Water Sector Lead

Job Description

Start here. Grow here.

Within our Environment & Energy (E&E) Business Lines, we are creating opportunities and delivering sustainable solutions for our clients in response to some of the world's most pressing challenges, including climate change, water scarcity and the energy transition.​

The Role:

Our Water sector is a key growth priority for Environment & Energy, presenting exciting opportunities to deliver innovative, sustainable and commercially successful solutions for our clients.

The water industry is undergoing a period of significant transformation, creating both challenges and opportunities:

• Significant change due to the Governments desire for greater public control.
• Considerable increased spending across AMP8, with the water sector competing with other sectors for resources.
• Significant opportunities for the Environmental business to support the Strategic Resource Options programme and other major programmes.
• Opportunities to extend our capability in water resources and nature-based solutions to our wider client base across Europe.

As one of our identified high growth sectors in Environment & Energy, we are seeking a Water Sector Lead to serve as the primary ambassador for Water within Environment & Energy Europe, responsible for shaping the sector’s growth strategy, building strategic client relationships, and ensuring Environment & Energy is positioned as a partner of choice in the market.

The success of this external facing role will require a combination of visible market profile and collaboration with stakeholders across the wider business. Reporting to the Environment & Energy Strategy & Growth Director for EUR&I, you will also be a member of the Environment & Energy Sales Senior Leadership Team, helping to shape our strategic direction and future growth.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership for the sector, setting clear priorities and aligning activities to Environment & Energy Europe business objectives with a focus on UK and Ireland in 2027.
• Maintain deep knowledge of the sector’s market drivers, competitive landscape, and emerging opportunities and be able to anticipate and respond to future needs in the sector particularly from an Environment & Energy perspective (e.g. Planning & Consenting, Nature, Ground Conditions, Energy and Climate Advisory).
• Act as the figurehead for the sector, representing AECOM at industry events, conferences, and client forums to raise our profile in the sector demonstrating our technical excellence and innovation.
• Work closely with the Regional Water Sector Lead, the Water Business Line and the EUR&I Sales Organisation, to ensure Environment & Energy is fully represented in the Water Sector strategy, targets and pursuits.
• Lead development and implementation of an Environment & Energy sector-specific growth plan, including client engagement strategies, targeted pursuits, strategic initiatives (including emerging areas to pivot into) and positioning for key frameworks across all Environment & Energy disciplines.
• Build and maintain strategic client relationships across the sector, fostering trust, collaboration, and repeat business.
• Collaborate with our Client Account Managers (CAMs) in the Water sector to ensure alignment of priorities, identifying, creating, positioning and converting opportunities for all interested disciplines across Environment & Energy for year on year (YoY) growth.
• Drive Environment & Energy Work Winning strategy and best practice to secure appropriate resourcing and bid leadership for strategic pursuits to optimise win rate. Act as Capture Manager for strategic opportunities in the sector.
• Accountable for achieving key performance targets for the sector for each financial year - including bookings, revenue delivered and Client Satisfaction.
• Ensure the pipeline of opportunities for the sector is constantly maintained, and is complete, accurate, and provides actionable insight for decision-making. Provide quarterly updates to Environment & Energy leadership on sector performance, market trends, and strategic risks/opportunities.
• Drive collaboration across Business Lines when projects require multi-disciplinary expertise.
• Support Environment & Energy priorities and campaigns relevant to the sector e.g. Advisory, Infrastructure Investment, Design & Build.
• Set the tone, celebrate success and create a positive culture across the sector in Environment & Energy business lines. 
• Support programme/project delivery from a client leadership perspective.
• Active involvement with AI's role in infrastructure delivery including client engagement and influence its adoption in the sector to achieve client outcomes.

Qualifications

Ready to push the limits of what’s possible?

Here’s what we’re looking for:

• Demonstrated success in leading business development and growth within the Water sector in a consultancy or professional services environment.
• Strong knowledge of the Water sector dynamics, clients, emerging areas and key competitors.
• Proven ability to build and maintain high-value client relationships at senior levels.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate a vision into practical action plans.
• Seasoned capture manager with the ability to position for and secure key opportunities.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, presentation and negotiation skills.
• Experience in Water sector-related technical delivery.
• Established industry profile with the ability to act as a thought leader.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline.
• Membership of a recognised professional body where applicable.

As an inclusive leader, you will

• Demonstrate dedication to fostering a culture of respect, diversity, and inclusion within the team and organisation.
• Have a proven ability to build and retain a diverse and inclusive workforce while nurturing talent development and coaching.

Additional Information

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For further information about the role, reach out to the recruiter on LinkedIn.

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.