Principal Engagement Consultant (North)

WSP; Manchester; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP UK is seeking an enthusiastic professional to join the Planning and Consents team. You'll be part of an expanding UK-wide Engagement team of 60+ and help deliver engagement for major infrastructure projects across water, health, energy and environment sectors.

You will manage public consultation and engagement activities, produce clear communications, organize events and surveys, and collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to deliver impactful outcomes for clients.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering communications and stakeholder engagement on complex infrastructure projects.
• Degree-qualified (or equivalent) in a related field with relevant experience in communications, engagement, or advisory role.
• Sector experience in transport, utilities, water, environment, or energy is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Deliver stakeholder engagement strategies for UK infrastructure projects.
• Write clear communications and manage design/print processes.
• Publish communications and run surveys to gather feedback from communities.
• Present feedback to help projects develop by identifying themes and issues.
• Support clients with activities such as virtual consultation rooms, posters, maps, and events.
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to deliver engagement activities.
• Manage projects with timelines, budgets, and resources.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Team player

Project coordination

Time management

Education

Degree in communications or related field

Job description

What if you could shape a career as unique as you?

At WSP, you can always find opportunities to grow and do what matters to you. Make the most of our global reach to discover new challenges and chances to work with diverse, talented individuals who will help you expand your horizons.

A little more about your role…

You'll be joining WSP’s expanding UK-wide Engagement team of 60 plus, where you’ll play a meaningful role in shaping how major projects connect with communities. Working on some of the UK’s largest infrastructure programmes—as well as projects across the water, health, energy and environmental sectors—you’ll help deliver engagement that is thoughtful, impactful and built on best practice.

As part of our Planning and Consents business unit, you will manage public consultation and engagement activity and act as a trusted client advisor. You will also be responsible for working collaboratively with colleagues across WSP to deliver engaging communications.

Key Responsibilities

• Delivering meaningful communication and engagement activity to help our clients deliver infrastructure projects around the UK by drafting and delivering effective stakeholder engagement strategies
• Helping communities and stakeholders understand projects and how it may impact them by writing easy to understand communications and managing design and print processes
• Giving people opportunities to ask questions and provide feedback through publishing communications, organising events and running surveys
• Presenting feedback to help projects develop in a responsible way by understanding and interpreting data and presenting themes and key issues and managing the reporting process
• Supporting clients based around the UK and internationally by providing communication and engagement advice and activities such as developing virtual consultation rooms, posters, banners and public facing maps as well as community engagement events
• Collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams to deliver effective communication and engagement activity
• Managing projects ensuring that your timeline, budget and resources are delivering for your client.

What we would be looking for you to demonstrate…

Preferred Experience & Qualifications

• Experience delivering communications and stakeholder engagement on complex infrastructure projects, ideally within a consultancy environment.
• Degree‑qualified (or equivalent) with relevant experience in communications, engagement, or a related advisory role.
• Sector experience in transport, utilities, water, environment, or energy is desirable.

Key Skills & Attributes

• Collaborative team player, comfortable working with technical and project teams.
• Proven stakeholder management experience across clients and partners.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including reports and engagement materials.
• Well‑organised, adaptable, and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Membership of a relevant professional body is beneficial.

The Consultancy hierarchy structure:

• Assistant Consultant → Consultant → Senior Consultant → Principal Consultant → Associate → Associate Director → Technical Director → Director

Find out more about our Engagement and Consultation team

To learn more about the work we do and the impact you could make, visit our Engagement and Consultation business page and explore what a career at WSP could offer you:

Stakeholder engagement and strategic communications | WSP

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?

With us, you can.