fleet requirements and aircraft recovery activity.

Manage inventory investment, capital expenditure and asset value.

Strengthen supply chain resilience through effective planning and governance.

Build strong relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders.

Lead, coach and develop a large multi-disciplinary team.

What You'll Bring

Strong inventory, material planning or asset management expertise.

The ability to make informed decisions using data and insight.

Commercial awareness and an understanding of balancing availability with cost.

Experience managing large asset portfolios and long-term planning horizons.

Strong stakeholder management skills.

A track record of building capability and leading large teams.

Qualifications / Experience

Significant senior leadership experience in inventory, material planning, supply chain, asset management or engineering operations within a complex operational environment - essential

Experience working within aviation, aerospace, engineering, transport or another safety-critical regulated industry.

Strong knowledge of maintenance planning, material availability, rotable asset management and lifecycle decision-making - essential

Proven experience managing significant inventory budgets, capital expenditure, supplier relationships and cost optimisation initiatives.

Demonstrable experience leading multi-disciplinary teams, building capability and delivering performance through others.

* Degree-level qualification or equivalent professional experience in engineering, supply chain, logistics, business or a related discipline; relevant professional accreditation desirable.

What we offer:

We believe that all the people who work with us should feel valued for the part they play. It’s one of the reasons our rewards go far beyond a competitive salary.

From the day you join us, you’ll get access to brilliant staff travel benefits including unlimited basic and premium standby tickets on British Airways flights. You’ll also receive up to 30 discounted ‘Hotline’ airfares per year for yourself, friends, and family.

At British Airways you’ll have the chance to take on new challenges and move forward in a way that feels right for you. We encourage all those who work for us to consider opportunities right across our business to help you develop and progress.

We never stand still, and we don’t expect our people to either.

Inclusion & Diversity

At British Airways we all have a part to play in creating an inclusive place to work. Diverse representation among our people is really important to us and we recognise that all our colleagues are uniquely different and bring their own originality, creativity and identity to work.

Inclusion and diversity is a key driver of innovation and we’re committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they can be themselves. We’re looking for people from all backgrounds and cultures to join us and be a part of our journey to become a Better BA as we continue to connect Britain with the world and the world with Britain.