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.

https://www.arup.com/about-us/arup-university/

About the role

The AU Region Business Partner APAC is a strategic role focused on influencing and enabling the implementation and impact of AU Programmes and Services across the APAC 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 APAC. 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

• 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
  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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Strategic engagement with regional business development and work winning teams, ensuring AU capabilities are leveraged to support major pursuits and client differentiation
• 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
• 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

Responsibilities

• Reports to AU Director, with responsibility for alignment with regional counterparts in Total Design
• 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
• 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
• Primary point of contact for AU in the Region, including Region Total Design Leadership, Regional Leadership Teams, and Region senior leadership
• Participate periodically in Regional leadership meetings and strategy sessions to align AU initiatives with business plans and Region priorities
• 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
• 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
• Enabler of collaboration and coordination across Region Programme/Service Leaders/Champions, acting as convener of Region SMEs where needed
• 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
• Enable regular meetings and exchanges between AU team members based in their Region, enabling and facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing
• Coordinate in-region investment needs and funding requirements and feed these into AUs global integrated operating plan
• Support for Region recruitment of AU staff, such as regional governance support or liaison with People team on local labour law and culture
• 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
• 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
• Responsible for quarterly reporting of AU activities and impact for Region TD Leadership and Region leadership teams
• 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
• Act as a mediator where local AU and other priorities or behaviours do not align and result in conflict

Skills and experience

• 5+ years of working in the built environment sector or related industries
• Proven success in a matrixed, global organisation – leading influence without formal authority, and aligning programmes with regional priorities
• Track record of adoption and uptake of enterprise level programmes (learning, research/foresight, skills, knowledge/information), delivering globally consistent, but locally relevant outcomes
• Ability to recruit, enable, and coach a distributed cohort of team members and collaborators
• Experience coordinating in‑region investment and funding cases, contributing to integrated operating plans and demonstrating programme ROI
• Exceptional ability to align programmes with APAC market/client needs, while maintaining global consistency and economies of scale
• Evidence of programme adoption and impact reporting at scale (case studies, metrics, references)
• 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
• 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
• Experience in the operational leadership of teams or functions, including strategic, financial, and project/programme management and planning
• 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
• Significant experience of stakeholder engagement, including proven ability to develop trusted relationships
• Strong written/verbal communication in English; additional regional languages (Spanish/Portuguese) advantageous for stakeholder engagement
• Willingness to travel within the APAC; 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 eligible members to share in the results of our collective efforts.

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.

Guided by our values and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we create and contribute to equitable spaces and systems, while cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture: from race, ethnicity and cross-cultural working to gender equity and LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion – we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference. Discover more about life at Arup at www.arup.com/careers/your-life-at-arup.

We are committed to making our recruitment process and workplaces accessible to all candidates. Please contact [Recruiter NAME Email] to let us know if you need any assistance or reasonable adjustments throughout your application or interview process, and/or to perform the essential functions of the role. We will do everything we can to support you.

Our application process

To understand what to expect next, please visit https://www.arup.com/careers/recruitment-process/

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