Associate Director (EIA) - Naas

WSP in the UK & Ireland; Naas; Hybrid; EUR 95,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working policy

Health and wellbeing support

Training and development opportunities

Flexible working arrangements

Gymflex scheme for gym memberships

Job summary

A leading engineering firm in Naas, Ireland is seeking an Associate Director of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to guide EIAs for various sectors. You will provide senior oversight, engage with stakeholders, and lead complex projects. Ideal candidates will have a relevant degree and experience in energy or infrastructure projects, with strong leadership and client relationship skills. This role offers opportunities for professional growth and a hybrid working environment.

Qualifications

• Strong experience leading EIAs for major energy or infrastructure projects.
• Deep understanding of Irish planning legislation and EU directives.
• Proven capability in leading multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Drive growth in energy and linear infrastructure offerings.
• Lead large, complex, and multi-faceted projects.
• Build and strengthen client relationships.
• Lead large, complex, and multi‑faceted projects, ensuring excellence across technical delivery, quality, commercial performance, and health and safety.
• Build and strengthen client relationships, identifying opportunities to support resourcing, project strategy, programming, and delivery.
• Actively pursue new business opportunities, including strategic bids, frameworks, and cross‑disciplinary collaborations; represent WSP at industry events and conferences.
• Champion innovation through Digital EIA, Technical Excellence, Future Ready methodologies, and other emerging approaches.
• Drive team performance, professional development, and career progression across the group.
• Foster an inclusive, supportive, and collaborative team culture; act as a recognised ‘go‑to’ leader within the wider business.
• Model WSP’s values, promoting health, safety and wellbeing in all aspects of delivery.
• Contribute to delivering WSP’s business strategy while demonstrating self‑motivation and accountability in your role and project commitments.

Skills

Leadership

Environmental advice

Stakeholder engagement

Client relationship management

Project governance

Education

Relevant environmental or planning degree

Chartered status with a relevant professional body

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.

Associate Director of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

As an Associate Director of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), you will play a pivotal leadership role in steering our portfolio of EIAs across sectors including electricity transmission, renewable energy, gas, and wider energy and infrastructure markets. You will provide senior technical oversight, guide regulatory processes, and act as a trusted advisor to clients, while supporting meaningful stakeholder engagement across our projects. This role is ideal for a motivated environmental professional eager to influence strategy, lead multidisciplinary delivery, and shape the future direction of our EIA offering. You will take responsibility for leading and overseeing projects – from team leadership and resource planning to bidding, financial performance, and project governance.

In This Role, You Will

• Drive the growth and diversification of our energy and linear infrastructure offering, working with sector leads and client account managers to provide thought leadership and secure new opportunities.
• Provide senior environmental advice to clients, colleagues, and project teams.
• Collaborate with environmental specialists, engineers, and clients to embed sustainable design and environmental enhancement.
• Lead large, complex, and multi‑faceted projects, ensuring excellence across technical delivery, quality, commercial performance, and health and safety.
• Build and strengthen client relationships, identifying opportunities to support resourcing, project strategy, programming, and delivery.
• Actively pursue new business opportunities, including strategic bids, frameworks, and cross‑disciplinary collaborations; represent WSP at industry events and conferences.
• Champion innovation through Digital EIA, Technical Excellence, Future Ready methodologies, and other emerging approaches.
• Drive team performance, professional development, and career progression across the group.
• Foster an inclusive, supportive, and collaborative team culture; act as a recognised ‘go‑to’ leader within the wider business.
• Model WSP’s values, promoting health, safety and wellbeing in all aspects of delivery.
• Contribute to delivering WSP’s business strategy while demonstrating self‑motivation and accountability in your role and project commitments.

Your Team

Our Environment team in Ireland brings together environmental scientists, ecologists, geologists and environmental engineers who collaborate to deliver impactful projects across the energy, transportation, manufacturing, development and mining sectors. We pride ourselves on shared ownership, technical excellence, and a culture built on teamwork. Based in our centrally located Naas office, you will help shape the direction of complex, high‑profile projects and influence the continued growth and capability of the team, contributing directly to Ireland’s sustainability ambitions.

What We’ll Look For You To Demonstrate

• A relevant environmental or planning degree (or equivalent experience).
• Strong experience leading EIAs for major energy or infrastructure projects.
• Deep understanding of Irish planning legislation, EU directives, and experience engaging with An Coimisiún Pleanála.
• Broad technical knowledge of environmental issues and influences.
• Proven capability in leading multidisciplinary teams and complex project delivery.
• Experience building and maintaining strong client, regulator, and stakeholder relationships.
• A track record of winning work, shaping strategy, and strengthening market reputation, particularly within the energy transmission and distribution sector.
• Experience developing internal capability and supporting team growth.
• Evidence of having contributed to business growth and service expansion.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Chartered status with a relevant professional body.

If you don’t meet all that we are looking for please still consider applying. Not everyone will meet all the requirements, but you might have skills we didn’t know we need.

About Us

We are one of the world’s leading engineering and professional services firms. Our 72,800 passionate people are united by the common purpose of creating positive, long‑lasting impacts on the communities we serve through a culture of innovation, integrity, and inclusion. With over 9,000 professionals across the UK and Ireland, we are dedicated to our local communities and propelled by international brainpower.

What’s in it for you

Work‑life balance

At WSP, we understand that work is just one aspect of your life. It’s important to make time for you, your family, friends, interests and your community. Our hybrid working policy offers the flexibility to work from home two days a week, while also providing opportunities to collaborate in our modern offices across the UK.

Inclusivity & Belonging

We welcome applicants with varied backgrounds and experiences. We enable rewarding careers by encouraging people to bring their whole and authentic selves to work so that our work represents the fullest spectrum of society. We celebrate integrity and treat people with respect, supporting each other and embracing a culture of inclusion and belonging at WSP. We have our employee resource groups bring together employees and allies with different backgrounds to promote our culture of inclusivity.

Health & Wellbeing

We are committed to supporting our people, giving you the tools to make improvements to your health and wellbeing through our Thrive programme. Our Virtual GP service gives you access to an NHS or Irish Medical Council GP at a time and place that suits you – giving you peace of mind and quick access to medical advice when you need it most. We also provide reasonable workplace adjustments for those in need. Additionally, you can benefit from the Gymflex scheme, which offers up to 40% off annual gym memberships through our WSP flexible benefits programme, as well as a comprehensive menopause support package.

Flex your time

To enhance work‑life balance, WSP offers the “WSP My Hour”, allowing you to take one hour each day for personal activities, with the flexibility to make up the time earlier or later that day. We also provide part‑time and flexible working arrangements, the option to purchase additional leave, and the ability to use your bank holiday entitlement to suit you.

Your development

We understand the importance of development and training to you. That’s why we foster a supportive environment that invests in your growth, whether through training, mentoring, or Chartership.

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.