Vice President Civil Engineer - NYC Transportation

WSP in the U.S.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 160,300 - 240,790; Full time

Job summary

WSP USA is seeking a Vice President, Civil Engineering to join our Northeast Civil Transportation team, with offices in New York City or Valhalla, NY. The role provides strategic leadership for the civil engineering discipline and oversees project delivery across major infrastructure programs.

The candidate will hold a New York PE license, bring 12+ years of experience, and demonstrate excellence in leadership, client engagement, and regulatory compliance to drive growth and successful outcomes

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or closely related discipline.
• 12+ years of post-education experience in engineering, civil/infrastructure design.
• New York Professional Engineer license required.
• Experience delivering projects for New York public agencies (e.g., MTA, NYSDOT, NYCDOT, Port Authority).

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the civil engineering discipline and function.
• Review permits, designs, specifications, contracts, and construction inspections for compliance with regulations and standards.
• Lead large, complex civil projects with budgets, scheduling, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Pursue business development and ensure profitable project execution across assigned geography.
• Lead contract negotiations, presentations, and client meetings.
• Mentor staff and foster growth while ensuring QA/QC across projects.
• Collaborate with external agencies and clients to deliver trusted, future-ready solutions.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication

QA/QC

Analytical skills

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering

Tools

Autodesk Civil 3D

Bentley MicroStation

Bentley OpenRoads Designer

Job description

Vice President, Civil Engineering

WSP USA is currently initiating a search for a Vice President, Civil Engineering to join and grow our Northeast Civil Transportation team. The position is available in both our New York City and Valhalla, NY offices.

Your Impact

• Provide proactive and strategic leadership for the civil engineering discipline and function, offering direction, expertise, and support to ensure project and work site deliverables are successfully achieved within the business sector.
• Perform engineering review of permit applications, engineering design plans and specifications, standby plans and engineering contracts, integrated management plans, and periodic construction inspections, to ensure they comply with applicable state and/or federal regulations and sound engineering practice and standards.
• Lead larger‑scale, more complex civil engineering projects ensuring contributors know what they are required to do and by when, preparing and overseeing relevant project budgets, monitoring external events, tracking hours and expenses, ensuring satisfactory performance, and supervising subcontractors, contract work, and employees.
• Responsible for the pursuit and development of business and the successful execution of work for current and potential infrastructure work within a geography specifically for the large projects within the area.
• Lead technical aspects of contract negotiation, presentations, and meetings.
• Support the overall long‑term strategy, growth, and pipeline development of Civil Engineering work for WSP in assigned area of responsibility, with a focus on infrastructure opportunities in all disciplines (planning, design, and strategic consulting and program/construction management).
• Responsible for the profitable performance of the individual projects and the successful completion of the projects within the specified area.
• Meet with various public or private entities or individuals to discuss issues relating to a variety of engineering/construction challenges and programs.
• Schedule engineering discipline meetings, providing updates and recommendations to ensure all reasonable and proper measures are taken to inculcate discipline expertise and innovation into project work.
• Serve as one of the engineering discipline’s lead representatives/liaison to a variety of external entities including Federal, State, and Local Agencies, Clients, Subcontractors, industry‑related groups, and various government and community entities.
• Develop and inform proposal and project scopes, timelines, pricing, and budgetary metrics – and be accountable for planning, development and management of projects in compliance with all applicable City/State/Federal codes and regulations, and in accordance with all acceptable engineering practices.
• Interpret and summarize data, including reports and documents that result in sound engineering and regulatory conclusions.
• Provide verbal and/or written inputs to multi‑disciplinary project teams and contribute to providing high level strategic advice to clients.
• Mentor staff to support their growth and professional development.
• Manage and provide performance guidance and leadership to assigned staff.
• Remain current in latest civil engineering techniques and practices.
• Collaborate with professionals from a variety of disciplines to provide “trusted advisor” service and future‑ready solutions for clients.
• Exercise responsible and ethical decision‑making regarding company funds, resources and conduct, and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• 12+ years of relevant post‑education experience in engineering, civil and infrastructure design.
• Professional Engineer license in New York required.
• Experience delivering projects for New York public agencies including but not limited to the MTA, NYSDOT, NYSTA, NYCDOT, NYCDDC and Port Authority of NY & NJ.
• Advanced proficiency with civil engineering principles, practices, process, design/built, standard of care, and the application to permitting and project work‑related issues.
• Advanced proficiency with infrastructure design.
• Strong working knowledge of relevant civil construction laws, codes, regulations, compliance practices, and record‑keeping requirements, and the business impact upon the organization.
• Advanced proficiency with making technical computations and calculations involving the application of engineering principles, understanding plans and specifications and making factual comparisons to the appropriate regulations.
• Works independently and provides guidance and leadership to mid‑level to senior level team or project members, with strict adherence to QA/QC.
• Excellent leadership and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to effectively, persuasively, and tactfully interact with employees at all levels of the organization.
• Tactical lateral thinking and strong analytical skills with attention to detail and prioritization of responsibilities in a pressure work environment.
• Ability to elicit cooperation from a wide variety of sources, including senior management, clients, regulators, and company‑wide staff, including those with whom no formal hierarchical relationship exists.
• Advanced proficiency with office automation, discipline‑specific design software (e.g. Autodesk Civil 3D, Bentley MicroStation, Bentley OpenRoads Designer, etc.) technology, math principles, predictive models, spreadsheets, and tools.
• Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
• Strong ability to quickly adapt to change and demonstrate flexibility to a variety of schedules and hours to meet business needs.
• Occasional travel may be required depending on project‑specific requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong experience in managing the review and approval of documents and discipline‑specific deliverables, certifications, processes, and plans in a multi‑project environment is highly desirable.
• Prior Project Management experience.

Benefits

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on 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): $160,300.00 – $240,790.00.

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.

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.

WSP 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.

Notice to third‑party agencies: WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of WSP and WSP will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.