About Arup
Arup is the creative force at the heart of many of the world’s most prominent projects in the built and natural environment. Working in more than 140 countries, the firm’s designers, engineers, architects, planners, consultants, and technical specialists work with our clients on innovative projects of the highest quality and impact. As a wholly independent organisation, we are owned in trust for the benefit of our employees and their dependants: with no shareholders or external investors we determine our own business priorities and direction.
About Arup University
Established in 2009, Arup University (AU) sits at the heart of how Arup learns, innovates, evolves, and delivers its best work. We enable our firm to see further, design better, and create lasting impact. Our mission is to help our members, leadership, and clients navigate change, deliver excellence, and thrive in a fast-changing world.
The core focal areas of Arup’s Strategy – enabling Total Design, being immersed in our markets, being agile and borderless, and providing an industry leading member experience – are all enabled by the capabilities, programmes, and services provided by AU. This includes our strategic foresight, research and innovation capability, our learning function, capabilities in knowledge- and information management, as well as our global skills networks and work in heritage.
About the role
The AU Region Business Partner EIMEA is a strategic role focused on influencing and enabling the implementation and impact of AU Programmes and Services across the EIMEA Region.
The successful candidate will report directly to the AU Director and be part of the Global Leadership Team of AU. They will manage a team of AU Geography Representatives and support collaboration and engagement across AU team members based in the Americas. The role provides an opportunity to influence and shape the future direction of AU at a time of transformational change across our industry and growing need for new and innovative approaches to assuring and developing excellence and innovation across Arup.
There will be clear alignment with Region Total Design Leadership and strong integration into Region leadership teams and decision-making processes.
Desired outcomes
1. A responsive and future focused AU, where programmes and services are informed by regional/local business and client needs, with feedback loops into AU’s global planning and prioritisation processes, and agile but globally consistent responses to short-term regional needs
2. A global strategic plan and programme of work for AU that integrates Region-specific needs while driving global consistency, efficiency, economies of scale, and the adoption of best practice
3. A visible and valued AU presence in the Region, with strong relationships across Regional Leadership Teams, Total Design Leadership, and senior stakeholders that position AU as a strategic enabler and differentiator, with a specific focus on Total Design
4. Influencing and enabling the strong regional adoption and implementation of AU programmes and services, with measurable impact on Region member experience, project delivery, and strategic outcomes
5. A thriving network of AU Geography and/or Country Representatives that connect AU to members across the Region, enabling local engagement, feedback, and equitable distribution of AU activities and programme delivery
6. Strategic engagement with regional business development and work winning teams, ensuring AU capabilities are leveraged to support major pursuits and client differentiation
7. Clear and consistent reporting of AU activities and impact to Regional Leadership Teams and wider Region leadership, enabling transparency, accountability, strategic alignment, and proactive plans to meet their needs
8. Internal and external Region advocacy for AU that showcases its value to Arup and our clients, strengthens AU’s reputation, and contributes to member engagement, experience and retention
The Opportunity
9. Reports to AU Director, with responsibility for alignment with regional counterparts in Total Design
10. Part of the global leadership team of Arup University, working across Regions and AU portfolios of Discovery, Expertise, and Knowledge to shape and deliver an integrated strategic plan for AU
11. Work closely with other Region AU Business Partners and global AU leadership to share best practice, ensure consistency, and contribute to a unified AU strategy
12. Primary point of contact for AU in the Region, including Region Total Design Leadership, Regional Leadership Teams, and Region senior leadership
13. Participate periodically in Regional leadership meetings and strategy sessions to align AU initiatives with business plans and Region priorities
14. Engage Region leadership and stakeholders to identify current and emerging business- and client needs and feeding these into AUs strategic plan – be the bridge between global and local and ensure Region needs are understood
15. Responsible for working with AU Directors and Programme/Services Leaders on the effective regional adoption, uptake, promotion, and implementation of AU Programmes and Services, driving change where needed
16. Enabler of collaboration and coordination across Region Programme/Service Leaders/Champions, acting as convener of Region SMEs where needed
17. Recruit, manage, support, and enable the development of a cohort of AU Geography Representatives to represent and interface with Arup members around the delivery and implementation of AU programmes and services
18. Enable regular meetings and exchanges between AU team members based in their Region, enabling and facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing
19. Coordinate in-region investment needs and funding requirements and feed these into AUs global integrated operating plan
20. Support for Region recruitment of AU staff, such as regional governance support or liaison with People team on local labour law and culture
21. Responsible for working with AU Geography Representatives on Region advocacy and promotion of AU, including internal and external engagement of stakeholders and clients to capture, delivery, and communicate the value and impact of AU
22. Engage with the Region Business Development, Client Relationship Managers, and Work Winning teams, as appropriate, on behalf of the leadership team to identify opportunities for AU to support work winning, client engagements, and major pursuits
23. Responsible for quarterly reporting of AU activities and impact for Region TD Leadership and Region leadership teams
24. Work with Region TD Leaders and Region Fellows Convenor on the enabling of Fellows activities in Region, and supporting TD Leadership in the development of a strong and diverse Fellows pipeline
25. Act as a mediator where local AU and other priorities or behaviours do not align and result in conflict
Skills and experience
26. Significant experience working in the built environment sector or related industries
27. Proven success in a matrixed, global organisation – leading influence without formal authority, and aligning programmes with regional priorities
28. Track record of adoption and uptake of enterprise level programmes (learning, research/foresight, skills, knowledge/information), delivering globally consistent, but locally relevant outcomes
29. Ability to recruit, enable, and coach a distributed cohort of team members and collaborators
30. Experience coordinating in‑region investment and funding cases, contributing to integrated operating plans and demonstrating programme ROI
31. Exceptional ability to align programmes with Americas market/client needs, while maintaining global consistency and economies of scale
32. Evidence of programme adoption and impact reporting at scale (case studies, metrics, references)
33. Background and experience in the delivery of complex programme, services, or solutions in the domains of Foresight, Research, Innovation, Learning, Knowledge, and/or Technical Expertise
34. Experience in influencing and engaging staff members and senior leadership in the design and delivery of corporate learning, research, innovation, and/or knowledge management programmes
35. Experience in the operational leadership of teams or functions, including strategic, financial, and project/programme management and planning
36. Experienced presenter and speaker with an ability to deliver clear, compelling storytelling for internal/external audiences and an ability to position AU as a strategic enabler and differentiator
37. Significant experience of stakeholder engagement, including proven ability to develop trusted relationships
38. Strong written/verbal communication in English; additional regional languages (Spanish/Portuguese) advantageous for stakeholder engagement
39. Willingness to travel within the EIMEA; comfortable operating across time zones and hybrid settings
What We Offer You
At Arup, we care about each member’s success, so we can grow together.
Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognises the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.
We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup’s legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling members to share in the results of our collective efforts.
We also provide Private medical insurance, Life assurance, Accident insurance and Income protection cover. In addition, you’ll have access to flexible benefits to help you look after all aspects of your wellbeing and give you the freedom and flexibility to find the best solutions for you, your family, and your individual needs.
Different People, Shared Values
Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence.
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