Business Unit Director, Design

Description

Arcadis is the world's leading company delivering sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets.

We are more than 36,000 people, in over 70 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life. Everyone has an important role to play. With the power of many curious minds, together we can solve the world's most complex challenges and deliver more impact together.

Role description:

Arcadis is seeking an inspiring and visionary Business Unit Director (BUD) – Design & Engineering to lead our Mobility Business Area across Canada. This is a pivotal, Canada-wide leadership role reporting to the Business Area Director, responsible for driving innovation, operational excellence, and profitable growth in one of the most dynamic and impactful sectors of our organization.

As the BUD for Design & Engineering, you will champion a high-performing team that delivers best-in-class mobility solutions—from roads, highways, rail, transit, ports, airports  to active transportation and emerging digital mobility services. You will be instrumental in shaping Arcadis' position as a leader in sustainable, future-ready infrastructure, setting the pace for industry transformation and client success. This is a unique opportunity to influence the direction of major infrastructure projects across Canada while fostering a culture of innovation, technical excellence, and client-centricity.

Role accountabilities:

As the Business Unit Director, you will provide both visionary and operational leadership for the Design & Engineering business unit, holding ultimate accountability for P&L, service delivery, and financial performance in alignment with the Canadian Mobility strategy. You will translate the Mobility strategy into actionable business plans, ensuring alignment with national objectives and driving the profitable growth and market expansion of the business unit. A key part of your role will be identifying, pursuing, and securing new business opportunities to build a robust pipeline and strengthen Arcadis' market position in Canada.

You will be responsible for leading, inspiring, and developing a diverse team of regional business unit leaders, senior specialists, and project managers. By fostering a high-performance culture focused on excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement, you will attract, retain, and mentor top talent, set clear objectives, and provide ongoing feedback. Additionally, you will support career progression through targeted development programs and champion diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring a collaborative environment where all team members can thrive.

Operational excellence and client success are at the heart of this role. You will oversee the delivery of complex, multidisciplinary mobility projects, ensuring that projects are set up for success, meet quality standards, and consistently exceed client expectations. Building and nurturing enduring client relationships, you will act as a trusted advisor to ensure satisfaction, project retention, and repeat business. You will also coach and mentor project and technical managers to uphold governance, risk management, and compliance with Arcadis' best practices, while monitoring market trends, emerging technologies, and client needs to anticipate opportunities and drive innovation in service offerings.

Collaboration and integration across Arcadis' Canadian and global teams will be essential, as you work to maximize cross-selling opportunities and leverage the full breadth of Arcadis' expertise for client benefit. You will maintain a deep understanding of the Canadian mobility market and represent Arcadis at industry events and with key stakeholders to enhance the company's profile and influence.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) designation in Canada is required.
• Minimum 20 years of progressive leadership experience in design, engineering, and delivery of large-scale and complex infrastructure projects within a professional services, engineering consultancy, or related environment.
• Proven track record in leading and growing high-performing business units, with strong P&L responsibility and evidence of delivering sustainable business growth.
• Proven track record leading large, complex, and multidisciplinary transportation infrastructure projects, particularly within contractor-led environments.
• Direct experience with collaborative contract models such as Progressive Design-Build (PDB), Alliance contracting, or Integrated Project Delivery, with a demonstrated ability to navigate shared risk/reward frameworks.
• Strong contract management and negotiation skills, with the ability to protect business interests while building trusted, long-term client and partner relationships.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to influence, build consensus, and represent the business confidently with executive-level clients, partners, and contractors.
• Deep understanding of design and engineering delivery models and how they integrate with construction, commercial, and program management teams in complex project settings.
• Experience working across cross-divisions/global teams and fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and accountability.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to build lasting relationships at all organizational levels, including executive and C-suite.
• Strong understanding of the Canadian mobility market, including key trends, client needs, and regulatory environment.
• Demonstrated commitment to safety, sustainability, and innovation in engineering and design practices.
• High level of intellectual agility, strategic thinking, and adaptability in a fast-paced, evolving market environment.

Why Arcadis?

We can only achieve our goals when everyone is empowered to be their best. We believe everyone's contribution matters. It's why we are pioneering a skills-based approach, where you can harness your unique experience and expertise to carve your career path and maximize the impact we can make together.

You'll do meaningful work, and no matter what role, you'll be helping to deliver sustainable solutions for a more prosperous planet. Make your mark, on your career, your colleagues, your clients, your life and the world around you.

Together, we can create a lasting legacy.

Join Arcadis. Create a Legacy.

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day which is why we take equality and inclusion seriously and hold ourselves to account for our actions. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people. We are an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. We are dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, disability, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

The salary range for this position is $197,000 - $247,000. The base salary represents Arcadis' hiring range for this position. Actual salaries will vary and will be based on various factors, such as location, skills, experience, and qualification for the role.

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