Associate/Principal Planning Engineer (Water)

WSP Global Inc.; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay and perks

Inclusive culture

Career growth opportunities

Flexible leave options

Parental leave support

Purpose-driven projects

Job summary

WSP is seeking an experienced Associate or Principal Planning Engineer to join our Asset Management & Planning team in Melbourne. You’ll lead strategic planning, feasibility studies, and business cases for water infrastructure programs, collaborating with authorities and multidisciplinary teams to enable smart investment decisions.

You’ll mentor engineers, influence project delivery, and help grow WSP’s national Water business while embedding safety and sustainability in design throughout

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering with Chartered status (CPEng and RPEQ, or progressing toward RPEQ within 12 months).
• 8+ years’ experience in water infrastructure planning or design, preferably in consulting.
• Strong knowledge of water supply and sewerage network planning, hydraulics and asset renewal strategies.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic planning and technical assessments for water supply and sewerage networks.
• Lead feasibility studies, options assessments and functional designs for complex water projects.
• Develop robust business cases to support infrastructure investment decisions.
• Coordinate across environment, planning, cost estimation, and constructability with multidisciplinary teams.
• Lead risk management and embed Safety-in-Design principles.
• Prepare and review technical reports and project documentation.
• Provide strategic input across asset management and infrastructure programs.
• Build relationships with clients and mentor junior engineers.
• Contribute to proposals and growth of WSP’s Water business.

Skills

Water planning

Stakeholder engagement

Mentoring engineers

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Chartered)

Tools

Hydraulic modelling software

GIS (QGIS/ArcGIS)

Cost estimation tools

Job description

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Job Description

What if you could do the kind of work the world needs?

At WSP, you’ll have the opportunity to work on projects that genuinely shape the future of our communities. Backed by our global scale and connected to some of the brightest minds in the industry, you’ll have the freedom to challenge convention, explore new ideas and build a career that’s uniquely yours.

Your New Role

Ready to help shape the future of Australia’s water infrastructure?

WSP’s national Water team is growing, and we’re looking for an experienced Associate or Principal Planning Engineer to join our Asset Management & Planning team.

This is an exciting opportunity to take a leading role in solving some of the water industry’s most complex planning challenges. You’ll combine your expertise in water network modelling, infrastructure planning and feasibility studies to help clients make smarter, more sustainable investment decisions.

Working across major water infrastructure programs, you’ll partner with leading water authorities, collaborate with specialists across WSP, and influence projects from early strategy and planning through to investment decisions and delivery.

Beyond the technical work, you’ll have the opportunity to strengthen client relationships, lead multidisciplinary teams, mentor developing engineers and help shape the continued growth of our national Water business.

What You’ll Do

• Lead strategic planning and technical assessments for water supply and sewerage networks, considering growth, asset condition, capacity and future renewal needs.
• Lead feasibility studies, options assessments and functional designs for complex water infrastructure projects.
• Develop robust business cases that support confident, evidence-based infrastructure investment decisions.
• Bring together expertise across environment, planning, cost estimation, constructability and engineering to deliver integrated solutions.
• Lead risk management and embed Safety-in-Design principles throughout project development.
• Prepare and review high-quality technical reports, studies and project documentation.
• Provide strategic technical input across asset management, planning and infrastructure programs.
• Build trusted relationships with clients and become a valued technical adviser.
• Mentor and support junior engineers, helping grow capability across the team.
• Contribute to proposals, major pursuits and the continued growth of WSP’s Water business.

About You

You’re an experienced water professional who enjoys looking beyond the immediate engineering challenge to understand the bigger picture. You bring strong technical capability, commercial awareness and the confidence to work closely with clients and multidisciplinary teams.

You’ll ideally bring:

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or equivalent, with Chartered status (CPEng and RPEQ, or working towards RPEQ within 12 months).
• 8+ years’ experience across water infrastructure planning and/or design, ideally within consulting.
• Strong knowledge of water supply and sewerage network planning, hydraulic principles and asset renewal strategies.
• Experience leading or contributing to major water infrastructure programs and multidisciplinary projects.
• Capability across decision-support techniques including MCA, NPV, risk assessment and cost-benefit analysis.
• Understanding of environmental and planning approvals, cost estimation and constructability.
• Experience with hydraulic modelling software, pump selection tools and GIS platforms such as QGIS or ArcGIS.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to build trusted client relationships.
• Experience mentoring engineers, coordinating resources and delivering projects to agreed timeframes and budgets.

Why Choose WSP?

At WSP, you’ll find the scale and resources to do the kind of work the world needs. We’re committed to creating a workplace where you feel supported, heard, and empowered to grow their careers.

Here’s what sets us apart:

• Competitive Pay & Perks – Enjoy top-tier compensation, salary continuance insurance, retail discounts, and more.
• Inclusive Culture – Thrive in a supportive team that celebrates diverse voices and values your unique perspective.
• Career Growth, Your Way – Access mentoring, leadership development, secondments, and global mobility opportunities.
• Flexibility That Works – Embrace flexible work options and the ability to purchase up to 4 extra weeks of leave.
• Family & Life Support – Get up to 16 weeks paid parental leave and dedicated support for those returning to work.
• Purpose-Driven Projects – Contribute to work that makes a real difference in building sustainable, resilient communities.

Imagine a better future for you and a better future for us all.

Join our close-knit community of talented individuals who share your passion for making a positive impact. Our global team includes more than 69,000 employees, working together to make a difference in communities both close to home and around the world.

An employee Share Purchase Plan is available to all our permanent employees who wish to become owners and vested partners in WSP’s collective success. To find out more about our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our people, and the programs we ’ ve designed to help you thrive, go to our Employee Benefits page.

With us, you can.

Want to know more? Contact Carmina Navalta from our Talent Acquisition team for a confidential discussion about the role.