Associate Director - Architecture in London

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

AECOM is listed as the 4th largest employer of architects worldwide in the World Architecture WA100 2025 survey, with over 1500 architects. We are currently expanding in the UK, so now is a great time to join our team and build your career for the future. We are at number 10 in the AJ100 list. AECOM employs around 7500 multi-disciplinary staff in the UK, and we offer architecturally led multi-disciplinary design services to our clients.

Project / Design Responsibilities

• Contribute, from the onset of a project, to the design of innovative and progressive solutions that reconcile client’s goals and priorities while fostering opportunities for design excellence.
• To perform and/or direct material and building system design and participate in the co-ordination and preparation of project specifications.
• Ensuring CDM Safety in Design principles are applied throughout all design stages of a project.

Managerial Responsibilities

• Organises own and others work to achieve set deadlines.
• Ensures, directly and through subordinates, that projects are completed on time and meet all requirements of the Design Brief and Client requirement documents.
• Responsible for the correctness, accuracy and multi-disciplinary coordination of the design documentation prepared by the assigned team.
• Ensures the quality of technical work produced by the team meets AECOM’s Technical Excellence standards.
• Applies knowledge and experience to manage the day-to-day work of practice teams.
• Interact with clients, contractors, local authority representatives and others using skills of persuasion and negotiation to resolve critical issues.
• Responsible for key design input at early design phases and for general design leadership during the course of the project.
• Promotes teamwork within a multi-disciplinary team, maintaining positive morale and instilling a creative culture within the practice.
• Make appropriate value judgements with respect to corrective work that supports the design concept and performance goals of the project.
• For projects on site: Manage interface between Design Team / Site Team ensuring proper design support is provided in a timely manner.
• Support Associate Directors and/or Directors with operational responsibilities which includes development and implementing Technical Excellence initiatives, management of resources (HR), training initiatives (CPD).
• Engage with resource forecasting and management.
• Where requested, engage with business reporting activities.
• Support and develop staff through guidance, mentoring and leadership of their development.
• Ensure the latest software and digital techniques are utilised to increase productivity and identify where training opportunities for staff should be made available.

Commercial Responsibilities

• Understand and implement project management principles and be able to work within project budgets which includes fees and designing to budget.
• Assist in initial assessment of potential new projects and competitions.
• Support Associate Directors and/or Directors in the preparation of bids.
• Help build a network of professional relationships with existing and prospective clients.
• Support marketing and business development initiatives.

Specific Skills Required:

• Must be proficient in the team management of, and use of, CAD. We use a range of CAD software, and training can be given to get you up to speed on the specific software needed for projects we are working on, which utilise: Bentley Microstation / Aecosim, AutoCAD & REVIT.
• In particular our approach to design utilises 3D modelling in REVIT for workflow, and direct ‘hands on’ experience and current working knowledge of REVIT is required.
• It would also be advantageous to have a working knowledge of parametric modelling software, Rhino/Grasshopper, Solidworks, etc, although not essential. (Training can also be provided).
• It would also be useful to have a working knowledge of Sketchup, Photoshop, InDesign, Powerpoint, Lumion and other presentation and render software. (Training can also be provided).
• Familiarity with working in Common Data Environments (CDE) like B360, ProjectWise, AutoDesk Docs, etc.
• Creative, practical, adaptable and enthusiastic.
• Ability to demonstrate attention to detail.
• Ability to think in a methodical way to design, plan and organize parts of projects.
• English language proficient, holding good communication skills to present information in speech, drawings and reports.
• Candidates must be eligible to work in the UK.

Qualifications Minimum Requirements:

• Fully Qualified Architect (ARB Registered) and proven experience in working on large multi-disciplinary design projects, preferably in infrastructure.
• Willingness and interest to work in a range of areas of infrastructure design under the guidance of Associate Directors and/or Directors. Our areas of design include: Surface Transport, Rail, Aviation, Education, Health Care, Science, and Logistics.
• Degree qualification, preferably with Diploma or Masters in a University Course, although the latter is not absolutely essential.
• Some experience of various forms of building contract will be helpful.
• An understanding and knowledge of the application UK Building Systems, Standards and Regulations and construction types.
• IT literate, with knowledge of CAD software, and Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, TEAMS, etc).
• Ability to manage a busy workload and deadlines.
• A clear work history and proof of professional development and learning.

Additional Information Preferred Qualifications:

• ARB registration (or equivalent European or International qualification).
• Ideally (though not essential) RIBA Part 3, or RIBA Part 2 (or equivalent European or International qualification).

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 [email protected] if you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.