Transport Planning Associate Director/Technical Director (Development) in Bristol

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… Specifically supporting the Development team, who provide transport planning, civil infrastructure and urban design support on development and master planning projects, the appointment will play a key role in the team’s growth aspirations for Bristol and the wider South West. We are looking to recruit an Associate Director/Technical Director with a development transport planning background who should already be embedded within the local and regional market and will have a focus on client facing activities, business growth, market strategy and technical leadership and will play an integral part in supporting the initiative to diversify our team, in terms of both staff numbers and revenue.

The successful candidate will be proven at winning and delivering new work ideally within a multi-disciplinary consultancy environment with experience across both the public and private sectors. A sector specialism would be an added advantage (though not essential). They will also be experienced at contributing to large multi-disciplinary tender proposals and will be responsible for identifying opportunities for new work with existing and new clients, existing sector leads within the team and colleagues across the wider WSP business.

Key aspects of the role include:

• Identifying and pursuing new business opportunities, leveraging a network of clients, co‑professionals and colleagues to help win work and increase market share for the Development team.
• Liaising with the Regional Director for Development South and local office lead in setting and agreeing appropriate growth targets and plans.
• Liaising with public / private sector clients and key stakeholders, such as local planning authorities, to build trusted relationships.
• Providing technical advice to clients and supporting them through the planning and design process.
• Working closely with colleagues to ensure coordination across the Development team and sharing of market intelligence, best practice and innovation.
• Leading and supporting bids, including reviewing and authorising submissions, demonstrating commercial and technical added value.
• Supporting all aspects associated with H&S / Corporate Responsibility and ensuring the team complies with SHEQ (Safety, Health, Environment and Quality).

The Development Team is a well‑established and high‑performing part within the Planning and Development discipline which includes over 800 colleagues focused on project delivery through the whole project life cycle, from initial land acquisition, planning support and design, through to scheme implementation and handover. Our vision is to be recognised as the best Development team in the industry. We strive to achieve this through continuous improvement and a management structure comprising of four pillars, namely; Technical Excellence, People, Clients and Operational Excellence.

We help our clients to promote, implement and manage sustainable development, from pre‑feasibility through to planning consent; establish plans and provision for how an area, its accessibility, and needs, will develop over time and guide sustainable future development; and develop multi‑disciplinary design from concept through to detailed design and construction.

What We Will Be Looking For You To Demonstrate…

• Degree level qualification in transport planning or civil engineering ideally with chartered professional status.
• Commercial and strategic capability with a demonstrable track record in having identified and subsequently delivered new business opportunities.
• Excellent inter‑personal skills with established leadership and management capabilities and experience.
• Proven track record of work winning.
• A broad range of relevant project experience.

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.

What’s In It For You?

• Work‑life balance – 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.
• Inclusivity & Belonging – 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.
• Health & Wellbeing – We are committed to supporting our people, giving you the tools to make improvements to your health and wellbeing through our Thrive programme.
• Flex your time – 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.
• Your development – 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.

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.

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.