Technical Director - Ports and Maritime

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A little more about your role…

WSP is seeking an experienced Technical Director to help shape the future of ports, terminals and maritime infrastructure across the UK, Ireland, Europe and selected international markets. This is a highly visible leadership role combining technical authority, client leadership, business growth and delivery accountability across some of the industry's most complex and strategically important maritime programmes.

This role offers significant autonomy and influence. You will help shape technical strategy, develop future capability, strengthen client relationships, mentor future leaders and contribute directly to the growth and direction of WSP's Maritime business.

As part of the team, you will complement the wide experience of a highly knowledgeable and dynamic group of Ports & Maritime experts based in the UK and across the globe.

You will provide senior technical leadership, business direction and project director accountability for major maritime programmes, shaping technical excellence, developing capability, influencing market strategy and ensuring WSP delivers safe, robust, commercially successful and technically outstanding outcomes across the full project lifecycle.

Key responsibilities…

• Act as Project Director or senior technical sponsor for major maritime, port and terminal programmes, including large-scale container terminals, energy-transition infrastructure, offshore wind ports, port modernisation programmes and strategic Owner's Engineer assignments across multiple countries.
• Define the technical vision and delivery strategy for major infrastructure programmes, providing clients and project teams with confidence in key decisions and outcomes.
• Provide senior multidisciplinary oversight across maritime civil, geotechnical, coastal, structural, electrical, environmental, buildings, transport and cost disciplines.
• Lead technical challenge and decision-making on constructability, phasing, resilience, automation, electrification, decarbonisation and operational integration.
• Lead strategic pursuits and win strategies, developing compelling client propositions, leveraging WSP's multidisciplinary capability, shaping commercial approaches and increasing repeat business across the Maritime portfolio.
• Build trusted advisor relationships with senior client stakeholders, becoming a recognised source of strategic and technical advice.
• Mentor and develop senior engineers, project managers and future technical leaders, strengthening technical governance, professional development, succession planning and delivery excellence across the team.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of WSP Maritime's medium-term business strategy, helping define priorities for capability growth, service development, target markets and strategic client engagement.
• Lead development of project governance, technical standards, guidance notes, best-practice methodologies and lessons-learned programmes, promoting knowledge sharing and professional excellence across WSP and the wider industry.
• Drive recruitment, succession planning and capability development across the Maritime business, addressing current and future technical skills requirements and supporting sustainable growth.
• Represent WSP as an external industry leader, contributing to conferences, technical forums, industry working groups and the development of best practice across the ports and maritime sector.
• Champion WSP's health, safety and wellbeing culture through visible leadership, design safety governance, behavioural safety leadership and active engagement with project teams.

To excel in this position, you must bring recognised technical authority, pragmatic delivery judgement and the confidence to guide senior clients and multidisciplinary teams through complex project decisions. Your ability to reduce delivery risk while maintaining commercial control will be vital to WSP and our clients’ success.

What we will be looking for you to demonstrate…

• Significant experience delivering and leading major maritime, terminal or infrastructure programmes, with a record of building client trust and leading complex multidisciplinary teams.
• Chartered Engineer status with recognised technical authority and proven accountability for major engineering decisions.
• Demonstrable external profile within the ports and maritime sector, including client leadership, industry engagement, conference participation, technical publications or contribution to industry initiatives.
• Experience contributing to business growth, including strategy development, recruitment, capability building, market positioning and major opportunity conversion.
• Proven project director capability directing multidisciplinary projects from masterplanning and FEED through detailed design, procurement, construction support and completion.
• Strong understanding of delivery governance including FIDIC or equivalent contract environments, technical governance, QA/QC, risk management, programme and commercial controls.
• Ability to combine technical depth with delivery judgement and senior client credibility on complex or high-value commissions.
• Experience in emerging and specialist port requirements such as automated terminals, port electrification, climate resilience, asset management or major rehabilitation programmes would be advantageous.
• Evidence of operating across multiple countries, clients and delivery cultures with judgement, clarity and senior stakeholder confidence.

Imagine a better future for you and a better future for us all.

Work on landmark projects around the world and embrace opportunities to make an even bigger impact in the communities you care about. What if you could do the

best work of your life and create a legacy for yourself?

With us, you can. Apply today.

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