Head of Ground Engineering

AECOM; England; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading infrastructure consulting firm in the UK is seeking a Head of Ground Engineering to steer strategic direction and operational excellence. This role involves leading multidisciplinary teams, optimizing processes, and building relationships with clients and stakeholders. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in Civil/Geotechnical Engineering and demonstrate leadership in managing complex projects. The position offers a hybrid working model and comprehensive benefits, ensuring work-life balance and professional growth.

Benefits

Flexible hybrid working model

Career development opportunities

Volunteering days

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in ground engineering.
• Demonstrable track record in directing complex projects.
• Deep expertise in project management and client relationships.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement a strategic roadmap for the division.
• Build and nurture relationships with key clients and stakeholders.
• Oversee advanced ground engineering solutions.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Client relationship management

Technical problem-solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Civil/Geotechnical Engineering

Job description

Job Description

Start here. Grow here

As the Head of Ground Engineering, you will play a pivotal leadership role, steering the strategic direction and operational excellence of our ground engineering initiatives. Reporting directly to the Head of Rail, Structures, Ground Engineering (RSGE), you will be responsible for aligning technical expertise with innovative project solutions and fostering a collaborative culture that drives business growth and quality delivery.

Your role will involve high-level decision-making and proactive engagement with internal teams, clients, and industry partners. By championing best practices and embracing emerging technologies, you will play a crucial part in positioning our organization as a leader in ground engineering solutions while upholding our commitment to safety, reliability, and continuous improvement.

What you’ll do

Strategic Vision and Leadership:

• Define and implement a comprehensive strategic roadmap for the ground engineering division, aligning with overall corporate objectives and industry trends.
• Identify market opportunities and lead initiatives to drive growth, ensuring the division remains agile and responsive to evolving client needs.

Operational Excellence and Team Development:

• Provide clear leadership and mentoring to a multidisciplinary team, fostering an environment that encourages innovation, collaboration, and professional development.
• Optimize internal processes and project workflows to enhance efficiency, quality, and safety standards across all ground engineering operations.

Client and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Build and nurture robust relationships with key clients, government bodies, and industry partners, ensuring seamless communication and exceptional client service.
• Represent the ground engineering division in strategic discussions, industry forums, and cross‑functional initiatives, effectively promoting our technical capabilities and value proposition.

Technical Excellence and Innovation:

• Oversee the development and implementation of advanced ground engineering solutions that leverage the latest technologies and methodologies.
• Ensure that all projects meet or exceed industry standards for technical performance, safety, and sustainability.

Market Insight and Continuous Improvement:

• Stay abreast of regulatory developments, market trends, and competitive landscape shifts to inform strategic decisions and drive continuous operational improvements.
• Lead initiatives to integrate industry best practices and innovative approaches into existing processes, ensuring we remain at the forefront of ground engineering excellence.

About You

Strategic Leader: You have a proven track record of steering large‑scale, technically complex projects and teams, combining strategic thinking with hands‑on leadership.

• Your ability to translate market insights into actionable strategies has consistently driven business growth and innovation.

Exceptional Communicator: You excel at building strong relationships both within the organization and with external stakeholders, ensuring transparent, effective communication at all levels.

• Your interpersonal skills allow you to negotiate, influence, and inspire teams and clients alike.

Innovative and Adaptable: You are forward‑thinking, staying ahead of industry trends and embracing new technologies to solve complex challenges in ground engineering.

• Change and ambiguity do not deter you; instead, you view them as opportunities to learn and improve.

Commitment to Excellence: You foster a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth, ensuring your team is always well‑equipped to meet future challenges.

We develop projects from concept through to operation providing engineering and construction services for multiyear, multimillion‑dollar projects for major rail and transit agencies. Our specialists provide analytical and strategic expertise for every stage of a project.

And let's not forget about the perks at AECOM. You'll enjoy a range of core and personalised benefits designed to support your future and well‑being, customized to fit your lifestyle. Take advantage of career development opportunities, our flexible hybrid working model to ensure a work‑life balance that suits your lifestyle, technical practice networks, AECOM University, and volunteering days.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Civil/Geotechnical Engineering or a related field, along with relevant professional accreditation.

• Significant leadership experience within the ground engineering sector, with a demonstrable track record in directing complex projects and managing large teams.
• Deep expertise in technical problem‑solving, project management, and client relationship management.
• Superior communication, negotiation, and strategic planning skills.
• A commitment to maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality, and ethical practice.

As an inclusive AECOM leader, you will have:

• Demonstrated dedication to fostering a culture of respect, diversity, and inclusion.
• Proven ability to build and retain a diverse and inclusive workforce while nurturing talent development, mentoring and coaching.

We celebrate diversity, including neurodiversity, and believe it enriches our team. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and abilities. At AECOM, we value everyone's unique contributions and perspectives. If you meet some of the requirements above or have transferable skills you believe would benefit us, we would be delighted to hear from you!

Additional Information

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 $14.4 billion in fiscal year 2023.

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 a Disability Confident Employer 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 address if you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme.

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

ReqID: J10140625

Business Line: Transportation

Business Group: DCS

Strategic Business Unit: Europe & India

Career Area: Engineering

Work Location Model: Hybrid