Director Business Development - Capture

AECOM Middle East Ltd; Dubai; On-site; AED 390,600 - 613,800; Full time

Job summary

AECOM Middle East Ltd is looking for a Director of Business Development - Capture in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This senior role focuses on high-value infrastructure and engineering opportunities, requiring strong leadership and strategic insight.

The ideal candidate will have senior experience in business development with a proven track record in capturing critical projects. This opportunity emphasizes ethical practice, team development, and innovation in infrastructure sectors.

Qualifications

• Senior experience in business development, capture management, client development, strategic pursuits, or major bid leadership.
• Proven ability to identify, position, pursue, and capture high-value opportunities in competitive regional markets.
• Strong commercial awareness, including pricing strategy and contract risk.

Responsibilities

• Lead business development and capture management activities for high-value opportunities.
• Identify and pursue strategic opportunities aligned with AECOM's goals.
• Build and lead cross-functional pursuit teams.

Skills

Business development

Capture management

Strategic pursuits

Client relationship management

Proposal leadership

Bid strategy

Sales pipeline management

Stakeholder engagement

Market intelligence

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Management, Construction, Infrastructure, or related discipline

Job description

Director Business Development - Capture

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Industry: Civil Engineering

Function: Business Development

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: AED 35,000 – 55,000 per month (estimated range; final offer to be confirmed by the employer)

Gender: Any | Candidate Nationality: Any

Overview

Director Business Development - Capture in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is a Civil Engineering opportunity for a strategic growth leader who can identify, pursue, and win high-value infrastructure, engineering, and consulting opportunities across the region. This role is suited for an experienced business development and capture management professional with strong client relationships, market insight, proposal leadership capability, commercial understanding, and the ability to lead multidisciplinary pursuit teams toward successful outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead business development and capture management activities for high-value opportunities across infrastructure, engineering, consulting, and related project sectors.
• Identify, qualify, and pursue strategic opportunities aligned with AECOM's regional business goals, client priorities, and market growth plans.
• Build and lead cross-functional pursuit teams that combine regional expertise, global technical capabilities, and external partner strengths.
• Develop capture strategies that improve win probability and provide clients with a consistent, high-quality AECOM experience during every pursuit.
• Work with regional business line leaders and market sector leaders to prioritize bid opportunities and allocate pursuit resources effectively.
• Establish pursuit plans, succession plans, team structures, and capability development approaches for capture management.
• Coach team members in relationship-building, client engagement, proposal strategy, and internal collaboration.
• Support attraction, development, and retention of capture management talent across the region.
• Connect pursuit teams to AECOM bid strategies, technical expertise, market intelligence, and global specialists.
• Lead the preparation of compelling proposals, client presentations, strategic messaging, and pursuit documentation.
• Implement best pursuit practices to ensure technical excellence, strong governance, consistent client service, and high-quality submissions.
• Manage complex sales pipelines by setting short- and medium-term goals that align with AECOM strategy and client requirements.
• Identify high-risk areas in pursuits and take proactive action to improve outcomes, reduce exposure, and support informed decision-making.
• Lead preparation for price, risk, and contract reviews with a clear understanding of financial, legal, commercial, and governance considerations.
• Apply knowledge of commercial contract elements and pricing strategy to support competitive, compliant, and profitable bids.
• Engage with critical stakeholders and build strong relationships with clients, partners, authorities, and industry contacts.
• Represent AECOM externally as a credible strategic leader with market knowledge, technical awareness, and strong industry presence.
• Influence internal leadership to ensure priority opportunities receive the right attention, resources, and strategic support.
• Identify long-term and disruptive trends in infrastructure, engineering, ESG, digitalization, and client investment priorities.
• Drive client adoption of AECOM initiatives including digital delivery, sustainability, ESG, and innovation-led solutions.
• Partner with clients to understand their innovation agenda and position AECOM as a value-adding advisor.
• Champion ethical, safe, inclusive, and collaborative working practices across all pursuit and client-facing activities.
• Integrate AECOM values and client priorities into pursuit strategies to strengthen reputation and long-term partnerships.
• Facilitate development opportunities for future leaders through cross-border, cross-business-line, and strategic pursuit exposure.
• Support workforce planning and skills development to ensure future business development and capture capabilities meet market demand.

Ideal Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Management, Construction, Infrastructure, or a related discipline is preferred.
• Senior experience in business development, capture management, client development, strategic pursuits, or major bid leadership.
• Strong background in infrastructure, engineering consulting, transportation, water, environment, buildings, energy, or professional services markets.
• Proven ability to identify, position, pursue, and capture high-value opportunities in competitive regional markets.
• Deep understanding of client priorities, stakeholder mapping, market positioning, pursuit strategy, and proposal development.
• Strong commercial awareness, including pricing strategy, contract risk, governance reviews, legal considerations, and bid approval processes.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams across business lines, regions, technical disciplines, and external partner organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior leadership and align internal teams around priority opportunities.
• Strong relationship-building capability with clients, industry partners, consultants, government stakeholders, and internal executives.
• Knowledge of regional infrastructure markets, especially Dubai, UAE, GCC, and Middle East growth sectors.
• Ability to understand technical service offerings and connect clients with the right AECOM experts globally.
• Strong leadership style with experience developing teams, mentoring future leaders, and building succession plans.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, presentation, and strategic storytelling skills.
• Ability to manage ambiguity, business risk, complex stakeholder environments, and changing pursuit priorities.
• Strong understanding of ESG, digitalization, innovation, and emerging infrastructure trends.
• Commitment to ethical business practices, safe working culture, inclusion, accountability, and client service excellence.

Skills Set

• Business development
• Capture management
• Strategic pursuits
• Client relationship management
• Proposal leadership
• Bid strategy
• Pursuit planning
• Sales pipeline management
• Stakeholder engagement
• Market intelligence
• Infrastructure consulting
• Engineering services
• Commercial strategy
• Pricing strategy
• Contract review
• Risk review
• Governance review
• Client development
• Opportunity qualification
• Win strategy
• Team leadership
• Talent development
• Succession planning
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Regional growth strategy
• ESG positioning
• Digitalization strategy
• Innovation agenda
• Executive communication
• Industry networking
• Workforce planning
• Professional services growth

Why Join Us

This opportunity gives a senior business development leader the chance to influence AECOM's regional growth strategy from Dubai while working with a global network of technical experts, project leaders, and market specialists. The role offers meaningful responsibility across high-value pursuits, client relationships, commercial strategy, team development, and strategic positioning in fast-growing infrastructure sectors. It is a strong fit for a capture leader who wants to shape major opportunities, strengthen market presence, and contribute to projects that support sustainable development, resilient cities, and long-term regional transformation.

About the Company

AECOM is a global infrastructure consulting firm delivering planning, design, engineering, advisory, environmental, transportation, water, energy, buildings, program management, and construction management services worldwide. In Dubai and across the Middle East, AECOM partners with public and private sector clients to solve complex infrastructure challenges through technical excellence, digital capability, sustainable thinking, and multidisciplinary delivery. The company provides international project exposure, leadership development, collaborative teams, and a strong platform for professionals who want to help deliver a better world.