Head of Combined Authorities & Devolved Government Relations

Aecom2; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

AECOM seeks a senior, externally facing leader to establish and grow strategic relationships with UK Combined Authorities and devolved regional bodies. This market-shaping role translates regional ambitions into programmes and opportunities across infrastructure, transport and economic development.

You will be a recognised figure with deep networks, guiding engagement, partnerships and revenue growth while aligning client needs with AECOM’s capabilities.

Qualifications

• Experience working with UK Combined Authorities or devolved public sector organisations.
• Well-networked and credible at executive and operating levels.
• Able to translate client challenges into practical opportunities for AECOM and its clients.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead engagement strategy across UK Combined Authorities and Mayoral Authorities.
• Build trusted relationships with Mayors, Chief Executives, Directors and programme leaders.
• Provide insight into authority priorities, funding mechanisms, political drivers and investment plans.
• Identify opportunities where AECOM can support infrastructure objectives.
• Facilitate collaboration across authorities while recognising ambitions and funding competition.
• Influence AECOM's strategy with client insight and market intelligence.
• Champion a 'voice of the authority' approach to ensure client needs are met.

Skills

UK Combined Authorities

Local government

Executive relationships

Strategic leadership

Transportation sector experience

Education

Degree-level qualification

Job description

AECOM is seeking a senior, externally facing leader to establish and grow strategic relationships with the UK's Combined Authorities, Mayoral Authorities and devolved regional bodies. This is a market-shaping role focused on helping AECOM understand and respond to the rapidly changing devolved governance landscape, where funding, decision-making and investment responsibility are increasingly moving from central government to regional authorities.

The successful candidate will be a recognised industry figure with deep experience working with Combined Authorities and a strong understanding of how these organisations operate, collaborate and compete. They will act as the bridge between authority priorities and AECOM's capabilities, translating regional ambitions into programmes, partnerships and opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and lead AECOM's engagement strategy across UK Combined Authorities and Mayoral Combined Authorities.
• Build trusted relationships with Mayors, Chief Executives, Directors, programme leaders and key influencers across devolved government.
• Provide insight into authority priorities, funding mechanisms, political drivers and investment plans.
• Identify opportunities where AECOM can support economic development, transport, energy, housing, skills, regeneration and infrastructure objectives.
• Facilitate collaboration across authorities while recognising their individual ambitions and competition for funding.
• Influence AECOM's strategy by bringing client insight, market intelligence and future policy direction into the business.
• Champion a \"voice of the authority\" approach, ensuring AECOM solutions are aligned with client needs and outcomes.

Strategic Leadership

• Lead AECOM's wider engagement with strategic authorities across England.
• Responsible for growing revenues and pipeline across different authorities and services.
• Collaborate with regional leaders to develop and execute growth plans in the strategic authority market
• Provide leadership to local teams as they develop relationships with the devolved authorities in their region.

Business Development

• Build and maintain a diversified pipeline of qualified opportunities in the devolved authority market; leveraging both your own insights and those of the wider AECOM team.
• Contribute to capture and pursuit activities to convert pipeline into revenue.

Team Collaboration & Mentorship

• Lead, support, and mentor AECOM's strategic authority leads across England to combine national and industry best practice with deep local knowledge and relationships. To ensure revenue growth across a diverse client portfolio.

Operational Excellence

• Responsible for growing AECOM's revenues in the strategic authority market
• Maximise the value from growth enabler functions (e.g. Pursuit Teams, Client Listening, AI4Engineering, Strategic Marcomms) by influencing their activity focus as appropriate to the devolved authority market.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience working within, or alongside, UK Combined Authorities, local government or devolved public sector organisations.
• Well-networked and credible at executive and operating levels.
• Recognised and trusted by authority leadership teams.
• Strong understanding of regional funding, governance and investment decision-making.
• Commercially astute, politically aware and highly collaborative.
• Able to translate complex client challenges into practical opportunities for AECOM and its clients
• Experience in working with, developing relationships, and building delivery portfolios with local government and devolved authorities in the UK.
• Strong existing relationships with devolved authorities and their constituent organisations.
• Excellent network with key stakeholders and decision makers within the Mayoral authorities and Combined authorities
• Demonstrable experience of growing revenues and pipeline in the devolved authority market

Success Measure

Become AECOM's most trusted adviser and connector within the UK's devolved authority landscape, positioning the business as a partner of choice for regional growth and transformation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Degree level relevant qualification (preferable)
• Sector experience in Transportation would be highly advantageous
• Member of recognised professional body and/or professional qualifications relative to core markets

What We Offer

At AECOM, we provide the flexibility to work in hybrid environments, competitive pay, and comprehensive benefits tailored to support you and your family. We champion career growth through award-winning training programs and diverse opportunities.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in your potential and are committed to helping you achieve your career ambitions.

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 emplo