Senior Talent Intelligence & Market Research Specialist (Recruitment)

AECOM•Charlotte, NC

20h•$165,000 - $200,000•Remote

About The Position

AECOM is seeking a Principal Talent Intelligence & Market Research Specialist to work within our Talent Acquisition function. This is a role that can be based in any of our major AECOM office locations within the US or UK. The Principal Talent Intelligence & Market Research Specialist is a senior strategic advisor who shapes business direction through external labor market intelligence, competitive insight, and internal capability analysis. Operating at the intersection of Talent Acquisition, workforce strategy, and AI-enabled research, this role partners directly with TA, Talent Management and business leadership across the enterprise to anticipate talent risks and opportunities, surface where the market is moving, and enable evidence-led decisions on capability, structure, and growth. This is a highly visible Individual Contributor role designed for a sophisticated researcher who blends deep investigative rigor with the executive presence to translate complex market data into actionable hiring strategies for one of the world’s largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in Talent Intelligence, Market Insights, Executive Research, Workforce Strategy, Competitive Intelligence, Strategic Sourcing, or People Analytics, including time in an sophisticated in-house executive research function.
Demonstrated ability to influence senior leadership decisions and shape strategic direction in ambiguous, high-stakes environments.
Proven track record delivering talent maps and market intelligence products for complex, technical, or specialized functional areas.
Advanced Boolean, OSINT, and AI-assisted research techniques.
Strong storytelling, leadership communication, and narrative-building capability

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting talent intelligence within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry or adjacent sectors (infrastructure, environmental, advisory, energy transition).
Experience leading initiatives to optimize research workflows or implement new talent intelligence technologies, including agentic AI and LLM-based tooling.
Experience operating across multiple regions and navigating compliance considerations

Responsibilities

Conduct in-depth external research, including competitor organizational mapping, geographic talent availability, compensation benchmarking, and skill trend analysis across AEC and adjacent industries.
Identify emerging talent and capability risks and opportunities tied to the enterprise growth plan; produce capability heatmaps and tiered target lists that translate ambiguous business questions into precise recommendations.
Build and deliver executive-ready narratives that combine internal signal with external market intelligence to inform workforce planning and business decisions.
Through research, help to build bench strength for future leadership needs, identifying and nurturing high-potential external talent well ahead of open roles.
Execute best-in-class talent mappings for niche, competitive roles spanning technical disciplines, project leadership, and corporate functions.
Partner with sourcing teams, recruiters, TA leadership, and hiring leaders to translate business goals into targeted sourcing strategies and prospect management approaches that strengthen long-term pipelines.
Assist and actively participate in developing and maintain directional dashboards and talent visibility tools that surface trends, measure effectiveness, and guide strategic pivots.
Leverage AI, LLMs, and automation to enhance research speed, personalization, and depth—evaluating new technologies, testing workflows, and scaling what works across the global TA function.