Senior Research Program Manager

Autodesk, Inc.; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Autodesk Research is seeking a Senior Research Program Manager to lead a portfolio of construction research programs and to coordinate across researchers, engineers, designers, and product teams.

You will shape long-term construction vision, translate AI-enabled research into actionable plans, and drive structured progress with measurable outcomes across multiple time horizons.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in program management, project management, research operations, construction technology, or related field.
• Experience managing complex, multi-workstream programs with diverse stakeholders, dependencies, and deliverables.
• Working knowledge of construction workflows, including preconstruction, BIM/VDC, scheduling, field execution, or construction data management.
• Demonstrated ability to create structure in ambiguous, newly forming areas.
• Strong written, verbal, and visual communication skills, including executive-ready summaries and dashboards.
• Strong facilitation and influencing skills across multidisciplinary teams.
• Proficiency with tools such as Jira, Confluence, Miro, Slack, or equivalent platforms.
• Ability to work effectively across global teams and time zones.

Responsibilities

• Lead Construction Research Programs spanning multiple projects, experiments, prototypes, and partnerships.
• Build and maintain integrated program plans across workstreams with defined scope, milestones, dependencies, and owners.
• Align portfolio with Research priorities and Autodesk’s long-term construction vision.
• Help teams prioritize opportunities across staffing or funding constraints.
• Coordinate across researchers, engineers, designers, product teams, external partners, and leadership.
• Translate construction workflows and AI-enabled research into actionable plans and narratives.

Skills

Program management

Cross-functional leadership

Communication skills

Facilitation & influence

Global collaboration

Ambiguity management

AI/ML awareness

Education

Degree in Construction Management or related field

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Miro

Slack

Job description

Position Overview

Autodesk Research is hiring a Senior Research Program Manager to lead a portfolio of forward-looking construction research programs. You will sit at the intersection of research strategy, construction domain expertise, AI-enabled workflows, and cross-functional program execution, helping teams move from ambiguous opportunity areas to structured plans, measurable progress, and strategic impact. Autodesk Research explores advances that may shape products and customer workflows five to ten years into the future, investigating how intelligent, agentic, and AI-driven systems can transform how ideas move from concept to reality. This is not a traditional Technical Program Manager role. Research Program Managers are horizontally focused connectors who organize programs, manage ambiguity, coordinate stakeholders, and link research work to Autodesk’s broader business outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead Construction Research Programs Manage a program spanning multiple related projects, experiments, prototypes, and partnerships across complex, extended timelines
• Build and maintain integrated program plans across workstreams, defining scope, objectives, milestones, dependencies, and owners
• Align the portfolio with Research priorities, Autodesk’s long-term construction vision, available capacity, and strategic outcomes
• Help teams prioritize when opportunities compete for attention, staffing, or funding
• Coordinate across researchers, engineers, designers, product teams, external partners, and leadership
• Bring Construction Domain Fluency Project delivery, Preconstruction, planning, estimating, scheduling, procurement, field execution, and handover BIM/VDC workflows, Model coordination, construction documentation, site data, and connected data environments
• Emerging technologies, Reality capture, digital twins, construction analytics, and AI-enabled decision support AEC platforms, Autodesk Construction Cloud, Revit, Navisworks, Forma, Tandem, or adjacent platforms
• Coordinate AI and Emerging Technology Research Support programs exploring how AI, generative AI, intelligent agents, simulation, and connected workflows can transform construction
• Help researchers structure AI-enabled workstreams with clear milestones, experiments, and evaluation plans
• Coordinate research integrating BIM, schedules, reality capture, field data, and other construction information sources
• Translate emerging technical work into clear narratives, decision briefs, and next-step recommendation
• Use AI tools in your own practice to improve planning, synthesis, documentation, and follow-through
• Manage Resources and External Engagements Track program budgets, planned expenditures, and resource needs in partnership with leadership and finance
• Support annual and quarterly planning, goal-setting, and resource prioritization
• Coordinate external collaborations, customer engagements, and academic or industry partnerships

