Business Development Director (Defence) - job 1 of 3

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AECOM has an excellent track record of delivering programmes of critical national importance in defence, which has positioned the business as one of the leading professional services consultancies for the MOD, prime Defence Manufacturers (OEM’s) and Contractors and with the US DoD across Europe. With the sector of strategic importance to AECOM, representing a quarter of topline revenue for the region (c.$180m) and with a strong outlook for growth in 2025 and beyond, there is an opportunity for a new Business Development Director to further elevate AECOM’s profile as a partner of choice and gain further market penetration and growth for the long-term. 

This is a key Defence leadership role, and as the successful applicant you be a key member of AECOMs Defence Leadership Team, reporting to the Head of Defence UK&I and working in partnership with our defence sector leaders across business lines.

Here’s what you’ll do:

As the Business Development Director this role has been created to spearhead strategic business development, focused on building key strategic relationships with targeted OEMs, pre-positioning AECOM for key strategic major pursuits, leading on capture management with work winning teams and regular stakeholder engagement.  You will act as the Client Account Manager (CAM) and focal-point for day-to-day communications between the Defence Leadership Team and OEM clients’, facilitating the identification of future Defence OEM strategic pursuits. 

Leadership

• Providing the leadership for the Defence OEM’s sub-sector, reporting into the Head of Defence UK&I.
• Ensure effective relationships with internal stakeholders to achieve objectives, including (but not limited to) business units, end markets, other sectors, CAMs, commercial, work winning and strategic marketing and communications.
• Build effective relationships with counterparts across AECOM’s geographies (e.g. US & Australia  input into global Defence equipment programmes).
• Accountable for setting and implementing Defence OEM business strategies, objectives, and financial outcomes.

Sales and Growth

• Participates in developing the regional growth and business development defence strategy to define growth targets and prioritise pursuits, best practice, and sales leadership, in collaboration with the Defence Leadership Team, Operating Unit Leaders and CAMs across all business lines.
• Contributes to the success and growth of the sector within the region and in collaboration with other regions. 
• Responsible for business development and winning strategic pursuits, excellence in delivery of professional services, and business compliance, in alignment to the Defence growth strategy, working in collaboration with  Marketing and Capture Managers. 
• Builds, monitors and orchestrates sales pipeline activities across the Defence portfolio to advance, invest in or divest of opportunities.
• Keeps abreast of Europe’s Defence and Security challenges and leverages this knowledge to focus on sales activities.
• Leads the coordination of the forming of teams as part of major pursuits and mobilisation.
• Work with the regional teams to analyse and understand long, medium and short-term Defence OEM opportunities to advise strategic planning and pursuit prioritisation. 
• Understand breadth and depth of global AECOM capabilities and bring regional and global expertise to major pursuits. 
• Bring discipline and rigor to the Go/No Go process and capture management planning phase. 
• Work in collaboration with Marketing to develop and execute strategic marketing campaigns that position AECOM around key opportunities. 

If you're passionate about innovation and turning bold ideas into reality, AECOM welcomes you. Join our team, where we don't just construct infrastructure but also uplift communities and enhance lives.

Why not give our AECOM Buildings + Places page on LinkedIn a follow to stay updated on the impactful projects we're working on and see firsthand the difference we're making in the industry!

Enjoy the Perks.

At AECOM, you'll enjoy a range of core and personalised benefits designed to support your future and well-being, customised to fit your lifestyle. Take advantage of career development opportunities, our flexible hybrid working model to ensure a work-life balance that suits your lifestyle, technical practice networks, AECOM University, and volunteering days.

Ready to push the limits of what’s possible?

Here’s what we’re looking for:

As the successful candidate you will be an outstanding leader with extensive and relevant Business Development experience at a senior level, gained in a fast-paced and complex commercial environment.  You will be highly strategic with outstanding customer engagement, strong business acumen and the emotional intelligence to lead business lines to ensure its achieve its full potential while navigating a complex customer ecosystem.

Specific requirements include:

• Experience of operating at a senior level within either infrastructure advisory, or a comparable consulting or engineering business selling into the Defence sector.
• In-depth knowledge of the UK Defence sector; including government departments, industry frameworks and major industry OEM’s.
• Demonstrable experience of leading and securing individual wins / frameworks in the region of $10m to $150m+ and capturing new business.

• Connectivity into the UK MOD & OEM senior stakeholders. A natural networker, comfortable engaging with Government and global OEMs and speaking at relevant industry events.
• Experience must demonstrate sales production metrics, demonstrated skills in business development strategy, team leadership, client discovery and development of compelling value propositions that meet client’s needs. 

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!

• Due to the nature of the work undertaken by our clients, the successful applicant will need to have active UK SC Clearance or the ability to gain UK SC clearance (support will be provided through the application process)

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For further information about the role, reach out to the recruiter on LinkedIn.

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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 $14.4 billion in fiscal year 2023. 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.