Senior Vice President, Civil Engineering Group Lead

This Opportunity

Be involved in projects and our team in the California’s Transportation Business Line.  WSP is looking for a Senior Vice President, Civil Engineering Group Lead within our Southern California offices. Serving as the Civil TEC Leader the candidate will play a key leadership role in the California Region as we continue to strengthen and expand our Transportation and Infrastructure practice, promote collaboration and teamwork with a focus to build our local team, and drive solutions in support of our clients, and communities.
 
At WSP, we are driven by inspiring the right people to be part of our future-focused business objectives. Our devotion to teamwork has allowed us to build communities. Here at WSP, anything is within our reach and yours as a WSP employee. Come join us and help shape the future! 
 
The candidate will be a part of the California leadership team and provide direct leadership of a multi-sector technical excellence civil engineering team. Provide guidance to ensure exemplary project delivery and technical excellence in civil engineering, as well as related and complementary disciplines. Assist in the project delivery as well as the development and implementation of the California Region’s marketing and business growth strategies, and coordinate workshare with offices across the region The position will provide coordinated leadership with other local and national business line leaders for the pursuit of all WSP services, with a particular eye towards transportation infrastructure focused highway, bridge, roadway corridor, transit and rail, tolling and mobility solutions, aviation and multi-modal opportunities to further grow the WSP business
 

Your Impact

Operational Excellence 

• Optimizes the client and employee experience through regular reviews and implements process improvements, and provides leadership to ensure technical practices and programs are delivered with a level of quality that meets or exceeds acceptable industry standards, and which elevates the region’s technical excellence and delivery of infrastructure projects
• Provides leadership of project delivery and technical solutions for teams delivering
  plans, designs, and reports for construction and maintenance of infrastructure projects in the California region with a focus on Southern California.
• Supports in the implementation of alternative delivery principles and practices.
• Directly in engaged in project delivery, project management, and oversight for cross discipline transportation and infrastructure projects.
• Develop and inform proposal and project scopes, timelines, pricing, and budgetary metrics – and accountable for planning, development and management of projects in compliance with all applicable City/State/Federal codes and regulations, and in accordance with all acceptable engineering practices.
• Perform engineering review of permit applications, engineering design plans and specifications, standby plans and engineering contracts, integrated management plans, and periodic construction inspections, to ensure that they comply with applicable state and/or federal regulations and sound engineering practice and standards.
• May serve as project manager and technical lead for PA&E/PS&E projects.
• Responsible for subject matter expertise, innovation and administration and ensures compliance with technical and corporate standards. 
• Collaborate with regional leaders, technical excellence leaders, project/program management teams and other area leaders to establish quality, technical, and sustainable standards. 
• Supports the development of local growth, forecast and business development strategy in collaboration with Region and National Business Line Leaders. 
• Resolves conflict and other internal/external issues that may arise in the office, amongst client base, and/or on projects. 
• Collaborates with regional, local leaders and other members of the leadership team to strategically drive the business with focus on business growth, manage project performance, oversee overhead expenditures, and meet operational, business performance, and financial metrics. 
• Provides leadership of talent development, workforce forecasting, and recruitment/hiring for the Southern California Civil TEC and team.
• Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company funds, resources and conduct, and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.

People & Culture 

• Works with the California Region Business Leader to organize the business with focus on vision and culture, talent development and building teams, client engagement and experience, and performance and growth strategy.
• Provides proactive leadership of recruiting, mentoring, and developing high-performing teams.
• Collaborates with Region Business Leader to attract the best industry talent by fostering a work environment that is collaborative, values inclusion and diversity and invites broad, creative thinking – crafting a more attractive place to work, grow and thrive.
• Provides proactive and strategic process and people leadership for the design, implementation and administration of engineering and technical disciplines’ project and program involvement across the district and within the organization.
• Emphasizes employee training and development to create a unique work experience. 
• Inspires, motivates and promotes the best of WSP to our clients and communities to ensure strong employee engagement and morale. 
• Supports WSP Guiding Principles and programs such as Quality, Safety, Sustainability and Ethics & Compliance; and Inclusion & Diversity.

Clients 

• Brings an expanded view and integrated response to complex challenges by leveraging our full suite of offerings across all end markets, and technical practices such as civil engineering, electrical, architecture, structures and others.
• Utilizes our extended reach across regions, districts, offices and the globe to foster new and innovative client delivery.
• Deploys our unique expertise and perspective to create new value for clients and provides civic and industry leadership within the local area.
• Drives performance of the technical excellence practices, business and strategically grows our market share to ensure WSP is a preferred provider to our clients.
• Leverages technical experience and leadership to support client engagement and provides strategic direction and leadership of Client Engagement Teams (CET).
• Supports local client coordination and cross-selling efforts in coordination with Region, National Business Lines, and Pursuit Management.

Expertise 

• Leverages our broad technical experience to enhance current and new service offerings with focus on transportation and infrastructure opportunities in all disciplines (planning, design, project/program management).
• Collaborates with the Regional Business Leader, local business leaders and others in the development of new and emerging innovations to remain the trusted thought leaders in our industry. 
• Supports advancement of the strategic direction of the district and region in the location of responsibility for sustained and continued growth consistent within the context of the strategic plan.
• Encourages, supports and promotes the technical and professional development of local WSP staff.
• Demonstrates technical experience to advance service offerings and technical excellence through direct project delivery demonstrated by set performance utilization goal as Technical Excellence Practices Leader.
• Key performance indicators include:  EBITDA, Organic Growth, DSO, Utilization, Backlog and other performance measures focused on business growth.

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, or closely related discipline.
• 15+ years of relevant post education experience in engineering, transportation, infrastructure, and/or project management/project delivery.
• Professional Engineer (P.E.) License Required.
• Advanced proficiency with civil engineering principles, practices, process, design/build, standard of care, and the application to permitting and project work-related issues.
• Advanced knowledge, understanding, and experience with alternative delivery e.g. CM/CG, Design Build, and others.
• Advanced working knowledge of relevant civil construction laws, codes, regulations, compliance practices, and record-keeping requirements, and the business impact upon the organization.
• Ability to innovate and re-think the conventional approach to client and employee engagement.
• Strong business acumen with an aptitude for improving processes. 
• Strategic lateral thinking and strong analytical skills with attention to detail and prioritization of responsibilities in a pressure work environment. 
• Excellent leadership and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to effectively, persuasively, and tactfully interact with employees at all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated ability with establishing, implementing, and managing multiple larger-scale discipline-related programs, documents, projects, and practices for a line(s) of business. 
• Tactical lateral thinking and strong analytical skills with attention to detail and prioritization of responsibilities in a pressure work environment.
• Strongly established relevant client relationships and industry contacts in the local area. 
• Commitment to internal and external client service. 
• Ability to elicit cooperation from a wide variety of sources, including senior management, clients, regulators, and company-wide staff, including those with whom no formal hierarchical relationship exits. 
• Advanced knowledge and proficiency with office automation, discipline-specific design software (i.e., MicroStation, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, ArcGIS, InRoads, Geopak, GeoSlope, ANSYS, STADD, HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS), technology, math principles, predictive models, spreadsheets, and tools.
• Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
• Strong ability to quickly adapt to change and demonstrate flexibility to a variety of schedules and hours to meet business needs.
• Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Engineering.
• California Professional Engineer (P.E.) License 
• Strong experience in managing the review and approval of documents and discipline-specific deliverables, certifications, processes, and plans in a multi-project environment is highly desirable.

WSP Benefits:

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on a providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.

Compensation:
Expected Salary (all locations): $200,000 - $323,000

WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.

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