Location
Edinburgh

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 can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives. You can experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you.

The Planning discipline has over 800 consultants and engineers across the UK, with Development accounting for 300 of this number located in 15 offices nationwide. This senior role will focus on client-facing activities, technical leadership, and business growth rather than day-to-day operational management. It plays an integral part in supporting growth aspirations for Scotland and nationally, as well as diversifying the team in both staff numbers and revenue.

Key responsibilities include providing strategic direction and highly visible leadership, demonstrating behaviours aligned with WSP core values, and working collaboratively to ensure coordination across the Development discipline. You will engage with the Technical Leadership Group to promote technical innovation, best practice, and technological advancements for infrastructure development on major projects.

You will liaise with the Development Technical Lead to set and agree local team structures, skill sets, and shapes. Driving business development by embedding yourself within local networks of decision makers, establishing lasting relationships, winning work from key accounts, and aligning the business to secure major opportunities and an increasing order book will be central to your role.

Additional duties include leading and supporting bids by reviewing and authorising submissions, acting as Project Manager or Director for major projects and strategically important commissions, and supporting all aspects of Health & Safety and Corporate Responsibility to ensure compliance with SHEQ (Safety, Health, Environment and Quality). Mentoring colleagues on succession planning and emerging talent schedules is also expected.

The Development Team is a well-established, high-performing discipline within the Planning and Development business unit, comprising over 800 colleagues focused on project delivery through the entire project lifecycle. Our vision is to be recognised as the best Development team in the industry, achieved through continuous improvement and a management structure based on Technical Excellence, People, Clients, and Operational Excellence.

We help clients promote, implement, and manage sustainable development from pre-feasibility through planning consent, establish plans for area accessibility and future development, and deliver multi-disciplinary design from concept through detailed design and construction. Our clients include public/private sector land promoters, house builders, developers, signature architects, government bodies, and local authorities.

Some of the multi-disciplinary services you will help deliver include civil engineering, highways design, earthworks strategies, utilities and energy planning, drainage, flood risk and SuDS, site appraisal, due diligence, and strategic planning advice.

Experience
- Proven leadership and management abilities with strong interpersonal skills
- Demonstrable track record in identifying and delivering new business opportunities
- Expert stakeholder management and team leadership skills
- Broad project experience within civil design for developments and multi-disciplinary projects
- Experience acting as a catalyst for change and driving innovative, supportive workplace culture

About you
- Forward-thinking with the ability to visualise and plan for the long term
- Effective communicator with coaching and mentoring capabilities
- Skilled in leading workshops, training sessions, and one-to-one learning
- Influential and persuasive with strong relationship-building skills internally and externally
- Driven to exceed client expectations and proactive in problem-solving using logical, systematic approaches

Qualifications
- Degree level qualification in civil engineering
- Chartered status or working towards chartership
- Broad range of project experience across civil design for developments

Don’t quite meet all the criteria? Apply and we can explore how your experience aligns with this role and other opportunities within the team.