Minimum Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in program management, project management, research operations, construction technology, or a related field
• Experience managing complex, multi-workstream programs with diverse stakeholders, dependencies, and deliverables
• Working knowledge of construction workflows, including preconstruction, BIM/VDC, scheduling, field execution, or construction data management
• Demonstrated ability to create structure in ambiguous, newly forming areas
• Strong written, verbal, and visual communication skills, including executive-ready summaries and dashboards
• Strong facilitation and influencing skills across multidisciplinary teams
• Proficiency with tools such as Jira, Confluence, Miro, Slack, or equivalent platforms
• Ability to work effectively across global teams and time zones

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in construction technology, AEC, digital twins, BIM/VDC, reality capture, or AI-enabled construction workflows
• Familiarity with Autodesk Construction Cloud, Revit, Navisworks, Forma, Tandem, or related platforms
• Background in applied research, innovation programs, incubation, or early-stage product exploration
• Familiarity with AI/ML, generative AI, intelligent agents, or data-driven product development
• Experience coordinating programs involving data integration, connected workflows, or scalable data pipelines
• Experience managing research collaborations, customer advisory engagements, or academic and industry partnerships
• Degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Computer Science, HCI, Business, or a related field. Equivalent experience is welcome.

What Success Looks Like (6–12 Months)

Within the first 6–12 months, success means delivering:

• A clear operating rhythm: A trusted and consistent approach to managing the construction research program
• Portfolio visibility: An integrated view of priorities, workstreams, milestones, risks, and decisions
• Strong stakeholder relationships: Effective partnerships with researchers, engineers, product stakeholders, and Research leadership
• Improved accountability: Greater visibility and ownership without reducing research velocity
• Strategic alignment: A clearer connection between construction research and Autodesk’s strategic outcomes
• Knowledge reuse: Better documentation and reuse of research artifacts, insights, and decisions
• AI-enabled operations: Active, demonstrable use of AI tools to improve program operations

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Learn More / Plus d'information

About Autodesk / À propos d’Autodesk

Welcome to Autodesk! Amazing things are created every day with our software – from the greenest buildings and cleanest cars to the smartest factories and biggest hit movies. We help innovators turn their ideas into reality, transforming not only how things are made, but what can be made.

We take great pride in our culture here at Autodesk – it’s at the core of everything we do. Our culture guides the way we work and treat each other, informs how we connect with customers and partners, and defines how we show up in the world. When you’re an Autodesker, you can do meaningful work that helps build a better world designed and made for all. Ready to shape the world and your future? Join us!

Bienvenue chez Autodesk ! Nos logiciels créent chaque jour des choses extraordinaires : des bâtiments les plus écologiques aux voitures les plus propres, en passant par les usines les plus intelligentes et les films à succès. Nous aidons les innovateurs à concrétiser leurs idées, transformant non seulement la façon dont les choses sont fabriquées, mais aussi ce qui peut l’être. Nous sommes très fiers de notre culture chez Autodesk ; elle est au cœur de tout ce que nous faisons. Notre culture guide notre façon de travailler et de nous comporter les uns envers les autres, influence nos interactions avec nos clients et nos partenaires, et définit notre image au monde. En tant qu’Autodeskien, vous pouvez accomplir un travail significatif qui contribue à bâtir un monde meilleur, conçu et réalisé pour tous. Prêt à façonner le monde et votre avenir ? Rejoignez-nous !

Salary transparency / Transparence Salariale

Salary is one part of Autodesk’s competitive compensation package. Offers are based on the candidate’s experience and geographic location. In addition to base salaries, our compensation package may include annual cash bonuses, commissions for sales roles, stock grants, and a comprehensive benefits package. Belonging We take pride in cultivating a culture of belonging where everyone can thrive. Learn more here: https://www.autodesk.com/company/global-belonging

In-Person Onboarding and Identity Verification

This role may require in-person onboarding and/or in-person ID verification.

Welcome to Autodesk! Amazing things are created every day with our software – from the greenest buildings and cleanest cars to the smartest factories and biggest hit movies. We help innovators turn their ideas into reality, transforming not only how things are made, but what can be made. We take great pride in our culture here at Autodesk – it’s at the core of everything we do. Our culture guides the way we work and treat each other, informs how we connect with customers and partners, and defines how we show up in the world. When you’re an Autodesker, you can do meaningful work that helps build a better world designed and made for all. Ready to shape the world and your future? Join us!