Principal Civil Engineer - Utilities

AECOM; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work options

Up to 6 weeks additional annual leave

Volunteer and representation leave

Flexible public holidays

Job summary

AECOM is seeking an experienced civil infrastructure professional to lead utility planning, investigations and coordination across major projects in Australia. You will interface with authorities, surveyors and contractors to ensure constructible, cost-effective outcomes and maintain strong client relationships.

The role offers hybrid work options, exposure to design-management activities and opportunities for team leadership and business development within the ANZ region.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of post-graduate experience in civil and site infrastructure design.
• Strong knowledge of utility authority standards and local authority/client standards.
• Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) designation or equivalent accreditation.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, coordination and management of utilities across major infrastructure projects.
• Manage utility investigations, impact assessments and authority approval processes.
• Act as the key interface between project teams, utility authorities, surveyors and contractors.
• Provide strategic advice on utility risks, programme impacts and approval pathways.
• Drive multidisciplinary design coordination and digital engineering for constructible solutions.
• Build and maintain client and stakeholder relationships and contribute to business development.
• For the right candidate, assume Team Lead role to shape strategy and grow the team.

Skills

Civil design software (12D, AutoCAD)

Stakeholder management

Project planning

Technical leadership

Education

Professional engineering accreditation (CPEng)

Tools

12D

AutoCAD

Job description

Company Description

At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the worldâs most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.

Work with Us. Change the World.

There has never been a better time to be at AECOM. With accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of over 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world.

We're one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.

Job Description

“Having worked over 20 years, in both consultancies and council, my experience working at AECOM has been refreshing and motivating" – Dominique Keirens, Technical Director – Water

Come grow with us.

Balancing the world’s need for safe, reliable water with protecting this critical natural resource for the future requires a deep understanding of interconnected systems.

We work with clients across the entire project life cycle — from initial planning studies through final construction and operations and maintenance services — on both traditional and alternative project-delivery options (design-build, public-private partnerships and financing).

With a robust design and construction division, AECOM offers a unique perspective on designing projects that are fully constructible.

How you’ll make a difference

• Lead the planning, coordination and management of utilities across major infrastructure projects, taking responsibility for technical quality, design management, budget and programme from concept development through to delivery and construction support.
• Manage utility investigations, utility impact assessments and authority approval processes, ensuring compliance with asset owner requirements, clearance standards and project objectives.
• Act as the key interface between project teams, utility authorities, surveyors, specialist designers and contractors to coordinate utility outcomes and resolve complex project constraints.
• Provide strategic advice to clients and project teams on utility risks, programme impacts, authority approval pathways, construction staging and mitigation strategies to support successful project delivery.
• Drive multidisciplinary design coordination and digital engineering outcomes to support clash-free, constructible and cost-effective infrastructure solutions.
• Build and maintain strong client and stakeholder relationships, while contributing to business development activities, proposal preparation and the mentoring of junior engineers.
• For the right candidate, take on a Team Lead role, helping shape the team’s strategy, grow its capability and pipeline, and support work-winning activities.

Qualifications

The following qualifications and experience are highly desired, but if you don’t tick all the boxes you could still be a perfect fit for this role.

The qualities that help you thrive

• 10+ years of post-graduate experience in civil and site infrastructure design, with demonstrated capability in technical execution and Design Management across multi-disciplinary projects.
• Proficiency in civil design software including 12D and AutoCAD; a strong knowledge of utility authority standards and requirements and the ability to interpret and apply local authority and client‑specific standards.
• Client relationship and interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain positive client relationships at a senior level.
• Sound knowledge of relevant Australian civil engineering and infrastructure standards.
• Ideally a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) designation or equivalent international accreditation, supported by a relevant engineering or similar tertiary qualification.
• Commercial acumen and judgement with the ability to deliver results ensuring scope and quality outcomes, with tight timeframes and client budgets.

For those interested in a Team Lead opportunity, demonstrated experience in strategic planning, growing and developing teams, and winning work or building strong client relationships.

Additional Information

Why you’ll love working with us

• Flexible work arrangements, including alternative start/finish times, job-sharing and hybrid work options
• Purchase up to 6 weeks additional annual leave per year
• Volunteer and representation leave
• Flex public holidays – swap Easter or other holidays for ones that suit you better

Ready to push the limits of what’s possible?

We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including those with disabilities, additional health or mental health needs, and/or neurodiverse conditions. If you require any adjustments during the hiring process, please let us know.

AECOM is 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.

AECOM acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which we, our clients and our communities live and work around Australia. We pay our respects to their cultures and to their Elders — past, present, and emerging. We are committed to connecting to Country in our work through meaningful engagement with First Nations peoples and businesses. Find out more about our Australian Reconciliation Action Plan here: https://aecom.com/au/our-vision-for-reconciliation/.

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 culture of equity, diversity and inclusion – 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 and benefits programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We also provide a robust global well‑being program. 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.

ReqID: J10152294 Business Line: Water Business Group: DCS Strategic Business Unit: ANZ Career Area: Engineering Work Location Model: Hybrid