Associate Director System Safety & Interoperability

AECOM; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

AECOM is seeking an experienced Associate Director - System Safety & Interoperability to join our UK & Ireland Systems Engineering and Safety Assurance team. The role will form part of the UK & Ireland SESA leadership team, providing senior technical and capability leadership for System Safety and Interoperability.

A key focus will be developing a resilient, high-quality System Safety and Interoperability capability across the UK and Ireland, while providing senior technical leadership and

Qualifications

• Significant railway System Safety/Safety Assurance experience.
• Chartered Engineer or equivalent professional standing.
• Strong CSM experience.
• Hazard management and safety justification.
• Interoperability/authorisation experience.
• GB and/or Irish/European railway regulatory knowledge.
• Independent assessment engagement.
• Multidisciplinary rail programme experience.
• Commercial and bid experience.

Responsibilities

• Act as a Subject Matter Expert for railway System Safety and Safety Assurance on major projects and programmes.
• Lead, guide and assure application of System Safety across projects and programmes.
• Provide senior technical leadership for interoperability and railway authorisation across GB/IE.
• Lead project Interoperability, Compliance and Authorisation Strategies.
• Provide leadership on RIR, NTSNs, NTRs and ORR authorisation in GB.
• Develop the System Safety & Interoperability capability plan in alignment with the SESA strategy.
• Work with RAMS leads to ensure safety requirements and verification form a coherent assurance approach.
• Lead complex System Safety and Interoperability commissions.
• Take accountability for scope, quality, programme, resources and commercial performance.

Skills

Railway System Safety

Safety Assurance

CSM experience

Hazard management

Interoperability

Authorisation knowledge

Regulatory knowledge

Independent assessment

Rail programme experience

Commercial/bid experience

Education

Chartered Engineer

Job description

AECOM is seeking an experienced Associate Director - System Safety & Interoperability to join our UK & Ireland Systems Engineering and Safety Assurance team. The role will form part of the UK & Ireland SESA leadership team, providing senior technical and capability leadership for System Safety and Interoperability. A key focus will be developing a resilient, high-quality System Safety and Interoperability capability across the UK and Ireland, while providing senior technical leadership and assurance across major projects and programmes.

System Safety & Assurance

• Act as a Subject Matter Expert for railway System Safety and Safety Assurance.
• Lead, guide and assure application of System Safety across major projects and programmes.

Interoperability & Authorisation

• Provide senior technical leadership for interoperability and railway authorisation across Great Britain and Ireland.
• Lead project Interoperability, Compliance and Authorisation Strategies.
• Provide leadership on RIR, NTSNs, NTRs and ORR authorisation in Great Britain.

Capability & Resilience

• Develop the System Safety & Interoperability capability plan in alignment with the wider SESA strategy.

Integrated SESA Delivery

• Work closely with Systems Engineering and RAMS leads to ensure safety requirements, technical verification and RAM evidence form a coherent assurance approach.

Project & Commercial Leadership

• Lead complex System Safety and Interoperability commissions.
• Take accountability for scope, quality, programme, resources and commercial performance of assigned work.

Ready to push the limits of what's possible?

Here’s what we're looking for:

• significant railway System Safety/Safety Assurance experience;
• Chartered Engineer or equivalent professional standing;
• strong CSM experience;
• hazard management and safety justification;
• interoperability/authorisation experience;
• GB and/or Irish/European railway regulatory knowledge;
• independent assessment engagement;
• multidisciplinary rail programme experience;
• commercial and bid experience.

Work with Us. Change the World.

About AECOM

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. There's never been a better time to be at AECOM. 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. 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. We're one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.

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.

Benefits

• A wide array of compensation, benefits and well-being programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families.
• 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.
• You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options.

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

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.