Graduate Lighting Designer

Job Description

We bring projects to life in the cities and communities in which we work, and we’re driven by a set of values and a common purpose — to create, enhance and sustain the world’s built, natural and social environments. Innovation is built into every project we manage and every community we serve. We’ll provide you support in an environment that allows you to grow and succeed.

AECOM Lighting Design provides comprehensive, independent lighting design services on a broad range of projects worldwide. We are looking for a self-motivated, ambitious and creative graduate to work alongside experienced Lighting Designers, Engineers and Architects.

If you have a passion for light and design, work well within a team, are committed to continuous learning and development, we would like to hear from you.

AECOM is a place where you can put your innovative thinking and business skills into high gear and work alongside other highly intelligent and motivated people. It's a place where you can apply your skills to some of the world's most challenging, interesting and meaningful projects worldwide. It's a place that values the diversity of our areas of practice and our people. It's what makes AECOM a great place to work and grow. AECOM is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Examples of the projects the Lighting team are involved in include

• Serpentine Pavilion, London. Lighting design for a temporary feature pavilion in Kensington Gardens commissioned annually since 2000. Each year an internationally recognised architect / artist is invited to design and create their first built structure in England: the Serpentine Pavilion. Our role involves design collaboration to realise the diverse and innovative visions. The commissions have been awarded to creatives including: Sou Fujimoto (2013), Smiljan Radic (2014), Selgas Cano Architects (2015), BIG (2016), Francis Kere (2017), Frida Escobedo (2018) and Junya Ishigami (2019).
• Dubai World Expo, UAE . Between October 2020 and April 2022, Dubai hosted the next World Expo. Bringing together more than 180 nations and an international audience of 25 million visitors, it will be one of the greatest shows on Earth. On a 438 hectare site, Expo provided visitors with the chance to see spectacular architecture, merge with global cultures, examine thoughtful and thought provoking exhibitions. Above all, visitors to the event were able to witness the very latest in thinking and technology all in one place and at one time. Our commission included the design of thematic futuristic public realm lighting to reinforce the Dubai Expo 2020 theme of ‘connecting minds creating the future’ across three thematic precincts including Sustainability, Mobility and Opportunity.
• Rio Olympic Park and Venues, Brazil. The Olympic park was inspired by its dramatic natural setting and the energy and ambitions of Rio. It covers 300 acres and includes nine sporting venues with seating capacities from 5,000 - 16,000. It served as the Olympic Park for the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 2016 Summer Paralympics. Our involvement started with the creation of a lighting masterplan, followed by later design stages through the design of TV broadcast and field of play lighting for the venues along with feature façade and landscape lighting.
• Al-Janoub Stadium, Qatar. Constructed for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar the 40,000-seat stadium features a retractable roof that can be rapidly deployed to help manage playing conditions, the signature architecture designed by internationally renowned architect Zaha Hadid in collaboration with AECOM. Our commission included complex field of play and TV broadcast lighting, feature façade and VVIP hospitality lighting for the stadium along with landscape lighting for the 585,000 square metre sports complex surrounding the stadium.

Job responsibilities

You will work as a part of the Lighting design team helping to develop specialist lighting design packages including reports, 3D models, drawings, calculations, schedules and specifications. Responsibilities will be dependent on your existing skills - training given, where necessary. At all stages of work, mentoring and guidance will be provided by more Senior / Mentoring Staff.

Your Lighting Design work involves the following

• Concept Stage – Conception and articulation of lighting ideas, by means of sketches / photoshop / mood boards / precedent studies and conceptual modeling. Usually collated in desktop publishing software such as InDesign.
• Schematic Stage - Development and technical testing of lighting strategies, by means of 3D-lighting calculations and visualizations / spatial modelling and drawing production / lighting equipment scheduling and outline specification. Usually developed in 2D CAD / 3D REVIT and specialist lighting modelling software such as Dialux, Lumion and 3D Studio
• Technical Design Stage - Detailed technical design and specification of lighting packages that describe the full functionality and performance of complex lighting systems. Usually produced in CAD / REVIT supported by calculations and specification writing software.
• Construction Stage – Supporting the construction team in understanding the design and envisioned implementation, both on site and remotely
• Final Commissioning Stage – Individual project requirements differ greatly but can involve final focusing of luminaires and commissioning of lighting control system.
• Post Completion Stage – Production of After Care and Maintenance documentation to support the Client / End User in the successful operation of the agreed Lighting Scheme

Qualifications

• Degree in design or an engineering subject such as: Architecture, Electrical Engineering, Product design or Virtual Environment Modelling, and have a strong interest in light and lighting. Specialist training in lighting is a plus.
• Have a strong interest in lighting or previous work experience in a lighting design consultancy / engineering practice with artificial lighting design. Daylight design / analysis skills are also beneficial.
• Have a current portfolio that demonstrates your interest in lighting.
• Have an enthusiasm to learn or be able to use lighting design and calculation tools already; e.g. DiaLux, AutoCAD, Revit, Sketch-up, Adobe InDesign and Photoshop, and Microsoft Office. Knowledge of Rhino, 3DS Max and other three dimensional design tools or graphic software would be advantageous.
• Have an enthusiasm to learn or already have the ability to produce lighting calculations and preparation of design drawings, sketches or reports.
• Be a creative, independent, self-motivated individual with the ability to work independently and take ownership of work.
• Be proactive about professional development and demonstrate a desire to continuously improve and develop as a designer.
• Have good interpersonal, communication and presentation skills and be a team player
• Have a proven ability (could be demonstrated in educational experience) in accepting responsibility, meeting deadlines and working as part of a design team.
• Be able to make decisions / seek advice and operate in a pro-active way to identify and effectively meet the requirements and expectations of our clients
• You will be results driven and a motivated individual with the ability to communicate clearly and effectively at all levels.
• Previous work experience in a lighting design consultancy / engineering practice with artificial lighting design would be advantageous.

Additional Information

• Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible since CVs will be reviewed, and candidates selected for an advanced offer start.     
• Please include a covering letter with your application and provide all predicted and/or obtained academic grades. 
• Please upload a copy of or include a link to your portfolio if you have one.
• You must have permanent right to work in the UK as we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position. 

At AECOM, we are committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy recruitment process and take any fraudulent hiring activity seriously. To support this commitment, all newly hired employees are required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment.

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity 

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation, benefits and well-being programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry-leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to applicants who have a disability or long-term condition, who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role. Please let us know using this email address [email protected]  if you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.