Aviation Client & Programme Director in Cheltenham

Company Description

Work with Us. Change the World. 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

Start here. Grow here. AECOM is seeking a strategic, client-focused and commercially driven Aviation Client & Programme Director to lead the growth of our Aviation business across the UK & Ireland.

Reporting to the Sector Director and working closely with our global Transportation leadership, this is a market-facing leadership role responsible for shaping and delivering the Aviation growth strategy, securing major opportunities, and developing long-term strategic client relationships. You will lead the pursuit and conversion of major programmes while ensuring successful delivery that strengthens client confidence, creates repeat business and enhances AECOM's reputation as a trusted aviation partner.

Success in this role will be measured by your ability to win strategic opportunities, grow key client accounts, build a sustainable pipeline, and lead the successful delivery of flagship aviation programmes.

Here's what you'll do:

• Client Growth & Work Winning
  • Lead the delivery of the Aviation Sector's three-year growth strategy across the UK & Ireland, identifying and converting priority market opportunities.
  • Own the client engagement strategy for key aviation clients, developing executive-level relationships that position AECOM as a trusted long-term partner.
  • Lead the pursuit, positioning and capture of major aviation opportunities (typically >$5M), including early engagement, influencing client strategies and shaping opportunities before procurement.
  • Direct the end-to-end work winning process for strategic pursuits, bringing together multidisciplinary teams to develop compelling, differentiated proposals.
  • Develop winning strategies that leverage AECOM's global capability, technical excellence and programme delivery expertise.
  • Implement and optimise the hybrid Enterprise Capability (EC) and home-country delivery model to maximise competitiveness and delivery value.
  • Expand AECOM's profile across the aviation market through active industry engagement, thought leadership and executive client relationships.
  • Collaborate with global Aviation and Transportation teams to unlock cross-border opportunities and share capability, innovation and resources.
• Strategic Client Leadership
  • Act as AECOM's executive client sponsor for key aviation accounts and major programmes.
  • Build trusted relationships with infrastructure owners, airport operators, contractors and delivery partners that generate repeat business and long-term growth.
  • Develop account growth plans for strategic clients, identifying opportunities to expand AECOM's services across programmes and portfolios.
  • Champion exceptional client experience, using client feedback and market insight to continuously improve performance and strengthen our competitive position.
• Programme Delivery & Commercial Performance
  • Provide executive oversight of major aviation programmes, ensuring successful delivery that reinforces client confidence and supports future work winning.
  • Be accountable for the performance of Aviation-owned projects, ensuring excellence in: Schedule, cost and quality, Commercial performance, Project governance and risk management, Client satisfaction.
  • Drive strong business performance across: Sales bookings and pipeline conversion, Revenue growth and profitability, Gross and net margins, Cashflow and DSO, Enterprise Capability utilisation, High-quality project reporting and governance.
  • Ensure programmes are delivered safely, sustainably and profitably while creating opportunities for future growth.
• Leadership & Capability
  • Build a high-performing Aviation business capable of delivering sustained market growth.
  • Foster collaboration across Transportation, Business Lines and global regions to maximise opportunities and strengthen integrated delivery.
  • Develop future leaders and strengthen capability in client management, capture, bid leadership and programme delivery.
  • Support strategic workforce planning to ensure capability aligns with market demand and growth ambitions.
• Safety, Health, Environment & Wellbeing
  • Champion a culture where safety, wellbeing and sustainability are fundamental to every client engagement and programme.
  • Act as a visible safety leader across major pursuits and delivery programmes.
  • Drive strong performance against leading and lagging SHE indicators while embedding best practice across project teams and partners.

Qualifications

Here's what we're looking for:

• Proven success leading the pursuit, capture and conversion of major infrastructure opportunities, with a strong track record of winning strategic programmes.
• Established relationships within the aviation sector and credibility with airport operators, infrastructure owners, contractors and delivery partners.
• Demonstrated experience developing client strategies, growing key accounts and securing repeat business.
• Extensive experience leading the delivery of complex, multidisciplinary infrastructure programmes.
• Strong commercial acumen, with experience managing business performance, profitability and growth.
• Experience operating within a global organisation, leveraging international capability to deliver client value.
• Inspirational leadership with a passion for building high-performing teams and developing future capability.
• A visible advocate for safety, sustainability, innovation and client excellence.

Additional Information

We celebrate diversity, including neurodiversity, and believe it enriches our team. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and abilities. If you are an applicant with a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to complete the application process, please contact us at ReasonableAdjustmentsUKI@aecom.com. 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!

Interested in the role or curious about life at AECOM? Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to explore our AECOM voices, employee stories, latest projects, and much more!

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.

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 $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

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 ReasonableAccommodationsUKI@aecom.com if you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.