Arup
Associate Director- Site Development
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Associate Director- Site Development
Associate Director – Arup Site Development
Joining Arup
Our purpose, values, and collaborative approach have enabled Arup to stand out for 80 years, helping us shape a better world. At Arup, you belong to an extraordinary collective where individuality is encouraged and celebrated.
Our Site Development (Civil Engineering) Teams operate at the intersection of planning and delivery, leading the design of civil and infrastructure solutions for sites. This includes supporting master planning, mixed-use developments, and specialist projects from feasibility to construction. We collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and provide civil engineering expertise in energy, water, transport, and building projects across the UK.
The Opportunity
We are seeking an Associate Director to lead our Site Development Teams across:
- Newcastle
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow
- Belfast
The bulk of your time will focus on the ** Newcastle team**—our largest standalone group—as well as engaging with the Edinburgh team. This is an opportunity to shape a growing team, accelerate new service areas, and manage some of our most complex development projects. Over time, you will additionally support team development in our other Northern offices.
Team Overview:
- Newcastle: 11 team members with significant growth potential.
- Edinburgh: 6 team members, also poised for expansion.
You will provide leadership, direction, and inspiration to these teams while integrating them into Arup’s broader Site Development capability—over 150 practising professionals across our Northern Geography offices. While site development expertise exists in other offices, it currently resides in smaller, isolated sub-teams. Your role will be to coordinate this talent network, influence regional capabilities, and partner across clusters—including with other disciplines and markets—to align for sustainable solutions.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Direction & Site Development Leadership:
- Lead major masterplanning and mixed-use development projects as the client-facing focus within the development team.
- Support the growth of the Data Centre Site Development offering in the North of the UK and beyond, collaborating with internal teams and sharing expertise within and beyond our core geography.
- Define and champion our sustainable development commitments (e.g., resilience, Social Value improvements, and net zero outcomes).
Technical & Client-Facing Leadership:
- Provide senior technical leadership on complex site development projects, covering feasibility, planning support, outline and detailed design, and construction support.
- Work closely with property, planning, urban design, transport, energy, and sustainability colleagues to develop consistent and customised solutions for our multi-disciplinary clients (including local authorities, contractors, and developers).
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
People & Team Development:
- Develop and benefit from smaller teams and gathered skills to enhance Arup’s growth within these markets, commercialising and producing the right services for the future.
- Create a positive and inclusive culture, fostering high performance and leadership among senior members.
- Guide Associates specialising in Data Centre Site Development to ensure their growth and continued success.
Innovation & Client Engagement:
- Identify new opportunities in existing and emerging markets and advise on solutions and service expansion.
- Champion innovation, digital capabilities, and data-led approaches.
- Actively engage clients, contractors, local authorities, and investors to forge strong partnerships.
Is This Opportunity Right for You?
We are looking for a driven senior leader with deep expertise in site development, civil infrastructure, and complex project delivery. You should thrive on building teams, shaping markets, and collaborating across disciplines.
Key Qualifications:
- A degree in Civil Engineering or a related discipline (or equivalent).
- Chartered status (CEng or MICE) is highly valued.
- Extensive practice and leadership experience in site development, infrastructure, or related areas, ideally within a large-scale, multidisciplinary environment.
- Proven track record in client relationship management, project delivery, and mentoring emerging leaders.
- Strong knowledge in masterplanning, mixed-use schemes, and commercial development.
- Experience with, or interest in, Data Centre infrastructure challenges.
- Excellent commercial acumen with business development and work-winning experience.
Additional Considerations:
- British English spelling is used in this role description.
Application Note:
To maintain GDPR compliance, please do not share your CV directly via email.
What We Offer You
At Arup, personal success and collective success are intertwined. Guided by our values, our total reward reflects the value you bring, empowering you to grow while contributing to our shared objectives. Beyond a competitive remuneration package, we provide:
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
- Professional Development: A diverse and comprehensive education pathway—designed to help you excel in your career and advance your skills.
- Wellbeing & Balance: Flexible benefits including private medical insurance, life, accident, and income protection cover.
- Innovation: Encourage adoption of new digital tools and data-led methodologies across teams.
- Influence & Impact: Advanced opportunities to drive purpose-led development and deployment across climate change, data solutions, and renewable global growth initiatives.
Our profit-sharing model recognizes your contribution to our collective success directly, reflecting a deeper alignment with our mission.
Why Join Arup?
We strive to create inclusive and valued spaces that foster growth, encourage diversity, and challenge conventions. By aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, we work towards equitable systems and promote a sense of belonging for all.
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is demonstrated through:
- An open culture celebrating diverse experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives.
- Internal networks promoting gender equity, LGBTQ+ inclusion, neurodiversity, race, disability, and mental wellness.
- A supportive approach in our hiring process, where we hold values like care, integrity, and openness at its core, as detailed on our life at Arup page for deeper insights.
In alignment with Arup’s ethical hiring policy, refrain from sharing personal financial details at any point during the recruitment process. We encourage requests for reasonable adjustments to the application process by contacting Maria Mindrut via email at maria.mindrut@arup.com for individual support.
Our Application Process
For guidance on the process, visit Arup Careers Application Process.
Note for Recruitment Agency Partners:
We maintain a Tier 1 Supplier List of trusted recruitment partners. Speculative Candidate Introductions or CV submissions from agencies outside this network will not be reviewed.
#ConnectWithUs
Hashtags:
#WaterWest #CIVIL_ENG_UKIMEA #WaterwestTechnologies
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills