Job DescriptionWe are seeking an accomplished and visionary
Global Desalination Practice Leader to drive the growth, technical excellence, and market leadership of our global desalination and water treatment business.
This executive-level role will be responsible for setting and executing the strategic direction of the firm's desalination practice across municipal, industrial, mining, energy, and water security markets. The successful candidate will lead multidisciplinary teams across engineering, consulting, program management, and operations while serving as a trusted advisor to clients, regulators, investors, and industry stakeholders worldwide.
The Global Desalination Practice Leader will oversee business development, major project pursuits, technical innovation, strategic partnerships, and practice performance, ensuring delivery excellence and sustainable growth across key regions including North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Latin America.
The purpose of this role is to lead the AECOM global desalination practice. The role will encompass strategy development and project delivery to ensure AECOM becomes the leading engineering firm in desalination.
Whilst the role will have a specific focus on desalination, the role will naturally be responsible for the delivery of sustainable solutions that relate to water security and resilience hence, strong collaboration across all market sectors including conveyance, water reuse and water and wastewater treatment.
This role requires a recognised senior leader with a strong technical understanding of the role of desalination from strategy through to delivery.
Responsibilities include but not limited to:- Serve as part of the AECOM global water leadership team, advocating and delivering growth in desalination
- Develop and coordinate global desalination market strategy based on knowledge of the global desalination market, with an emphasis on seawater desalination, desalination technologies, and emerging market trends.
- Collaboration and coordination with the Regional Water Business Line Leadership, Global Water Market Sector Lead, and sub-region Region Business Line Leaders and area market sector leads.
- Work with regional business development and project delivery teams to develop regional desalination market sub-strategies and drive growth
- Serve as project director/design manager/technical lead directing and executing work related to seawater desalination and/or similar treatment processes
- Assist in development and implementation of major pursuit capture strategy and provide oversight of capture plans as they relate to major desalination opportunities
- Coordinate with regional and market sector leadership and Technical Practice Network to align skills with market trends and to drive strategic technical leadership hires
- Reinforce collaboration and team building, ensure client focus, demonstrate commitment to excellence and innovation, and motivate others to ensure positive morale and engagement.
- Leverage technical expertise from across the organization to support pursuits and delivery.
- Continuously interact with clients assuring satisfaction with AECOM services and interact with project delivery personnel to ensure any service issues are identified and addressed in a proactive manner
- Build a strong capability to deliver desalination solutions including internal and external (recruitment)
- Build strong relationships and interact regularly with clients, teaming partners, industry groups and stakeholders linked to the market sector
- Continuously build a strong professional network through personal contacts, conference planning and strategy development
- Ensure that AECOM programs such as Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Ethics & Compliance are an overriding part of the organizational culture.
Key areas of responsibility:1. Strategic Leadership & Growth- Actively lead and participate in the global water leadership team with a proactive role in growing a successful and sustainable desalination practice
- Foster a culture of sharing knowledge of best practice in winning and delivery of desalination projects from planning through to delivery
- Collaborate with peers across the globe and cross business line to develop our go to market for desalination
- Active leadership and building global relationships with equipment suppliers and contractors active in desalination
- Support the Regional Business Line leadership teams to implement the regional desalination growth and delivery strategies
2. Technical and Design Leadership- Oversee competitive pricing strategies that balance winning bids whilst managing business risk.
- Work closely with the Regional Leadership teams on Enterprise Critical Pursuits.
- Oversee and lead technical and engineering reviews during pursuit stages, particularly in emerging markets, ensuring alignment with business strategy.
- Identify and recruit talent to build desalination capability including EC
- Proactively build a AI focused growth platform for delivery of desalination.
4. Resource & Capability Development- Develop and implement resourcing strategies for a global desalination practice. Identify gaps and actively support global and regional teams to recruit and resource
- Build EC capability for delivery of desalination infrastructure
- Focused succession planning for key roles
5. Project Delivery & Performance- Ensure MPD delivery suite, MP Systems and tools are implemented on major projects.
- Help support wellness, health, and wellbeing initiatives for major projects in delivery, working closely with the Business Line Major Projects Leader.
- Ensure consistent project performance monitoring and reporting across individual projects which you are supporting.
- Deliver projects as Design Manager / Design Director - specifically for our largest Water Infrastructure projects.
QualificationsMinimum Requirements:
- Bachelor's Degree (or higher) in Engineering. Environmental, Civil or Chemical preferred
- 20+ years water industry experience
- Extensive and proven knowledge of global desalination market, including desalination technology, project delivery models, and emerging market trends
- Demonstrated experience in delivery of desalination (or similar water/wastewater scheme) project/program development, planning, design and implementation internationally
- Strong relationships and experience working with clients and potential clients in the global desalination market
- Well-known in the industry through American Water Works Association, Australian Water Association, International Desalination and Reuse Association, and related industry organizations, demonstrated through publications and presentations related to seawater desalination.
- Agile response to fast paced, complex work environment and organizational change
- Ability to travel internationally, as required
Additional InformationAt 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. 
