Water Capture Lead / Bid Director

About the Role

We are seeking a Capture Lead / Bid Director for the Water business in the UK and Ireland, reporting to the Strategy and Growth team. The role is accountable for capturing, positioning and winning major contracts—typically £35 million plus in revenue—within regulated water, strategic resource, and climate resilience sectors. You will lead the largest and most strategic bids, defining execution strategies, selecting partners, managing risk and pricing, and mobilising resources to deliver compelling propositions. The role drives growth by shaping opportunities, leading holistic capture plans and building a data‑led pipeline of qualified pursuits. You will coordinate internal bid, marketing, technical and commercial teams, influence early scope and commercial structures, and manage the full sales lifecycle from pre‑procurement to post‑bid debriefs. Partnering and consortium leadership, senior client engagement, commercial oversight and team leadership are essential to delivering successful outcomes. • Drive growth by shaping and capturing key water sector opportunities and renewals. • Lead holistic capture plans covering client listening, win strategy, solution design, marketing, answer planning and debriefs. • Build and maintain a qualified opportunity pipeline using data‑driven insights. • Influence early scope, delivery models and commercial structures through market engagement. • Identify, select and manage strategic partners, joint ventures and consortiums to strengthen bids. • Define partner roles and value contributions to create integrated solutions. • Cultivate senior‑level relationships with water utilities, regulators and public‑sector bodies. • Craft and deliver compelling client narratives positioning AECOM as partner of choice. • Set commercial direction for major pursuits, including delivery models, risk appetite and pricing. • Provide senior challenge and assurance on deliverability, differentiation and commercial soundness. • Lead bid teams, align internal resources and partners, and communicate pursuit priorities across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• ▸capture planning
• ▸pipeline management
• ▸partner selection
• ▸client engagement
• ▸commercial strategy
• ▸bid leadership

What You Bring

Ideal candidates have a proven track record of winning large‑scale water utility contracts and leading multi‑disciplinary, multi‑location pursuit teams. They possess strong technical and delivery expertise, excellent communication and workshop facilitation skills, and experience with alliance, joint‑venture and partner‑led delivery models. Executive‑level credibility, sound commercial judgement, and deep knowledge of the UK water regulatory environment are required, as is the ability to operate in matrix organisations. • Own pursuit strategies across the full sales lifecycle from early capture to post‑bid debriefs. • Proven success leading teams to win £35 million+ water utility contracts. • Strong technical and delivery background with ability to translate client needs into differentiated bids. • Excellent communication and workshop facilitation across diverse stakeholder groups. • Experience in partner‑led delivery models, alliances and joint ventures. • Executive‑level credibility with clients, partners and senior internal leaders. • Solid commercial judgement, strategic thinking and risk‑value balancing. • Deep understanding of the UK water regulatory environment. • Experience working in matrix organisations with separate bid and delivery functions.

Requirements

• ▸technical
• ▸delivery
• ▸communication
• ▸alliances
• ▸executive
• ▸commercial

Benefits

AECOM values diversity, including neurodiversity, and offers a hybrid work model with flexible locations, comprehensive benefits and wellbeing programs. As a Fortune 500 firm we provide access to industry‑leading technology, global resources and transformational projects that make a lasting impact. We are an equal‑opportunity and Disability Confident employer, committed to fostering a safe, inclusive workplace where every individual can thrive.

Work Environment

Hybrid