AECOM

Associate Vice President, Water / Wastewater Area Business Lead - Upstate New York

AECOM$125K — $150K *
Energy & Utilities
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's in Civil, Environmental, Chemical Engineering or related field + 10 years in municipal water/wastewater consulting.
  • Proven success leading urban utility accounts.
  • Strong technical grounding in wastewater treatment and conveyance.
  • Experience with multi-year IDIQ/task-order and on-call pursuits.
  • Familiarity with New York public procurement and regulatory framework.

Responsibilities

  • Lead strategic account planning for key utilities, including relationship mapping and growth strategies.
  • Shape project pursuits from pre-positioning to contract negotiation and proposal development.
  • Translate market drivers into actionable client strategies and solutions.
  • Drive client satisfaction through proactive communication and issue resolution.
  • Serve as a practice leader to mentor and develop teams and manage staffing plans.
  • Partner with technical leaders for effective delivery of planning and design services.
  • Build a pipeline, forecast pursuits, and maintain CRM discipline for regional targets.

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
  • Life and AD&D insurance, as well as disability benefits.
  • Paid time off and leave of absence options.
  • Flexible work arrangements and well-being resources.
  • Employee assistance program and business travel insurance.
  • Retirement savings plan and employee stock purchase plan.
Full Job Description
AECOM seeks a seasoned leader to anchor AECOM's Upstate New York water and wastewater business. You will serve as our Client Account Manager (CAM) for cornerstone municipal utilities in Upstate New York, while leading the local practice across wastewater and water treatment, conveyance, and civil engineering. You will pair seller/doer leadership with people management, driving growth and delivery excellence, and serving as a strong, visible presence in our Buffalo office. This role targets an individual with deep technical credibility in water / wastewater systems and proven account leadership. This role will be based in Upstate New York, preferably the Buffalo or Rochester area and will follow a hybrid work arrangement to lead teams and engage clients. Will require local travel within New York and occasional regional travel as needed. Key Responsibilities: Client & Market Leadership • Lead strategic account planning for priority utilities: relationship mapping, growth plans, and opportunity roadmaps. • Shape pursuits from pre-positioning through negotiation: win themes, solution framing, pricing strategy alignment, and compliant, compelling proposals. • Anticipate and translate market drivers (SRF/WIIA, IIJA/BIL, PFAS, CSO/wet weather, climate resilience, digital/AI readiness) into client strategies and offerings. • Champion client satisfaction through proactive issue resolution and continuous feedback loops. Practice & People Leadership (Buffalo Office) • Serve as the visible practice leader: mentor, coach, and develop teams; drive recruiting, onboarding, and career pathways. • Manage resources, utilization, backlog health, staffing plans, and project delivery standards. • Foster an inclusive, collaborative, high-performance culture with strong in-office presence. Delivery Excellence • Partner with technical leaders to deliver planning, design, and program services for wastewater/water treatment and conveyance in dense urban systems. • Advance differentiation via digital delivery, asset management, sustainability/resilience, and program/IDIQ/task-order execution. Growth & Portfolio Health • Build a qualified pipeline, forecast pursuits, improve hit rates, and enforce go/no-go discipline. • Maintain CRM rigor, pursuit reporting, and portfolio hygiene aligned to regional targets. Success Metrics (first 12-18 months) • Account growth and improved hit rate on priority pursuits aligned to regional targets in Erie County. • New work with new clients in Monroe and Onondaga Counties • Robust, qualified pipeline with clear pre-positioning and capture plans. • High client satisfaction (surveys, repeat work, references). • Strong office performance: increase staffing levels, staffing stability, utilization, backlog health, and effective resource planning. Qualifications Minimum Qualifications • Bachelor's in Civil, Environmental, Chemical Engineering, or related field + 10 years in municipal water/wastewater consulting, with proven success leading urban utility accounts or a demonstrated equivalency of experience and/or education • Strong technical grounding in wastewater treatment, water treatment, and water/wastewater conveyance for urban systems. • Demonstrated wins on multi-year IDIQ/task-order, on-call, or capital program pursuits. • Familiarity with New York public procurement and regulatory context; experience navigating SRF/WIIA and grant/loan programs. Preferred Qualifications • PE in NY (or ability to obtain) strongly preferred; MS a plus. • Experience in program/portfolio management, construction management, and digital delivery workflows. • Background with wet weather/CSO, PFAS treatment, resilience planning, and utility modernization. • Established Western New York network with municipal water/wastewater stakeholders. • Excellent communication; executive presence; ability to work independently and lead multidisciplinary teams. • Local to Buffalo or Rochester area, with a strong and regular in-office presence. Additional Information • This position does not offer sponsorship, now or in the future. • This position does not offer relocation assistance. • THIS POSTING IS FOR A CURRENT VACANCY, AND AECOM INTENDS TO FILL THIS POSITION NO SOONER THAN JANURARY 1, 2027 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. AECOM is proud to offer comprehensive benefits to meet the diverse needs of our employees. Depending on your employment status, AECOM benefits may include medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, disability benefits, paid time off, leaves of absences, voluntary benefits, perks, flexible work options, well-being resources, employee assistance program, business travel insurance, service recognition awards, retirement savings plan, and employee stock purchase plan.

About AECOM

AECOM is a global provider of professional technical and management support services to a broad range of markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government. With approximately 45,000 employees around the world, AECOM is a leader in all of the key markets that it serves. AECOM provides a blend of global reach, local knowledge, innovation and technical excellence in delivering solutions that create, enhance and sustain the world's built, natural, and social environments. A Fortune 500 company, AECOM serves clients in more than 150 countries and had revenue of $8.0 billion during the 12 months ended March 31, 2014.

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Learn more about AECOM
Size
51,000 employees
Market Cap
$11.8 billion
Industry
Net Income
-$200.8 million
Founded
1990
5 Year Trend
-6.3%
Revenue
$13.3 billion
NASDAQ

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