Associate Director /Technical Director – Water Quality

WSP; Liverpool; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Flexible hours

Health and wellbeing support

Mentorship & chartership support

WSP My Hour

Job summary

WSP is seeking an Associate / Technical Director to lead the Catchment Science team within Sustainable Water Management Consulting, focusing on major infrastructure projects. You will drive technical delivery, bid proposals and client-focused solutions while promoting safety and quality.

You will mentor junior colleagues, shape training programmes, and collaborate across disciplines to deliver complex water quality insights with clear communication and data interpretation.

Qualifications

• Degree-level qualifications in geography, geology, geochemistry, earth/environmental science, civil engineering or similar.
• Higher degree in water quality/hydrogeochemistry desirable but not essential.
• Progress towards chartership with a relevant professional body preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical delivery of water quality projects and manage project direction, budget and QA.
• Mentor, develop, and supervise junior colleagues; potential for people management.
• Develop training programmes with the Water Quality Service Lead and define scopes of services.

Skills

Project leadership

Mentoring junior staff

Data interpretation

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Geography / Geology / Earth science degree

Higher degree in water quality or hydrochemistry

Chartered status or progress towards

Tools

Catchment modelling tools

Job description

Your new role, what's involved?

We are seeking an Associate / Technical Director to lead a range of projects undertak­ed by the Catchment Science team within our Sustainable Water Management Consulting group, with a major infrastructure focus. The role will involve technical delivery, project direction, mentoring junior colleagues, developing training programmes, agreeing scopes of services, generating high‑quality bid proposals, supervising deliverables, collaborating across disciplines and promoting a safety‑first culture.

• Leading the technical delivery of projects covering all aspects of water quality
• Project direction, including financial and change control and quality assurance through checking and reviewing
• Mentoring, developing and supervising junior colleagues with opportunities for formal people management
• Working with the Water Quality Service Lead to develop a programme of water quality training
• Working closely with the team and the Water Quality Service Lead to develop and agree scopes of services
• Generating high‑quality bid proposals and developing innovative solutions to meet clients' needs
• Undertaking and supervising the production of high‑quality client‑ and public‑facing deliverables, demonstrated through excellence in communication and an ability to present the visualisation and interpretation of complex data
• Collaborating with other sectors/disciplines to deliver the water quality aspects of a wide range of challenging and engaging projects
• Displaying and promoting a safety‑first attitude in line with WSP's health and safety policy and procedures

Your Team

The Catchment Science team provides high‑quality technical services and advice across a wide spectrum of services, including water resources, hydrology, water quality, flood risk management, environmental impact assessments and hydroecology. Projects support government departments, water industry, and key industrial sectors.

What we will be looking for you to demonstrate

• Understanding of how river, lake and TraCs water quality is protected through UK regulations and EU related policy
• Working knowledge of surface water quality and catchment modelling tools, EIA scoping and assessments for water/hydrology chapters
• Strong understanding of UK water quality and the environmental and regulatory framework of UK water management
• Experience working on national‑level infrastructure projects such as DCOs, RAPID schemes or National Highways projects
• Strong project management and direction skills, with experience managing projects from start to finish; framework management experience desirable
• Clear understanding of client needs, opportunities and challenges, with a track record of leading and winning work
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the potential to engage and influence at all levels, especially in technical development of junior staff
• Strong commercial awareness, with experience identifying and developing business opportunities and preparing winning proposals
• Excellent report‑writing, technical review, numerical and analytical skills, with an eye for detail and enjoyment solving challenging water quality problems

Qualifications

• Degree‑level qualifications in a relevant subject such as geography, geology, geochemistry, earth/environmental science, civil engineering or similar
• Higher degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. water quality, hydrogeochemistry, environmental science) desirable but not essential
• Progress towards chartership with a relevant professional body preferred

Benefits

• Hybrid working policy: up to two days a week from home with office collaboration
• Flexible working arrangements including part‑time and flexible hours
• Health and wellbeing support: virtual GP service, gymflex scheme, menopause support package
• Development and training opportunities, including mentoring and chartership support
• Flexible time: WSP My Hour, additional leave options, bank holiday entitlement usage

Here at WSP we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity. As a Disability Confident leader, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria; please let us know if you require any workplace adjustments in support of your application.