Ecology Resource Planning Lead - Nature Services

WSP in the UK & Ireland; Leeds; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP in the UK & Ireland is seeking an Ecology Resource Planning Lead to shape talent deployment across our Nature Services portfolio. You will partner with senior leaders to optimise resource allocation, balance project demands with people development, and drive strategy for sustainable growth.

You will influence decisions through workforce insights and capacity planning, ensuring teams are mobilised effectively on key environmental projects and programmes.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in resource management or workforce planning.
• Experience partnering with senior stakeholders in a matrix environment.
• Strong leadership, influencing skills, and data-driven decision making.
• Excellent attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic resource management across Nature Services projects.
• Balance utilisation, budget impact, delivery needs and people development.
• Develop governance and processes for proactive resource planning.
• Build trusted relationships with Operations Directors, HR, Finance and Learning & Development teams.
• Provide actionable insights on workload, skills availability and future resource requirements.

Job description

Ecology Resource Planning Lead

Shape the future of talent. Drive resource strategy. Deliver impact at scale.

Are you an experienced resource management professional who thrives on balancing business priorities, people development, and operational excellence? Do you enjoy influencing senior stakeholders, solving complex workforce challenges, and creating high-performing teams?

Job Description

Ecology Resource Planning Lead

Shape the future of talent. Drive resource strategy. Deliver impact at scale.

Are you an experienced resource management professional who thrives on balancing business priorities, people development, and operational excellence? Do you enjoy influencing senior stakeholders, solving complex workforce challenges, and creating high-performing teams?

We're looking for a Ecology Resource Planning Lead to play a critical role within our Nature Services Business Unit, helping to optimise resource allocation, build future capability, and ensure our people are deployed where they can make the greatest impact. This is a highly visible and influential position where you'll partner with senior leaders across the business to deliver resource agility, support strategic growth, and drive a people-first approach to workforce planning.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Resource Manager, you'll take ownership of resource planning activities across the Nature Services Business Unit, ensuring the right people are deployed to the right projects at the right time.

You’ll become a trusted advisor to senior leadership, using workforce insights, strategic planning, and strong stakeholder relationships to influence key decisions and support sustainable business growth.

This role offers the opportunity to work on an exciting portfolio of projects while helping shape the future capability and talent strategy of a growing, purpose-driven business.

What You'll Be Doing

Strategic Resource Management

• Lead workforce planning and resource optimisation initiatives across the Nature Services Business Unit.
• Balance utilisation, financial performance, project delivery requirements, and people development objectives.
• Drive resource agility across teams, ensuring effective deployment of talent to meet business needs.
• Monitor resource supply and demand to enable proactive planning and informed decision-making.

Stakeholder Partnership

• Build strong relationships with Operations Directors, Cost Centre Managers, Team Leads, Project
• Managers, Project Directors, HR, Recruitment, Finance and Learning & Development teams.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders on resourcing strategy, capability planning and workforce development.
• Challenge constructively and influence decisions using data, insight and business understanding.
• Workforce Planning & Capability Development
• Develop a deep understanding of team capabilities, skills and future talent requirements.
• Support employee growth and career development through strategic project allocation.
• Identify capability gaps and contribute to short, medium and long-term workforce plans.
• Help create succession planning and future capability strategies.

Business Growth & Project Mobilisation

• Support bid and proposal activities through resource forecasting and demand profiling.
• Contribute to the successful mobilisation of major projects and programmes.
• Provide leadership teams with actionable insights on workload management, skills availability and future resource requirements.
• Support the development and implementation of innovative resource management initiatives.

What We're Looking For

We're interested in speaking with commercially minded resource management professionals who combine strong analytical capability with outstanding relationship-building skills.

You’ll Bring

• Significant experience in resource management, workforce planning or strategic resourcing.
• Experience partnering with senior stakeholders in a complex, matrix environment.
• Strong leadership and influencing skills with the confidence to challenge constructively.
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy.
• Experience balancing operational priorities with people-focused decision making.
• The ability to manage complex workforce issues and provide strategic recommendations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• A collaborative, adaptable and relationship-driven approach.
• A passion for continuous improvement and driving positive organisational change.

Why Join Us?

This is more than a resource planning role.

It's an opportunity to influence how talent is deployed across a business that is delivering some of the most exciting and meaningful environmental and nature-focused projects in the industry.

You’ll work alongside talented professionals, partner with senior leaders, and play a key role in ensuring our people have access to challenging, rewarding work that supports both business success and career growth.

If you're motivated by strategy, collaboration and making a genuine impact through people and workforce planning, we'd love to hear from you.

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

Work on landmark projects around the world and embrace opportunities to make an even bigger impact in the communities you care about. What if you could do the best work of your life and create a legacy for yourself?