Infrastructure Growth Director: Planning & Sustainability in Leeds

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.

A Little More About Your Role… Our Infrastructure end markets span Rail, Strategic Highways, Water, Aviation and Local Government. Across these sectors, clients face shared challenges and opportunities: delivering new infrastructure, adapting ageing assets to climate change impacts, integrating nature-positive solutions, and decarbonising operations to meet the needs of a changing society.

This is a senior leadership opportunity working across Planning, Earth & Environment and Sustainability Advisory’s (EPES) Strategic Growth team, with responsibility for shaping and delivering growth across WSP’s Infrastructure portfolio. As Strategic Growth Director, you will operate on a pan‑sector, cross‑disciplinary basis, leading and coordinating strategic growth activity. The role brings together sector development, client and framework strategy, major bid leadership and coordinated sales pipeline activity to strengthen WSP’s market position and unlock new opportunities.

You will play a key leadership role within a matrix organisation, with direct and virtual line management responsibility for sector and sub‑sector growth leads, and accountability for their development and performance as part of a high‑performing team. The role reports to the Strategic Growth Director for EPES, with matrix reporting to Managing Directors, Heads of Discipline and wider pan-WSP networks aligned to the Resilient Infrastructure sectors.

• Lead the development, refinement and deployment of the infrastructure growth strategy, ensuring alignment with EPES strategy and Business Unit priorities.
• Collaborate with colleagues across WSP to provide market intelligence, research and insight to inform sector strategies, BU growth plans and investment decisions.
• Identify and interpret key market, regulatory and policy trends influencing infrastructure resilience agendas.
• Champion the development, promotion and communication of market facing thought leadership bringing together diverse teams and skills where necessary.
• Build and maintain strategic client relationships appropriate to the role.
• Support and enable cross‑selling and integrated client propositions across the infrastructure portfolio.
• Work with Key Account Directors to strengthen strategic relationships and long‑term client positioning.
• Lead and coordinate the identification, prioritisation and assessment of strategic and complex opportunities across the infrastructure end markets.
• Act as bid lead or sponsor for major bids and tenders and support significant strategic input to bids led by other sectors or business units including capture, intelligence gathering and partnership approaches.
• Shape capture strategies, early positioning, market intelligence and partnership approaches.

What we will be looking for you to demonstrate?

• Strong understanding of UK infrastructure markets, including Rail, Water, Highways, Aviation and Local Government.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in complex matrix organisations.
• Experience leading and influencing strategic growth, major bids and work‑winning activity.
• Ability to build credibility and effective relationships with senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Strategic thinking combined with the ability to translate insight into practical, deliverable plans.
• Experience of direct and virtual line management, with a focus on performance and development.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities across sectors.

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

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 84,000 employees, working together to make a difference in communities both close to home and around the world.

With us, you can. Apply today.

We are one of the world’s leading engineering and professional services firms. Our 72,800 passionate people are united by the common purpose of creating positive, long-lasting impacts on the communities we serve through a culture of innovation, integrity, and inclusion. With over 9,000 professionals across the UK and Ireland, we are dedicated to our local communities and propelled by international brainpower.

At WSP, we understand that work is just one aspect of your life. It’s important to make time for you, your family, friends, interests and your community. Our hybrid working policy offers the flexibility to work from home two days a week, while also providing opportunities to collaborate in our modern offices across the UK.

We welcome applicants with varied backgrounds and experiences. We enable rewarding careers by encouraging people to bring their whole and authentic selves to work so that our work represents the fullest spectrum of society. We celebrate integrity and treat people with respect, supporting each other and embracing a culture of inclusion and belonging at WSP. We have our employee resource groups bring together employees and allies with different backgrounds to promote our culture of inclusivity.

We are committed to supporting our people, giving you the tools to make improvements to your health and wellbeing through our Thrive programme. Our Virtual GP service gives you access to an NHS or Irish Medical Council GP at a time and place that suits you – giving you peace of mind and quick access to medical advice when you need it most. We also provide reasonable workplace adjustments for those in need. Additionally, you can benefit from the Gymflex scheme, which offers up to 40% off annual gym memberships through our WSP flexible benefits program, as well as a comprehensive menopause support package.

To enhance work-life balance, WSP offers the “WSP My Hour,” allowing you to take one hour each day for personal activities, with the flexibility to make up the time earlier or later that day. We also provide part-time and flexible working arrangements, the option to purchase additional leave, and the ability to use your bank holiday entitlement to suit you.

We understand the importance of development and training to you. That’s why we foster a supportive environment that invests in your growth, whether through training, mentoring, or Chartership.

#WeAreWSP Here at WSP we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity. As a Disability Confident leader, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria, please let us know if you require any workplace adjustments in support of your application.