Technical Director - Design Management (NSQEP)

Our Adelaide team is looking for an experienced Technical Director level Design Manager to join one of Australia's most significant defence infrastructure projects.

This is a rare opportunity to take on a senior leadership role where you'll help shape the design and delivery of a complex, safety-critical programme. You'll lead integrated teams across Australia and the UK, bringing people together to solve technical challenges, maintain design quality and ensure successful project outcomes.

As part of our Nuclear Suitably Qualified and Experienced Person (NSQEP) capability, you'll contribute to the delivery of safety-significant work by applying your technical expertise, professional judgement and leadership within a robust nuclear safety framework. Experience working within an NSQEP framework is highly regarded, however we also welcome applications from professionals with extensive experience in defence, nuclear or other highly regulated industries who can demonstrate equivalent capability.

How you’ll make a difference:

• Lead integrated design teams across Australia and the UK, creating a collaborative culture that delivers consistent, high-quality outcomes.
• Provide technical leadership across complex process engineering systems, with particular focus on radiological waste management and supporting infrastructure.
• Guide design integration across multiple disciplines, helping resolve technical issues, manage project risks and support successful project delivery.
• Support the Design Lead by providing technical advice, contributing to program planning and representing the project in senior technical, client and safety forums when required.
• Mentor engineers and technical specialists, building capability across the team while promoting a strong nuclear safety culture and supporting the development of NSQEP capability across the programme.
• Build trusted relationships with clients and key stakeholders, understanding their challenges and delivering practical, innovative solutions.
• Contribute to business growth by identifying opportunities, supporting client engagement and maintaining the highest standards of technical excellence.

This role is located in Adelaide with relocation support available for suitably qualified candidates

The following qualifications and experience are highly desired, but if you don’t tick all the boxes, you could still be a perfect fit for this role. Please apply, all applications will be considered.

The qualities that help you thrive:

• Degree-qualified in Engineering or a related technical discipline, with relevant postgraduate qualifications highly regarded.
• More than 25 years' experience delivering complex projects within defence, nuclear or other highly regulated industries.
• Chartered status or professional membership with a recognised industry body.
• Experience working within an NSQEP framework is highly regarded. Candidates with the capability to work within an NSQEP environment, demonstrated through significant experience in nuclear, defence or other highly regulated industries, are encouraged to apply.
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary teams through complex design and project delivery.
• Strong technical background in design management or the delivery of safety-critical / defence infrastructure.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and build trusted relationships at all levels.
• A track record of developing high-performing teams, contributing to business growth and delivering successful project outcomes. Technical publications or conference presentations would be viewed favourably.

Please note, suitable AUKUS defence clearance is essential for this role.

Why you’ll love working with us:

• Flexible work arrangements, including alternative start/finish times, full-time, part-time, job-sharing and hybrid work options
• Purchase up to 6 weeks additional annual leave per year
• Flex public holidays – swap Easter or other holidays for ones that suit you better
• Continuous learning and growth - lunch and learns, professional development courses, financial study assistance, 5 days paid study leave, global career opportunities

Ready to push the limits of what’s possible?

We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including those with disabilities, additional health or mental health needs, and/or neurodiverse conditions. If you require any adjustments during the hiring process, please let us know.

Applications are reviewed as they come in, and the role may close earlier than expected, so if this opportunity sounds like you, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Learn more about life at AECOM: LinkedIn, Facebook , Instagram, X, YouTube - explore our AECOM voices, employee stories, latest projects, and much more!

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.