Vice President, Global Digital Leader - Buildings and Places - AECOM

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There has never been a better time to be at AECOM. With accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of over 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world.

We're one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.

AECOM is seeking a global digital leader to direct the digital evolution for our Buildings and Places (B+P) business line in 6 key areas:

• Developing, evolving, communicating, and driving the B+P digital strategy for the global business line
• Improving the digital delivery capabilities of B+P teams in partnership with EC, IT, Regional teams, other Global Business Line Digital Leaders, and Global Digital Leader-Strategy Execution.
• Teaming with Digital Consulting leadership to develop new growth strategies and consulting offerings for B+P
• Supporting business line growth through direct engagement in opportunities and premier customers which are representative of the digital future within B+P
• Collaborating with strategic technology partners to define market leading solutions and win “lighthouse” projects
• Provide internal and external thought leadership on the value of digital in B+P market sectors

The Vice President, Global Digital Leader for Buildings and Places will report to the Vice President and Corporate Digital Leader while directly supporting the Buildings and Places Business Line leadership team.

The Global Digital Leader will develop and lead the execution of a global digital strategy that both accelerates transformation and delivers growth, working backwards from both the needs of customers and the business line to form the appropriate strategy.  The global digital leader will be well versed in determining business value as well as digital technologies and architectures that deliver value for the global B+P business and its customers.  This role will be responsible for developing strategic plans for the business, driving alignment across teams, determining the proper technology directions, leveraging AECOM resources and partners to execute the strategies to scale solutions across business lines and geographies, while supporting bids for critical opportunities. 

This leader will also serve as a thought leader internally and externally, assisting our commercial teams in winning new business through differentiating AECOM’s position in the market.  Providing compelling business cases, the global digital leader will secure funding based on measurable business impact and will track progress through adoption.  In addition, this leader will leverage and evolve a digital partner network to accelerate innovation for the business line.

As a member of the global digital leadership team this role will work with professionals around the world to advance AECOM’s global digital strategies and priorities.  The global digital team includes global business line leaders, partner management, AI strategy, and digital consulting services.  The global digital leadership team works closely with our global digital capability center (EC) and IT groups for prototyping, development, scaling and delivery of our digital tools and supports the regional business line teams adopting digital solutions.

Global Buildings and Places line of business

At AECOM, we’re united by a common purpose of delivering a better world.  Our Global Buildings + Places Business brings together a versatile and collaborative team of planning, design, and engineering professionals working to create livable, sustainable and equitable cities to deliver on this vision.

Our global portfolio of work comprises the design of iconic and award-winning buildings and landscapes. From strategic planning through to project realization, the connections we make among people and places provide sustainable outcomes for our clients and the communities we serve. We place a premium on investing in digital capabilities and innovations which bring a unique consistency and efficiency to our scalable work. Our extensive expertise covers urbanism and planning architecture and interiors, building and systems engineering, and cost and project management. Together with our clients, we are working to evolve and elevate the built environment across sectors including social infrastructure, transportation and civil infrastructure, technology and logistics, and commercial and corporate real estate, while focusing on solutions that promote long-term health and wellbeing for all.

Key Responsibilities:

• In collaboration with the B+P global business line leadership, define, communicate, and adjust the digital strategy for the GBL over a 1 to 5 year horizon.
• Work closely with EC, IT, Global Technical Practices, and regional resources to define, prioritize and deliver the right digital tools for project teams to deliver projects
• Collaborate with EC, Global Technical Practices, Regional digital leads, local technical groups, and Global Digital Leader–Strategy Execution to develop the adoption strategies for digital tools
• Collaborate with BL Digital leaders (GBL leaders, technical discipline leaders, market segment leader) to define and optimize strategies, while helping to grow and mentor.
• Work closely with the Global Digital Consulting Leader, defining the digital consulting strategy for the B+P business while working directly with clients who are representative of the digital future of B+P
• Develop business cases to justify investment in new digital capabilities.  Conduct Build/Buy/Partner analysis.
• Provide support to business pursuits and CAM teams as required, focused on representative projects that support the realization of the digital strategies, including presentations to key clients and prospects.
• Provide effective and clear presentations of strategy and status to business executives.
• Identify and collaborate with key technology partners and Global Digital Partner leader to define new tools/solutions/offerings while assisting in early customer wins. Collaborating with the regional digital teams and the Strategy Execution Leader, develop and maintain the digital maturity strategy for the business line.
• Convey thought leadership and industry expertise to teams, clients, and external audiences.

Important attributes and personal skills:

• Self-starter with the ability to work as a positive, energized, and adaptable global team member.
• Flexible with work times to align with colleagues in different time zones.
• Not afraid, or able, to dive deep into areas of importance and to ensure initiatives are successful.
• Highly developed written and oral communication skills, including the ability to present ideas and influence senior leaders.
• Extremely strong relationship building skills.
• Demonstrated ability to champion and drive ideas and solutions.
• Ability to work in periods of ambiguity and create clarity for stakeholders.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, able to work under pressure and prioritize effectively.
• Able to demonstrate passion, energy, and drive, especially in the face of resistance.

Minimum Requirements:

• BA/BS plus at least 15 years of relevant experience in digital solutions creation and/or delivery, including at least 6 years of leadership experience.
• Demonstrated experience growing a digital business (or business line).
• Very strong knowledge and experience in Buildings and Places technologies (design & planning, engineering & design, smart operations, decarbonization), business models, customers, use cases
• Deep experience in cloud, AI/ML, digital twins, asset management, advanced analytics, IoT technologies and vendors.
• Demonstrated experience working with top-tier technology vendors to deliver solutions.
• Demonstrated collaborative influencing skills across business lines or teams.
• Exceptional interpersonal and stakeholder management skill.
• Knowledge of financial reporting (return on investment).
• Experience working in international teams.
• Experienced presenting to executive audiences and clients
• Ability to travel up to 25%

Preferred Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering or Information Management
• MBA or other business degree (desirable)
• Experience working in the industries AECOM’s Buildings and Places business line serves.

Please note that this role can be based anywhere in the world with preference for US, Canada, or Europe.

About AECOM

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, well-being resources, employee assistance program, business travel insurance, service recognition awards, retirement savings plan, and employee stock purchase plan.

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.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.