Associate/Associate Director - Roads & Highways

WSP USA; Jeddah; On-site; SAR 450,000 - 650,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

First class medical cover

Generous annual leave

Paid professional subscriptions

Job summary

WSP in Saudi Arabia seeks an Associate / Associate Director – Roads & Highways to lead complex transportation masterplans and project delivery in Jeddah. You will drive design, stakeholder engagement and client relationships across the Kingdom.

The ideal candidate brings 15+ years of roads/highways experience, strong leadership, and a track record with international consultancies, with deep knowledge of Saudi processes and GCC markets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or related discipline required; Master's preferred.
• Minimum 15+ years of professional experience in roads and highways engineering design and delivery.
• At least 5 years of recent experience working in Saudi Arabia.
• Proven experience with international engineering consultancies delivering large-scale roads/highways projects.
• Strong understanding of Saudi authority processes, approvals, and market nuances.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of roads/highways projects from concept through construction support.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams to integrate highways, utilities, drainage, structures and related disciplines.
• Provide technical guidance and oversight to project teams for high-quality outcomes.
• Support innovative and cost-effective engineering solutions and compliance with standards.
• Manage client relationships, participate in meetings and coordinate with authorities and stakeholders.

Skills

Roads & highways design

Project leadership

Client relationship management

Multidisciplinary coordination

Team mentorship

Quality & governance

Saudi market knowledge

Feasibility studies

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Job description

WSP is seeking an experienced Associate / Associate Director – Roads & Highways to join our Transport & Infrastructure team in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This role will play a key leadership position in the delivery of roads, highways and infrastructure masterplans projects across the Kingdom, supporting both project execution and client engagement activities.

The successful candidate will possess strong technical and project delivery expertise, with experience leading multidisciplinary design teams on complex transportation and infrastructure projects. This is a highly client-facing role, requiring the ability to build and maintain strong relationships with clients, developers, government authorities, and key stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record working with leading international engineering consultancies, delivering roads and highways projects within Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC. A strong understanding of the Saudi market, local authority requirements, and project approval processes will be essential to success in this position.

Project Leadership & Design Delivery

• Manage and lead the delivery of roads and highways projects across various stages, from concept and preliminary design through to detailed design and construction support.

• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams to ensure successful integration of highways, transportation, utilities, drainage, structures, and related infrastructure disciplines.

• Provide technical guidance and oversight to project teams, ensuring high-quality and efficient project delivery.

• Support the implementation of innovative and cost-effective engineering solutions.

• Ensure designs are compliant with client requirements, local authority standards, and international best practices.

Client & Stakeholder Management

• Act as a key point of contact for clients and stakeholders, maintaining strong working relationships throughout project delivery.

• Participate in client meetings, technical workshops, design reviews, and project presentations.

• Liaise with government authorities, developers, contractors, and utility providers to support successful project outcomes.

• Support authority approvals and stakeholder coordination activities across project phases.

Project & Commercial Management

• Manage project programmes, resources, budgets, and deliverables to ensure successful project execution.

• Monitor project performance against key milestones, quality objectives, and commercial targets.

• Identify project risks and support the implementation of mitigation strategies.

• Contribute to project reporting and ensure effective communication across internal and external stakeholders.

Business Development & Client Growth

• Support the preparation of technical proposals, bids, and tender submissions.

• Contribute to the development of existing client relationships and the identification of new project opportunities.

• Assist in promoting the Roads & Highways practice within the Saudi Arabian market.

• Support senior leadership in achieving business growth objectives.

Team Leadership & Mentorship

• Provide mentoring and technical support to junior and mid-level engineers.

• Foster a collaborative and high-performing team culture.

• Support resource planning and capability development initiatives within the Roads & Highways team.

• Encourage innovation, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement.

Quality & Governance

• Ensure compliance with company quality management systems, governance requirements, and HSE standards.

• Participate in design reviews and technical assurance processes.

• Promote the highest standards of safety, technical excellence, and project delivery.

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or a related discipline (Master's degree preferred).

• Minimum 15+ years of professional experience in roads and highways engineering design and project delivery.

• At least 5 years of recent experience working in Saudi Arabia.

• Proven experience working with leading international engineering consultancies.

• Demonstrated experience delivering large-scale roads, highways, infrastructure, and land development projects.

• Strong understanding of Saudi Arabian infrastructure markets, client requirements, authority processes, and approval frameworks.

• Experience across feasibility studies, concept design, detailed design, and construction support phases.

• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary infrastructure projects involving transportation, utilities, drainage, structures, and urban development.

• Strong technical background in roads and highways design and delivery.

• Arabic language skills are preferred but not essential.

What if we can have work-life balance? What if we can be rewarded in ways that support our individual needs? What if we can be accepted for who we are? Here at WSP – we can!

WSP recognizes that work is only one part of our lives and making time for the other things in our life is important – be that our families, our friends or ourselves. So, if working from home, working part-time or having flexible start and finish time will help with this let us know as part of your application.

As well as rewarding you with competitive pay, WSP offers standard benefits including first class medical cover, generous days annual leave, and paid professional subscriptions.

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

Join our close-knit community of talented individuals who share your passion for making a positive impact. Our global team includes more than 69,000 employees, working together to make a difference in communities both close to home and around the world.