Associate Director - Laboratory Planning & Science Design

Job Description

Associate Director – Laboratory Planning & Science Design

The Opportunity

We are seeking an Associate Director – Laboratory Planning & Science Design to take a strategic leadership role within our Architecture & Design Studio.

This is a pivotal opportunity to:

• Lead complex, high-profile laboratory and science sector projects
• Act as a trusted advisor to global clients
• Shape the growth of our Science & Technology (S&T) sector offering
• Drive innovation in laboratory planning and design

You will join a high-performing, multidisciplinary team spanning architecture, engineering, digital, and consulting services, working on some of the most technically complex and impactful projects in the built environment.

Your Role

As an Associate Director, you will operate at the intersection of design leadership, client advisory, and business growth.

You will:

• Provide strategic leadership across laboratory planning and science facility design
• Act as a sector leader and client-facing expert, influencing project direction from concept to delivery
• Drive work-winning and client engagement, building long-term partnerships across the life sciences ecosystem
• Inspire teams to deliver exceptional, innovative, and future-ready environments

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

• Provide technical, design, and commercial leadership across laboratory and science sector projects
• Lead multidisciplinary teams to deliver complex, high-value projects at scale
• Champion design excellence, innovation, and sustainability in laboratory environments
• Contribute to the strategic growth of the Science & Technology sector

Client Advisory & Sector Influence

• Act as a trusted advisor to clients, guiding laboratory planning, briefing, and design strategy
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, architects, and collaborators
• Represent AECOM as a sector leader across industry forums, conferences, and thought leadership

Work Winning & Commercial Delivery

• Lead and contribute to business development and bid activities
• Identify new opportunities and drive sector growth and market positioning
• Take accountability for project performance, including commercial outcomes and delivery quality

Laboratory Planning & Design Excellence

• Lead laboratory briefing, planning, and design integration across a range of facility types
• Translate complex scientific workflows into flexible, efficient, and future-proof environments
• Oversee coordination of technical specialists, equipment planners, and engineering teams

Team Leadership & Development

• Mentor and develop emerging talent and future leaders within the team
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing culture
• Support recruitment and capability building within the Science & Technology sector

Innovation & Digital Delivery

• Champion digital design, BIM, and data-driven approaches
• Drive adoption of advanced tools, modular design, and emerging technologies
• Lead innovation in low-carbon, sustainable, and resilient laboratory design

Apply Now

If you are ready to take a leading role in shaping the future of science and research environments, we would love to hear from you.

For informal enquiries, please contact Stephen Bullock via LinkedIn.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements

• ARB registered Architect (or equivalent professional qualification)
• Significant post-qualification experience within laboratory / science sector design
• Proven track record leading complex, multidisciplinary projects
• Strong client-facing experience, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders
• Experience in laboratory planning, briefing, and design strategy
• Excellent understanding of laboratory standards, workflows, and regulatory environments
• Demonstrated ability in team leadership, mentoring, and project delivery
• Proficiency in Revit, BIM, and digital delivery workflows
• Eligibility to work in the UK

Preferred Experience

• Experience at Associate / Associate Director level 
• Demonstrated experience in work-winning and business development
• Experience across life sciences, higher education and research sectors
• Knowledge of GMP, cleanrooms, containment labs, and advanced manufacturing facilities
• Familiarity with sustainable design frameworks (BREEAM, LEED, WELL)
• Experience working within multidisciplinary environments
• Strong interest in future trends in science, innovation districts, and R&D ecosystems

Additional Information

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.