Location
Bristol

Hours
Full Time

Salary
Negotiable

About the Role
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 to do the best work of your life. You’ll be part of our 300-strong technically diverse Intelligent Infrastructure business, delivering for a range of transportation and infrastructure clients. Our operations and safety group comprises around 70 committed experts from a range of engineering, science, academic and applied backgrounds. We are growing our vehicle automation team at an exciting point for the industry, as policy, technology, safety and operations come together to shape how automated mobility will be deployed in the real world.

Our work in operational safety focuses on understanding the safety impact of design, operation and technology in infrastructure, supporting the reduction of harm to transport users, workers and other impacted parties. Through hazard identification, risk assessment and safety evaluation, we apply a safe systems approach and support our clients’ decision making and safety governance.

In practice, your work as part of our operational safety group will:
- Take a systems view and understand the wider context of policy, process, technology or governance changes.
- Put people at the heart of designs and decision making, considering capabilities, opportunities and motivations that shape behaviours.
- Make safety inclusive to ensure comfort and safety for all users, including those with protected characteristics and neurodivergent needs.

You will work collaboratively with specialists across WSP on projects ranging from short-term advisory to long-term multi-disciplinary engineering design schemes. Your role will include responsive risk assessment and evaluation of emerging challenges, as well as shaping higher level safety governance approaches.

Working in step with UK Government policy, you will help clients navigate this fast-moving area with confidence, making safe, timely and proportionate decisions while exploring new possibilities automation can create. You will contribute to projects across roads, rail, energy, active travel and emerging mobility.

You will join a friendly, fun and hardworking team with a flat structure, where people are trusted to take responsibility, use their initiative and make a real contribution. For the right person, there is significant opportunity to grow, take on meaningful responsibility and shape your own progression.

The focus of the role is to deliver high-quality technical work across Intelligent Infrastructure while developing your expertise in automated vehicles, including systems analysis, operational safety, engineering, new technology and real-world operations. Your attitude, enthusiasm and foundational skills are more important than prior automated vehicle experience. Excellent communication skills, a practical mindset and confidence to work independently and collaboratively are essential.

A typical week could include:
- Providing expert advice to clients to support their objectives.
- Collaborating with specialists across WSP to provide subject matter expert insight on safety risk assessments, operating procedures, policy and major projects.
- Presenting findings and recommendations clearly in writing and meetings.
- Engaging with stakeholders such as operational teams, highway authorities, emergency services and technology providers.
- Leading technical packages of work ensuring time, cost and quality targets are met.
- Keeping up to date with developments in automated vehicles, operational safety and emerging technology, and helping identify opportunities to grow our work.

Experience
Previous experience in a relevant industry such as safety, risk management, engineering, automotive, transport or infrastructure is desirable. Experience or knowledge of automated vehicles is beneficial but not essential if you bring the right mindset and willingness to learn.

About you
You have a curious and proactive approach, with the ability to think creatively, ask questions and find practical solutions to complex problems. You demonstrate a can-do attitude, enthusiasm for learning and self-motivation to take initiative while knowing when to seek support. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential, including the ability to explain technical information clearly to different audiences. You are a strong team player but also comfortable working independently and taking ownership of your tasks. You have an appetite to learn, develop and progress within a supportive team, with opportunities to take on more responsibility as your confidence and experience grow.

Qualifications
There are no specific qualification requirements stated for this role; however, relevant industry experience and a willingness to develop expertise in connected and automated vehicles and operational safety are important.