Associate Director, Lead Design Engineer - Water Sector

AECOM; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A global engineering consulting firm in Greater London is seeking an Associate Director - Lead Design Engineer to oversee critical water infrastructure projects. You will lead technical teams, manage project delivery from design to handover, and ensure quality solutions. The ideal candidate has a background in civil, electrical, or mechanical engineering, along with significant experience in water and wastewater treatment design. This position offers a hybrid working model alongside various career development benefits.

Benefits

Career development opportunities

Flexible hybrid working model

Volunteering days

Qualifications

• Experience managing technical delivery of water and wastewater projects.
• Hands-on experience in designing wastewater treatment solutions.
• Experience in feasibility studies and design for water companies.

Responsibilities

• Drive technical delivery of water treatment projects.
• Oversee packages of work from conception to handover.
• Collaborate with clients to ensure stakeholder buy-in.

Skills

Water and wastewater engineering

Multi-disciplinary project management

Complex wastewater treatment design

Education

Degree in civil, electrical, or mechanical engineering

Chartered or Incorporated Engineer status

Job description

Company Description

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.

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 a common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.

Job Description

Start here. Grow here.

Ready to lead a multidisciplinary design team and shape the future of water infrastructure?

Join our dynamic Water Solutions team as an Associate Director - Lead Design Engineer, based in our rapidly growing South East offices with the benefit of our flexible hybrid working model.

In this role, you’ll work on high‑impact projects ranging from potable water and sewage networks to treatment works of all scales, covering all stages of design and delivery, from feasibility to construction, operation, maintenance, and asset management. Examples of our major on‑going projects include design contributions to the Alderney and Knapp Mill water treatment plants for South West Water, the Avonmouth water recycling centre for Wessex Water, the Wanlip sewage treatment plant for Severn Trent Water, and a large programme of AMP8 treatment works upgrades for Southern Water.

Responsibilities

• Lead – Drive technical delivery of water and wastewater infrastructure/treatment projects, managing multi‑disciplinary teams to deliver value‑added solutions to client challenges throughout the design lifecycle.
• Manage – Oversee key packages of work from conception to handover, interfacing with AECOM teams, clients and suppliers to create a seamless technical solution.
• Collaborate – Work closely with clients and AECOM partners to ensure stakeholder buy‑in to solutions, also contributing to AECOM’s wider technical capability and innovative approach.
• Develop – Perform line manager duties, support the development of junior team members, manage their input to projects and mentor them.

Qualifications

• Experience managing the technical delivery of water and wastewater engineering projects with multi‑disciplinary knowledge, ideally including treatment schemes and/or pipeline design.
• Relevant experience in a similar role for a water company, consultancy or contractor.
• Hands‑on experience designing complex wastewater treatment solutions.
• A degree or equivalent in a related engineering subject (e.g. civil, electrical, mechanical) and/or equivalent experience.
• Chartered or Incorporated with a relevant institution (e.g. ICE, CIWEM) or working toward it.
• Experience undertaking feasibility studies, options appraisal and concept design, and/or outline and detailed design for water company clients and design and build contractors.

Benefits

We offer a range of core and personalised benefits designed to support your future and well‑being. Take advantage of career development opportunities, our flexible hybrid working model, technical practice networks, AECOM University and volunteering days.

Disability and Inclusion

We celebrate diversity, including neurodiversity, and welcome applications from all backgrounds and abilities. If you are an applicant with a disability that requires reasonable accommodation, please contact [e-mail]. We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to applicants who have a disability or long‑term condition and meet the minimum/essential criteria. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Contact

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

Equal Opportunity

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.