Principal Engineer - Water

WSP in New Zealand; Hamilton; On-site; NZD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP in New Zealand is seeking a Principal Engineer – Water in Hamilton to lead and shape major water infrastructure projects. You will blend deep technical expertise with strategic leadership to guide project teams and deliver exceptional outcomes.

Located in Hamilton, you will collaborate with clients, councils and a nationwide network of experts, shaping design, risk management and delivery strategies while mentoring engineers across the region.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Civil Engineering or closely related discipline.
• 15+ years' experience in civil and/or water infrastructure, with NZ standards knowledge.
• CPEng registration (or actively pursuing it).
• Strong commercial acumen and experience managing contracts, budgets and risk.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Collaborative leadership style with mentoring experience.
• Full New Zealand driver's license.

Responsibilities

• Leading investigations, analysis, design and reporting for civil and water infrastructure projects.
• Providing technical leadership and guidance across multidisciplinary teams.
• Managing NZS 3910/3916 contracts, including supervision and contract administration.
• Driving technical, commercial and risk outcomes throughout project delivery.
• Developing project scopes, budgets and delivery strategies that support successful project outcomes.
• Building trusted relationships with clients, contractors, councils and key stakeholders.
• Contributing to business growth through bids, proposals and strategic client opportunities.
• Coaching, mentoring and developing engineers across the region.
• Potentially leading and growing a team, depending on experience and career goals.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication

Mentoring

Problem solving

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor of Civil Engineering

CPEng registration (or progressing towards it)

Job description

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.

Principal Engineer – Water

Ready to shape the future of water infrastructure in New Zealand? Working within an established & successful team in Hamilton, you'll combine deep technical expertise with strategic thinking to help deliver some of New Zealand's most important water and civil infrastructure projects.

You’ll lead complex work, provide trusted advice to clients, and help guide project teams to successful outcomes, all while being connected to a nationwide network of technical experts.

This is an opportunity to play a key role in a growing pipeline of work while having the flexibility to shape a position that aligns with your strengths and career aspirations.

If leadership is part of your future, we're open to exploring how this role can help you achieve that.

Whether you’re taking your first step into leading others or already have experience building and developing high-performing teams, we’d love to hear from you.

Here’s What You Day-to-day Will Look Like

• Leading investigations, analysis, design and reporting for civil and water infrastructure projects
• Providing technical leadership, peer review and engineering guidance across multidisciplinary teams
• Managing NZS 3910 and NZS 3916 contracts, including construction supervision and contract administration
• Driving strong technical, commercial and risk outcomes throughout project delivery
• Developing project scopes, budgets and delivery strategies that support successful project outcomes
• Building trusted relationships with clients, contractors, councils and key stakeholders
• Contributing to business growth through bids, proposals and strategic client opportunities
• Coaching, mentoring and developing engineers across the region
• Potentially leading and growing a team, depending on your experience and career goals

About You

You’re a highly regarded engineering professional who enjoys solving complex challenges, building strong client relationships and helping others succeed.

You can comfortably move between strategic conversations and hands‑on technical delivery, bringing sound judgement and a collaborative approach to everything you do.

You’ll Ideally Have

• A Bachelor of Civil Engineering (or a closely related discipline)
• 15+ years' experience in civil and/or water infrastructure, with a strong understanding of New Zealand engineering standards, legislation and industry best practice
• CPEng registration (or be actively working towards it)
• Strong commercial acumen and experience managing contracts, budgets and project risk
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• A collaborative leadership style with a passion for mentoring and developing others
• A current, full New Zealand driver's licence

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.