Senior Architectural Principal

WSP in the U.S.; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 270,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP USA is seeking a Senior Architectural Principal for our Boston, MA office to lead growth and delivery of architectural services across transportation, aviation, transit, and infrastructure markets. This leadership role blends technical excellence, project delivery, and business development.

The successful candidate will be a proven seller-doer with established relationships, capable of winning work, building strategic client connections, and guiding multidisciplinary pursuits while

Qualifications

• Bachelor's and Master’s Degree in Architecture from a NAAB-accredited program.
• RA license in at least two U.S. jurisdictions.
• 15+ years of progressive architectural experience.
• Proven seller-doer with a track record of winning and delivering architectural and multidisciplinary projects.
• Existing relationships with transportation agencies, airport authorities, transit agencies, municipal clients, and major public-sector organizations within New England and the Northeast.
• Experience leading major pursuits, proposals, interviews, and contract negotiations.
• Strong understanding of transportation, aviation, transit, institutional, or public sector markets.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams and large, complex projects.
• Strong financial management skills including project performance oversight.
• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and leadership skills.
• Advanced knowledge of building systems, codes, permitting, and construction delivery methods.
• Proficiency in Revit and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to travel as required to support clients and project opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategic business development plans to expand WSP's architectural practice throughout New England and the Northeast.
• Serve as a client-facing leader and trusted advisor for key transportation, aviation, transit, institutional, and public sector clients.
• Leverage existing industry relationships and establish new client connections to generate and secure project opportunities.
• Lead capture planning activities for strategic pursuits.
• Develop and maintain a robust pipeline of architectural opportunities and support annual growth objectives.
• Lead proposal strategies, interviews, presentations, and contract negotiations.
• Collaborate with regional and national business leaders to identify cross-selling opportunities across WSP business lines.
• Represent WSP at industry conferences, professional organizations, client events, and networking functions.
• Demonstrate a consistent track record of winning work and achieving revenue growth targets.
• Establish and maintain executive-level relationships with key clients, stakeholders, and industry partners.
• Serve as Client Manager for strategic accounts.
• Foster long-term client satisfaction through exceptional service delivery and proactive communication.
• Understand client business needs and identify opportunities to deliver integrated architectural, engineering, planning, and advisory services.
• Provide technical leadership and quality oversight for architectural projects.
• Ensure compliance with applicable building codes, accessibility requirements, sustainability objectives, and client standards.
• Serve as Principal-in-Charge, Project Manager, or Technical Lead as appropriate.
• Lead architectural design reviews and quality management processes.
• Assist in growing the regional architecture practice through strategic hiring and workforce planning. Promote professional development and encourage licensure and certification achievements.

Skills

Seller-doer

Relationship building

Leadership

Communication

Travel readiness

Education

NAAB-accredited architecture degree

Tools

Revit

Microsoft Office

Job description

This Opportunity

WSP is seeking a

Job Description

Senior Architectural Principal for our Boston, MA office, to lead the growth and delivery of architectural services within our Transportation, Aviation, Transit, and Infrastructure Markets. This leadership role combines technical excellence, project delivery, and business development responsibilities. The successful candidate will be a proven seller-doer with a demonstrated history of winning work, developing strategic client relationships, leading multidisciplinary pursuits, and delivering successful architectural projects.

The Senior Architectural Principal will be responsible for expanding WSP's architectural presence throughout New England and the Northeast by leveraging existing industry relationships, identifying opportunities, securing new clients, and growing long-term partnerships while leading high-performing project teams.

This position offers a unique opportunity to influence strategic architectural growth initiatives while contributing to the delivery of some of the region's most prominent transportation, aviation, and infrastructure projects.

Your Impact

Business Development & Client Growth

• Develop and execute strategic business development plans to expand WSP's architectural practice throughout New England and the Northeast.
• Serve as a client-facing leader and trusted advisor for key transportation, aviation, transit, institutional, and public sector clients.
• Leverage existing industry relationships and establish new client connections to generate and secure project opportunities.
• Lead capture planning activities for strategic pursuits.
• Develop and maintain a robust pipeline of architectural opportunities and support annual growth objectives.
• Lead proposal strategies, interviews, presentations, and contract negotiations.
• Collaborate with regional and national business leaders to identify cross-selling opportunities across WSP business lines.
• Represent WSP at industry conferences, professional organizations, client events, and networking functions.
• Demonstrate a consistent track record of winning work and achieving revenue growth targets.

Client Relationship Management

• Establish and maintain executive-level relationships with key clients, stakeholders, and industry partners.
• Serve as Client Manager for strategic accounts.
• Foster long-term client satisfaction through exceptional service delivery and proactive communication.
• Understand client business needs and identify opportunities to deliver integrated architectural, engineering, planning, and advisory services.

Architectural Leadership & Project Delivery

• Provide technical leadership and quality oversight for architectural projects.
• Ensure compliance with applicable building codes, accessibility requirements, sustainability objectives, and client standards.
• Serve as Principal-in-Charge, Project Manager, or Technical Lead as appropriate.
• Lead architectural design reviews and quality management processes.
• Assist in growing the regional architecture practice through strategic hiring and workforce planning. Promote professional development and encourage licensure and certification achievements.

Minimum Qualifications

Who You Are

• Bachelor's and Master’s Degree in Architecture from a NAAB-accredited program.
• Registered Architect (RA) in at least two U.S. jurisdiction.
• 15+ years of progressive architectural experience.
• Demonstrated success as a seller-doer with a track record of winning and delivering architectural and multidisciplinary projects.
• Existing relationships with transportation agencies, airport authorities, transit agencies, municipal clients, and major public-sector organizations within New England and the Northeast
• Proven experience developing client relationships and expanding business opportunities.
• Experience leading major pursuits, proposals, interviews, and contract negotiations.
• Strong understanding of transportation, aviation, transit, institutional, or public sector markets.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams and large, complex projects.
• Strong financial management skills including project performance oversight.
• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and leadership skills.
• Advanced knowledge of building systems, codes, permitting, and construction delivery methods.
• Proficiency in Revit and Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to travel as required to support clients and project opportunities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with Enscape, SketchUp, Rhino and / or 3D Studio MAX
• LEED Accredited Professional

WSP Benefits:

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on a providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.

Compensation:

Expected Salary (all locations): $270,000 - $300,000

WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.

About WSP

WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.

www.wsp.com

WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career.

At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?

WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status.

The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.