Associate Director – Laboratory Planning & Science Design

AECO; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

AECOM is seeking an Associate Director to lead laboratory planning and science design from a strategic level in London. You will guide complex projects across life sciences, higher education, and research sectors, ensuring design excellence and client satisfaction.

In this hybrid role, you will shape the growth of our Science & Technology sector while mentoring multidisciplinary teams and driving innovative, sustainable lab environments for a global client base.

Qualifications

• Strategic leadership across laboratory planning and design.
• Experience leading complex lab projects and securing work wins.
• Knowledge of GMP, cleanrooms, containment labs and advanced manufacturing facilities.
• ARB registration or equivalent professional qualification is preferred.
• Eligible to work in the UK.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership across laboratory planning and science facility design.
• Act as sector leader and client-facing expert from concept to delivery.
• Drive work-winning, client engagement, and long-term partnerships.
• Mentor teams and drive innovative, future-ready environments.

Skills

Leadership

Client-facing

Mentoring

Project delivery

Business growth

Education

ARB registered Architect (or equivalent professional qualification)

Significant post-qualification experience in laboratory/science sector design

Tools

Revit

BIM

Digital delivery workflows

Job description

Associate Director – Laboratory Planning & Science Design

• Full-time
• State/Province: London, City of
• Business Group: DCS
• Legal Entity: AECOM Limited
• Business Line: B&P - Buildings & Places
• Work Location Model: Hybrid
• Operating Group: International
• Primary Location: UK - London - Aldgate Tower

Work with Us. Change the World.

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 world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.

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.

Associate Director – Laboratory Planning & Science Design

The Opportunity

We are seeking an Associate Director – Laboratory Planning & Science Designto take a strategic leadership rolewithin 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 teamspanning 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 leadershipacross 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

• Provide technical, design, and commercial leadershipacross laboratory and science sector projects
• Lead multidisciplinary teams to deliver complex, high-value projects at scale
• Champion design excellence, innovation, and sustainabilityin laboratory environments
• Contribute to the strategic growthof the Science & Technology sector

Client Advisory & Sector Influence

• Act as a trusted advisorto clients, guiding laboratory planning, briefing, and design strategy
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, architects, and collaborators
• Represent AECOM as a sector leaderacross 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 integrationacross 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
• Mentor and develop emerging talent and future leaderswithin the team
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing culture
• Support recruitment and capability building within the Science & Technology sector
• 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

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

• 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

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 aDisabilityConfidentEmployer 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 [e-mail] if you would like to apply through theDisabilityConfidentInterview Scheme.

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