Job Description

AECOM is seeking a Design Strategist to be tied to one of PPA’s primary studio locations—New York, Boston, or Los Angeles.  The successful candidate will be required to work with teammates in the office part of the time (TBD in consultation with the new hire’s supervisor). PPA is a virtually distributed studio, with a culture that encourages flexibility and remote engagement.  As a Strategy Consultant, you will support and periodically lead teams across multiple strategy and design projects.  Nearly all of PPA’s projects serve external and internal clients, so you must have experience engaging with clients effectively and delivering high-quality, professional design strategy products for client use. Also, a large portion of PPA’s projects focus on workplace strategy, so you will primarily support workplace engagements while also contributing to user experience initiatives across a broad range of space typologies. Our clients are mainly located throughout the U.S., with some opportunities also arising globally.

Your main responsibilities may include: 

• Survey production
• Data analysis
• Space programming and planning
• Visual communication
• Report writing
• Presentation preparation
• Workshop creation and facilitation, and
• Strategy development
• Develop and lead client-facing engagements, such as interviews, focus groups, workshops, and presentations.
• Work closely with clients through design strategy and change management processes to transform their spaces
• As part of a global strategy and design studio, you will participate in team meetings and contribute to studio-building initiatives such as knowledge shares and internal initiatives
• Has a solid foundation of understanding or analysis of client business practices and goals; develops and formulates solutions to client problems on assigned projects
• Under limited supervision, responsible for the creation of work plans and task definitions
• Has broad technical knowledge but possesses an area of specialization or focus

This role is for you if you have experience leading clients through design strategy and change management processes to transform their spaces. You thrive in a fast-paced, creative environment, and can take point on multiple projects with the support of Practice Leads and junior colleagues. You anticipate the needs of clients, teammates, and deliverables, and you are a leader who insists on delivering top-caliber work. You know how to coordinate a team and manage a project effectively, serving clients while balancing scope and schedule requirements.

You communicate effectively through written and spoken word, as well as through images and infographics. You are comfortable developing and leading client-facing engagements, such as interviews, focus groups, workshops, and presentations. You take initiative to learn about new skills and ideas and will strive for mastery across all aspects of the strategy process, including supporting junior colleagues in their development. Most importantly, you care—you care about supporting your teammates, serving our clients, and delivering positive impact.

AT AECOM, WE’RE DELIVERING A BETTER WORLD.  

We believe infrastructure creates opportunity for everyone. Whether it’s improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. 

Our clients trust us to bring together the best people, ideas, technical expertise and digital solutions to our work in transportation, buildings, water, the environment and new energy. We’re one global team – over 50,000 strong – driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world. 

 AECOM’S BUILDINGS + PLACES practice includes architecture, interiors, building engineering, workplace strategy, business transformation, asset advisory, economics and development planning, master planning, urban planning, and landscape architecture.    With a range of expertise from strategy and design through project realization, we create better outcomes to grow economies, protect natural systems, conserve natural resources, make societies more equitable and connect and engage people through innovative, sustainable design solutions.    Our teams have worked on signature projects such as the London 2012 Olympic Park and Legacy Framework, to the new plan for the LA2028 Olympics, to industrial facilities for GE and Rolls-Royce, to headquarters and workplaces for NASA, Unilever, Sony Music, DirecTV, Box, Inc. and many Fortune 500 companies. 

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• BA/BS in a field related to strategy development and/or design plus four (4) years of relevant experience or demonstrated equivalency of experience and/or education
• Experience conducting space planning/programming and design strategy projects
• Professional experience utilizing Adobe Creative Suite (especially InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• MA/MS in a field related to strategy development and/or design
• Demonstrated research and analysis abilities (quantitative and/or qualitative)
• Graphic design and visual communication know-how, especially in producing infographics or conceptual illustrations
• Strong writing skills
• Experience with public speaking and/or workshop facilitation
• Familiarity with change management, process design, and/or organizational development
• Experience using Microsoft Office Suite and Teams
• Data analysis using Microsoft Excel
• Virtual collaboration platforms, such as Miro and Mural
• Space and building design software, such as AutoCAD, Revit, and 3D Studio Max
• Data analytics and visualization programs, such as PowerBI and Tableau

Additional Information

• While most work will be performed out of your local AECOM office and/or virtually, you may be expected to travel up to 20 percent of the time when it is safe to do so.

_Offered rate of compensation (for New York location only) will be based on individual education, qualifications, experience, and work location. The salary range for this position is $85,000 - $105,000. _

AECOM is proud to offer a comprehensive benefits program to meet the diverse needs of our employees. Depending on your employment status, AECOM benefits may include medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D and disability benefits, paid time off, leaves of absence, voluntary benefits, perks, wellness and global well-being, and global EAP, Business Travel and Service Awards programs.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

HERE, YOU WILL HAVE FREEDOM TO GROW IN A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY.

We will give you the flexibility you need to do your best work. 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.

With infrastructure investment accelerating worldwide, our services are in great demand, and there’s never been a better time to be at AECOM! 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.

We will encourage you to grow and develop your career with us through our technical and professional development programs and diverse career opportunities. We believe in leadership at all levels. No matter where you sit in the organization you can make a lasting impact on the projects you work on, the teams and committees you join and our business.

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.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.

Join us and let’s get started.