Associate Director - Proposal Manager

AECOM; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

AECOM is seeking an Associate Director – Proposal Manager to lead strategic, complex transportation pursuits across the UK and Ireland. You will guide senior leaders, unite technical and proposal specialists, and drive differentiated client-focused bids that support growth.

Reporting to the Pursuits Team Director, you will shape win strategies, influence investment decisions, and steer teams through the full business development lifecycle from qualification to debrief and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Senior proposals or pursuits leadership experience.
• Track record leading high-value, complex pursuits (£20M+).
• Able to influence senior stakeholders and drive decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead large and complex pursuits involving multiple disciplines, regions and external partners, from early capture through proposal, interview and debrief.
• Develop and execute differentiated win strategies based on client insight and competitive analysis.
• Direct positioning and capture activity; advise senior stakeholders on pursuit priorities.
• Mobilise multidisciplinary teams, establish governance, maintain momentum and quality.
• Lead proposal planning and delivery, including kick-off, content development, reviews and interview prep.
• Ensure submissions are compliant with processes, templates, branding and quality standards.
• Analyse debriefs and client feedback to identify trends and drive continuous improvement.
• Coach capture and proposal teams in strategy, planning, and bid writing.
• APMP Practitioner or Professional certification, or equivalent qualification.

Skills

Leadership

Proposal management

Stakeholder management

APMP certification

Education

APMP Practitioner certification

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 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.

Job Description

Lead the strategic pursuits that will shape the growth of AECOM’s Transportation business across the UK and Ireland.

As Associate Director – Proposal Manager, you will lead AECOM’s most strategic and complex transportation pursuits. You will advise senior leaders and bring together technical, capture and proposal specialists to develop differentiated, client-focused bids that support our growth strategy.

Reporting to the Pursuits Team Director, you will influence investment and pursuit decisions, shape winning strategies and lead teams through the full business development lifecycle—from qualification and capture to proposal, interview, debrief and continuous improvement. You will also strengthen work-winning capability across the business by embedding best practice, coaching teams and turning client feedback into practical improvements.

Here’s what you’ll do:

• Lead large and complex pursuits involving multiple disciplines, regions and external partners, from early capture through proposal, interview and debrief.
• Develop and execute differentiated win strategies that translate client insight, competitor analysis, and technical expertise into compelling, client-focused proposals.
• Direct positioning and capture activity, facilitate win-strategy workshops, and advise senior stakeholders on pursuit priorities, investment and decision-making.
• Mobilise multidisciplinary teams, establish clear governance, and maintain momentum, accountability and quality throughout each pursuit.
• Lead proposal planning and delivery, including kick‑off, answer planning, content development, reviews, document production, and interview preparation.
• Ensure submissions are compliant, persuasive and consistent with AECOM processes, templates, branding, and quality standards.
• Analyse internal debriefs and client feedback to identify trends, share lessons learned, and embed continuous improvement across clients and markets.
• Act as a visible role model for collaborative, client-focused work winning, constructively challenging teams to achieve the strongest possible outcome.
• Coach and mentor capture and proposal teams in capture planning, strategy development, answer planning, proposal management and bid writing.
• APMP Practitioner or Professional certification, or an equivalent recognised proposal‑management qualification.

Qualifications

• Substantial experience in a senior proposals or pursuits role, with the confidence to advise, influence and constructively challenge senior stakeholders.
• A strong track record of leading high‑value, complex pursuits – typically with a total contract value above £20M – across the construction, engineering, or infrastructure sectors.
• Demonstrable