Development Planning Technical Director/Director (Development)

WSP Global Inc.; Leeds; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP is seeking a Development Transport Planning Director to lead client-facing growth in Leeds and across the UK. You'll bring a strong track record in winning and delivering multi-disciplinary transport projects, and provide strategic leadership across planning, design and delivery teams.

The role focuses on identifying opportunities, building trusted client relationships, and guiding bids from concept to completion while upholding WSP’s values and SHEQ commitments.

Qualifications

• Degree level qualification in transport planning or civil engineering.
• Chartered status.
• Commercial and strategic capability with a demonstrable track record in identifying and delivering new business opportunities.
• Excellent inter-personal skills with established leadership and management capabilities.
• Proven track record of work winning.
• A broad range of relevant project experience.

Responsibilities

• Identify and pursue new business opportunities, leveraging a network of clients and colleagues to win work and grow market share for the Development team.
• Collaborate with the Regional Director and local office lead to set growth targets and plans.
• Engage with public/private sector clients and stakeholders to build trusted relationships.
• Provide technical advice to clients and support them through planning and design processes.
• Lead and support bids, including reviewing submissions and adding value both commercially and technically.

Skills

Leadership & people mgmt

Business development

Client relationship mgmt

Strategic thinking

Education

Degree in transport planning or civil engineering

Job description

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

At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives. You can experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you.

A little more about your role…

Specifically supporting the Development team, who provide transport planning, civil infrastructure and urban design support on development and masterplanning projects, the appointment will play a key role in the team’s growth aspirations in and around Leeds and nationally. We are looking to recruit a Technical Director/Director with a development transport planning background who should already be embedded within the local and regional market and will have a focus on client facing activities, business growth, market strategy and technical leadership and will play an integral part in supporting the initiative to diversify our team, in terms of both staff numbers and revenue.

You will be proven at winning and delivering new work within a multi-disciplinary consultancy environment with experience across both the public and private sectors. A sector specialism would be an added advantage (though not essential). You will also be experienced at managing large multi-disciplinary tender proposals and will be responsible for identifying opportunities for new work with existing and new clients, existing sector leads within the team and colleagues across the wider WSP business.

Key aspects of the role include:

• Identifying and pursuing new business opportunities, leveraging a network of clients, co-professionals and colleagues to help win work and increase market share for the Development team.
• Liaising with the Regional Director for Development South and local office lead in setting and agreeing appropriate growth targets and plans.
• Liaising with public / private sector clients and key stakeholders, such as local planning authorities to build trusted relationships
• Providing technical advice to clients and supporting them through the planning and design process.
• Exhibiting and demonstrating behaviours and attitudes in accordance with WSP’s core values.
• Working closely with colleagues to ensure coordination across the Development team and sharing of market intelligence, best practice and innovation.
• Leading and supporting bids, including reviewing and authorising submissions, demonstrating commercial and technical added value.
• Acting as Project Director for major projects and strategically important commissions.
• Supporting all aspects associated with H&S / Corporate Responsibility and ensuring the team complies with SHEQ (Safety, Health, Environment and Quality).

The Development Team is a well-established and high performing part within the Planning and Development discipline which includes over 800 colleagues focused on project delivery through the whole project life cycle, from initial land acquisition, planning support and design, through to scheme implementation and handover.

Our vision is to be recognised as the best Development team in the industry. We strive to achieve this through continuous improvement and a management structure comprising of four pillars, namely; Technical Excellence, People, Clients and Operational Excellence.

We help our clients to promote, implement and manage sustainable development, from pre-feasibility through to planning consent; establish plans and provision for how an area, its accessibility, and needs, will develop over time and guide sustainable future development; and develop multi-disciplinary design from concept through to detailed design and construction.

What we will be looking for you to demonstrate…

• Degree level qualification in transport planning or civil engineering
• Chartered status
• Commercial and strategic capability with a demonstrable track record in having identified and subsequently delivered new business opportunities
• Excellent inter-personal skills with established leadership and management capabilities and experience
• Proven track record of work winning
• A broad range of relevant project experience

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.