Water Capture Lead / Bid Director

About the Role

With unprecedented opportunity across the UK and Ireland water industry, AECOM’s Water business is seeking a Capture Lead / Bid Director to join the Strategy and Growth team. In this role you will be accountable for the capture, positioning, and successful bidding of major contracts within AECOM’s Water business, shaping winning solutions through strategic positioning, early client collaboration, and strong leadership across complex pursuits. As the Capture Lead / Bid Director you will own and lead AECOM’s largest and most strategic bids, typically exceeding £35 million in revenue. You will define execution strategies, select partners, develop consortiums, manage risk and pricing, and mobilise the best resources to deliver compelling propositions across Regulated Water, Strategic Resource Options, and Climate Resilience sectors. • Drive growth by positioning and capturing key opportunities, including new business and renewals. • Lead a holistic capture approach encompassing client listening, win‑strategy development, solution shaping, marketing, answer planning, reviews, and debriefs. • Partner with bid, marketing, technical, operational, and commercial teams to create robust Capture Plans for complex pursuits. • Build and maintain a diversified pipeline of qualified opportunities using data‑led insight to focus on high‑value activities. • Own and champion pursuit strategies across the full sales lifecycle (PQQ, ITT, BAFO, interviews, post‑bid debriefs). • Shape opportunities early by influencing scope, delivery models, and commercial structures through proactive market engagement. • Coordinate with strategic marketing to deliver pursuit‑based positioning campaigns that enhance client engagement and brand awareness. • Maintain an external presence and relationships with clients and partners to understand market drivers and upcoming opportunities. • Analyse competitive landscapes and apply learnings from wins and losses to continuously refine capture strategies. • Identify, select, and lead strategic partnerships, joint ventures, and consortiums to strengthen competitive position. • Define partner roles, responsibilities, and value contribution to create integrated, compelling solutions. • Act as senior representative in partner negotiations and alliance discussions. • Build and sustain senior‑level client relationships across water companies, regulators, and public‑sector bodies. • Set strategic commercial direction for major pursuits, including delivery models, risk appetite, pricing, and value proposition. • Provide senior challenge and assurance that proposed solutions are deliverable, differentiated, and commercially sound. • Provide clear strategic direction to bid team members and influence senior internal stakeholders to align resources and priorities. • Communicate pursuit priorities across market sectors and leadership teams to ensure appropriate resourcing and strategic alignment.

Key Responsibilities

• ▸capture planning
• ▸pipeline development
• ▸bid leadership
• ▸partner management
• ▸client relationships
• ▸strategic pricing

What You Bring

We are looking for demonstrated experience shaping and leading teams to win major contracts within water utilities or the public water sector, a proven track record of guiding multi‑disciplinary, multi‑location pursuits, and a strong technical and delivery background that translates client drivers into differentiated bid solutions. Excellent communication, senior‑level stakeholder confidence, sound commercial judgement, and a solid understanding of the UK water regulatory environment are essential. We celebrate diversity, including neurodiversity, and welcome applications from all backgrounds and abilities. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation may contact us via the provided email address. If you meet some of the requirements or have transferable skills, we would be delighted to hear from you. • Own the client narrative, clearly articulating why AECOM, why this team, and why this approach. • Proven experience winning major water utility contracts (typically $35 m+ net service revenue). • Strong technical and delivery background with ability to translate client drivers into differentiated bid solutions. • Excellent communication and leadership across all bid stages, including workshop facilitation with diverse stakeholders. • Experience with partner‑led delivery models, alliances, joint ventures, and complex multi‑party arrangements. • Credibility operating at executive and board level with clients, partners, and senior leadership. • Sound commercial judgement, strategic thinking, and ability to balance risk, value, and long‑term positioning. • Understanding of the UK water regulatory environment and national government water sector. • Experience operating in matrix organisations with separate bid management and delivery functions.

Requirements

• ▸water contracts
• ▸technical delivery
• ▸leadership
• ▸stakeholder
• ▸commercial judgement
• ▸uk regulation

Benefits

You will have the flexibility to work in a hybrid model, whether from an AECOM office, remotely, or on a client site. We foster a safe and respectful workplace where everyone can bring their whole selves, and we provide a broad range of compensation, benefits, and well‑being programs to meet diverse employee needs.

Work Environment

Hybrid