Associate Director Water Resilience

Arup’s purpose, shared values and collaborative approach have set us apart for 80 years, guiding how we shape a better world.

We are looking for an Associate Director for our Water Resilience offering who will help Arup extend and scale existing services in this area, building from current strengths in water resource planning, water stewardship, water reuse, environmental assessment, strategic infrastructure planning and major capital delivery. This is a  delivery-focused role, providing senior leadership on complex commissions while also supporting business development with existing and emerging clients. This includes opportunities to deepen our work with water utilities and public bodies, and to grow adjacent services for major water-dependent sectors such as data centres, pharmaceuticals and advanced manufacturing, where water availability, resilience, discharge management and corporate stewardship are becoming critical investment and permitting considerations.

The Opportunity 

• Provide senior delivery leadership for complex water resilience and water resource development commissions across Europe, including water resource planning, water stewardship, reuse, climate adaptation, catchment protection, environmental assessment and strategic infrastructure planning.
• Extend and scale Arup’s existing services with priority clients in water-dependent sectors, including water utilities, public bodies, data centres, pharmaceuticals and advanced manufacturing, where water availability, resilience, discharge management and corporate stewardship are critical to investment, permitting and long-term operational performance.
• Support business development and regional growth by connecting European water resilience capability with emerging opportunities across EIMEA, including the Middle East, where water resource development, desalination, reuse, aquifer management, non-revenue water reduction and climate resilience are central to client and national development priorities.
• Strengthens Arup’s external market position in water resilience and water resource development, enabling us to respond to growing client demand across Europe for climate-resilient, sustainable and investable water solutions.
• Opens new and adjacent growth opportunities with existing clients in water-dependent sectors, including utilities, data centres, pharmaceuticals and advanced manufacturing, where water availability, stewardship, reuse and discharge management are becoming critical business risks.
• Provides senior client-facing leadership to convert strategic water resilience challenges into funded commissions, from early advisory and resource planning through to delivery of practical infrastructure and stewardship solutions.
• Connects European capability with wider EIMEA growth priorities, supporting opportunities in the Middle East and other water-stressed markets where resource development, reuse, desalination and climate adaptation are central to long-term investment plans.

At Arup, you belong to an extraordinary collective – in which we encourage individuality to thrive. Our strength comes from how we respect, share and connect our diverse experiences, perspectives and ideas.  

You will have the opportunity do socially useful work that has meaning – to Arup, to your career, to our members and to the clients and communities we serve.  

Is this role right for you?

• Demonstrated expertise in water resilience, water resources planning and sustainable water management, with the ability to integrate technical knowledge across advisory, environmental, infrastructure and delivery disciplines.
• Proven experience developing and implementing strategies for drought resilience, water reuse, water resource planning, stewardship and climate adaptation within complex regulatory and stakeholder environments.
• Strong track record of creating, refining and applying innovative tools, methodologies and scalable approaches that improve project delivery, consistency and quality across multiple sectors and geographies.
• Experience working across international markets and multidisciplinary teams, with the ability to transfer best practice and lessons learned between regions and business units.
• Established ability to build collaborative relationships across global organisations, leveraging technical expertise and market insights to support growth in emerging and water-stressed regions.
• Significant leadership experience delivering complex, multidisciplinary water resilience and water resource projects from strategic planning and advisory stages through to implementation and delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to identify, shape and develop business opportunities, working closely with client account teams, technical specialists and market leaders to grow a portfolio of work.
• Strong people leadership skills, including mentoring, coaching and developing technical professionals and emerging leaders.
• Experience integrating public and private sector perspectives to deliver practical, client-focused water resilience solutions for utilities, government agencies, industrial clients and other water-dependent sectors.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships with clients, partners, regulators and senior decision-makers.
• Degree qualified in Engineering, Environmental Science, Water Resources, Hydrology or a related discipline. Chartered or professionally accredited status preferred.

Why Arup?

At Arup, we believe in rewarding our members for their contributions to our shared success. As a trust-owned company, we have the freedom to pursue meaningful work that aligns with our purpose and values. We also offer a unique profit share program, allowing our members to share in the results of our collective efforts.

Benefits that work for you:

• Professional Growth and Development: Benefit from continuous learning opportunities, training programs, and mentorship to enhance your skills and advance your career at Arup. 
• Global Opportunities: Collaborate with colleagues worldwide and explore potential short-term or long-term assignments at other Arup offices and project locations. 
• Financial Well-being and Ownership: Receive a competitive salary and benefits package and share in Arup's success through our global profit-sharing programme. 
• Wellbeing and Culture: At Arup we are committed to fostering a healthy working culture by offering a range of health and wellbeing benefits, including health insurance, flexible working schemes, wellness programmes and an Employee Assistance Programme. 
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: We strive to embed inclusion in our way of working, our interactions with one another and the projects we deliver. We are committed to creating an inclusive working environment for talented people of any background, based on merit, fairness and respect. 
• At Arup, you belong to an extraordinary collective where individuality is encouraged. Our strength comes from how we respect, share, and connect our diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas. You'll have the opportunity to do socially useful work that has meaning – to Arup, to your career, and to the clients and communities we serve.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and are committed to building a workplace that reflects the rich diversity of the world around us. We actively promote a culture of inclusion where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued.

We welcome applications from talented individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, disability, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic. We are committed to making our recruitment process and workplaces accessible. If you need any assistance or adjustments, please visit our Candidate Support page for contact information and assistance. We're happy to help.

Do you want to join us in shaping a better world? #LI-nn1