Manager, Fire and Life Safety Engineering

WSP USA; Auckland; On-site; NZD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP is seeking a Team Lead in Fire and Life Safety based in New Zealand, guiding a national team across Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton or Wellington. The role blends technical excellence with people leadership and commercial influence, delivering high-quality engineering solutions and developing capabilities within projects.

Based in one of our main centres, you’ll drive team performance, cultivate client relationships and contribute to business growth through insightful reviews, governance,

Qualifications

• You’ll have a tertiary qualification and Chartered Engineer status, along with 10+ years’ experience in fire & life safety engineering.
• You’re an established people leader who enjoys coaching, developing capability and bringing out the best in teams.
• Strategic thinking, sound judgement and the confidence to translate business goals into practical action.
• Strong business and commercial acumen, including successful project and financial management within professional services.
• Experience identifying and converting business development opportunities, alongside the ability to build and maintain trusted client relationships.
• Clear, engaging communication and presentation skills, with the ability to make complex ideas accessible to a range of audiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Fire and Life Safety team, creating clear direction and strengthening capability.
• Support effective resourcing across projects and work with project leaders to maintain technical quality.
• Embed regular learning and encourage knowledge sharing across the wider business.
• Guide complex project delivery, build trusted client relationships and contribute to business growth.
• Oversee technical reviews, project governance, proposals, market development and client presentations.

Skills

People leadership

Strategic thinking

Client relationship management

Financial management

Proposal development

Clear communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Chartered Engineer status

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. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives enabling you to do the best work of your life. You can experience a world of opportunities to shape a career as unique as you.

WSP is one of the world’s top professional services firms, bringing together some of the brightest engineers, advisors and scientists from across the globe. We exist to shape communities to advance humanity. We see the world through a Future Ready® lens, fuelled by a shared commitment to making a positive impact—one project and community at a time.

Team Lead - Fire and Life Safety | Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton or Wellington

Help shape the future of fire and life safety engineering across New Zealand.

This national leadership opportunity combines technical excellence, people leadership and commercial influence, supporting a wide range of clients through thoughtful, high-quality engineering solutions.

Based in one of our main centre locations, you’ll lead and develop the Fire and Life Safety team, creating clear direction, strengthening capability and supporting effective resourcing across projects. Working closely with project leaders and discipline colleagues, you’ll help maintain technical quality, embed regular learning and encourage the sharing of expertise across the wider business.

This role also offers the opportunity to guide complex project delivery, build trusted client relationships and contribute to business growth. From technical reviews and project governance to proposals, market development and client presentations, your insight will help the team deliver strong commercial and client outcomes.

As part of the Property and Buildings sector leadership community, you’ll connect local knowledge with WSP’s wider national and international fire engineering capability, helping people and projects succeed.

About you:

• You’ll have a tertiary qualification and Chartered Engineer status, along with 10+ years’ experience in fire & life safety engineering.
• You’re an established people leader who enjoys coaching, developing capability and bringing out the best in teams.
• Strategic thinking, sound judgement and the confidence to translate business goals into practical action.
• Strong business and commercial acumen, including successful project and financial management within professional services.
• Experience identifying and converting business development opportunities, alongside the ability to build and maintain trusted client relationships.
• Clear, engaging communication and presentation skills, with the ability to make complex ideas accessible to a range of audiences.

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

We are proud to have the blueprint of Aotearoa New Zealand in our DNA and our 2,000+ expert professionals in 24 offices are united by the common purpose of creating positive, long-lasting impacts on the communities we serve.

Join our close-knit community of talented individuals who share your passion for making a positive impact. Our global team includes more than 75,000 employees, working together to make a difference in communities both close to home and around the world.