Water Resources Leader (Chicago Metro) - AECOM

How will you make your mark?

At AECOM, our work in providing access to clean water enables communities to thrive and ecosystems to flourish, contributing to a resilient future. As a global leader in infrastructure consulting, we are at the forefront of significant water projects, with over 6,000 of the industry’s best minds driving innovation and technical excellence. Together, we develop solutions that are not only best in the world, but best for the world.     

With an acceleration in infrastructure investment, your bold ideas and global expertise have never been more crucial. Join our dynamic team, where innovation, career growth, and collaboration are celebrated. Enjoy the freedom to grow with customizable career paths, water-specific technical and professional development and the potential to contribute to transformational projects worldwide.    Discover your #H2Opportunity

AECOM is actively seeking a Water Resources Leader for our Chicago water resources group which specializes in H&H modeling, dam removal, ecosystem/stream restoration, and drainage design. The candidate would be based out of AECOM’s Chicago, Illinois office. Some work can be performed remotely.

The Water Resources Leader will be an expert seller/doer in H&H modeling and engineering design. This individual will be a creative and highly talented technical leader responsible for the oversight, management and business development of large, complex local, state, and federal projects. Depending on the candidate’s technical specialty, projects may include H&H modeling, dam removal, ecosystem/stream restoration, drainage design and other water resources planning and design projects.

The appropriately qualified applicant will be able to demonstrate an established career with strong client contacts, relationships and engineering experience with Local, State, and Federal water resources clients in City of Chicago, Illinois, and the Great Lakes Area.

The responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:

• Win work by leading and/or supporting major pursuits. Maintain strong relationships with targeted key clients to position AECOM in the market to win major opportunities and deliver to the highest standard.
• Be a leader within the water resources industry, maintaining strong relationships with targeted senior clients to enable a deep understanding of their needs. Promote a client-focused culture through this leadership.
• Leads and develops high performing team members and teams. Maximizes engagement and retention, demonstrating personal leadership of AECOM’s cultural standards; fosters an inclusive environment where people succeed and fulfill their potential.
• Active involvement in business and staff development across City of Chicago, Illinois, and Great Lakes Area, and collaboration with other offices within AECOM’s West Region and beyond.
• Working with regional Water Business Line leadership on local and regional initiatives.

Skills & Attributes

• Impactful with senior business leaders, project leaders, and clients. Engages and motivates team members and teams through a clear vision and direction.
• Communicates with confidence – builds broad and deep external networks, uses a full range of available communication mediums to inspire and engage others, demonstrates empathy, understanding, and active listening skills, elicits and is receptive to feedback, encourages others to speak up.
• Passionate about creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive team and demonstrates behavior consistent with AECOM’s Equity Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) vision.
• Role models standards and expectations – seeks excellence, communicates frequently and clearly, is strategic, is results-focused, is accountable, makes fact-based decisions, innovates and collaborates.
• Experienced in successfully managing complex projects and meeting delivery requirements.
• Builds high performance teams, is an architect and leader of change, expands capability and capacity, drives flawless execution.
• Demonstrated commercial acumen, and the ability to develop a strong client base.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's and 8+ years of relevant experience or demonstrated equivalency of experience and/or education

Preferred Qualifications

• 15+ years of relevant water resources engineering experience
• Professional Engineer (P.E.) in Illinois or ability to obtain within 6 months of work
• Master’s degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering or related field
• 2+ years of leadership experience
• 10+ years of proven Project Management experience
• Experience with project management requirements and systems
• Experience or interest in business operations and internal finance
• Knowledge of technical software and modeling
• Strong team leader with excellent interpersonal skills who effectively works with and supports team members
• Collaborative; shares knowledge, experience, ideas and expertise for the betterment of group and self
• Is diligent and able to work consistently to deadlines under tight time frames
• Good understanding of the Greater Chicago Area market and state agencies, and ability to support marketing efforts in pursuing work
• Public presentation experience

#LI-EM1

About AECOM

AECOM is proud to offer a comprehensive benefits program 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 absence, voluntary benefits, perks, U.S. and global well-being programs, 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 culture of equity, diversity and inclusion – 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 and benefits programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We also provide a robust global well-being program. 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.