National Coastal & Maritime Lead at AECOM · Townsville

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Lead the Future of Australia’s Coastal & Maritime Capability
At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the worlds most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.
Our Water business brings together some of Australia's leading specialists in water resources, flood modelling, coastal engineering, environmental planning and climate resilience. As demand for coastal and maritime infrastructure, resilience planning and shoreline management continues to grow, we're investing in a dedicated national capability to help shape the future of Australia's coastlines, ports and maritime assets.
We're now seeking an experienced National Coastal & Maritime Lead to establish and grow this capability across Australia.
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"Over my career at AECOM, I have always enjoyed the teamwork in project delivery. At AECOM there are so many amazingly talented people with differing skill sets, and I really enjoy working closely with passionate people towards a common goal and learning new things as we go." - Wesley Bailey, Sector Manager, Water Resources QLD
This is a rare opportunity to build something significant.
Positioned within our Water Resources, in close partnership with Ports & Marine, this role is tailored exclusively to coastal processes and maritime infrastructure.
Supported by an established Water business, strong project pipeline and national client relationships, you'll lead the development of AECOM's Coastal & Maritime capability across Australia. Rather than inheriting a mature team, you'll have the opportunity to shape the strategy, grow the capability and recruit a high-performing team of specialists around you.
You'll work closely with major private sector clients, ports, state and local government organisations, providing trusted advice on coastal and maritime challenges while overseeing the delivery of innovative, data-driven solutions.
This role is ideally suited to a senior consultant, Associate Director or Technical Director who has progressed beyond hands-on modelling and is now focused on client leadership, commercial growth, capability building and market influence.
What You'll Do
Build and execute our national Coastal & Maritime capability.
Build, mentor and develop a team of coastal and maritime specialists across Australia.
Partner with clients to solve complex coastal, maritime and shoreline management challenges.
Provide strategic oversight of technical modelling and advisory teams and projects.
Collaborate across regions and disciplines to deliver integrated solutions.
Drive project performance, commercial outcomes and long-term client partnerships.
Support the development of new opportunities across ports, coastal infrastructure, dredging and resilience programs.
Eligible candidates can be based in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Newcastle or Townsville.
qualifications
What We're Looking For
We're interested in hearing from experienced coastal and maritime professionals who combine strong technical foundations with proven leadership and commercial capability.
You will likely bring:
Proven experience (ideally 15 years' +) within coastal and maritime engineering, coastal processes, or a related consulting environment.
Demonstrated success building client relationships nationally to enable and drive growth.
Passion for mentoring and growing high-performing multidisciplinary teams.
A background in coastal, wave or hydrodynamic modelling, providing the technical credibility to lead specialist teams and advise clients, whilst operating as the strategic and client-facing lead..
Strong client relationship management skills, with a track record of leading project delivery, commercial outcomes and long-term partnerships.
The ability to collaborate across multiple regions, offices and technical disciplines to deliver integrated solutions.
Experience with tools and methodologies such as MIKE, spectral wave modelling, sediment transport analysis and related coastal modelling platforms will be highly regarded.
However, this role is focused on leadership, capability growth, client engagement and strategic direction rather than hands-on technical modelling. We're seeking someone who can guide and develop specialist teams while helping shape the future of AECOM's Coastal & Maritime capability across Australia.
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Why Join AECOM?
This is an opportunity to join a global consultancy with the backing, scale and project pipeline to support your ambitions.
You'll have the freedom to shape a new capability, recruit and develop your own team, influence national strategy and work alongside some of the industry's leading water resources and environmental specialists.
Whether your passion lies in coastal resilience, ports, dredging, shoreline management or maritime infrastructure, you'll have the platform to create meaningful impact across Australia and beyond.

You'll also enjoy:
A national platform with multi-city flexibility and access to global experts and major resilience programs
Flexible work arrangements, including alternative start/finish times, job-sharing and hybrid work options
Purchase up to 6 weeks additional annual leave per year
Volunteer and representation leave
Flex public holidays – swap Easter or other holidays for ones that suit you better
At AECOM, we are committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy recruitment process and take any fraudulent hiring activity seriously. To support this commitment, all newly hired employees are required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment.
AECOM acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which we, our clients and our communities live and work around Australia. We pay our respects to their cultures and to their Elders — past, present, and emerging. We are committed to connecting to Country in our work through meaningful engagement with First Nations peoples and businesses.  Find out more about our Australian Reconciliation Action Plan here: https://aecom.com/au/our-vision-for-reconciliation/.
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 $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. 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.