Associate Director – Ground & Water

Job Description

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.

We are seeking an Associate Director to play a key role in growing and leading our Ground & Water business in the North East. The role focuses on business development, client leadership, team growth, and technical and project delivery.

Role Overview

As an Associate Director, you will operate as a senior leader within the Ground & Water team, responsible for driving business growth, strengthening client relationships, and ensuring successful delivery of complex, multi-disciplinary projects.

This Role Requires a Balance Of

• Business development leadership
• Client relationship management
• Project and commercial oversight
• People leadership and team development
• Technical direction and assurance

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Growth (Primary Focus): Lead the identification, pursuit and conversion of new business opportunities across the North East and wider UK market, develop and maintain strong relationships with key clients, act as a senior point of contact, drive sector growth across contaminated land and remediation, energy transition and industrial decommissioning, and infrastructure and regeneration. Lead or support strategic bids, including bid strategy development, commercial positioning, client engagement and negotiation. Contribute to regional and national business development plans and growth targets, expanding WSP’s market presence and strengthening its reputation within the Ground & Water sector.

Client & Project Leadership: Act as Project Director on key projects, accountable for delivery to time, cost and quality, with responsibility for commercial performance, financial management, and effective risk management and governance. Provide strategic advice to clients across complex environmental and remediation challenges, maintaining high standards of technical excellence and client satisfaction, and ensuring effective coordination and leadership of multi-disciplinary teams.

Leadership & Team Development: Lead, mentor and develop teams within the Newcastle office and wider region, supporting recruitment, retention and capability development aligned to business growth. Build high‑performing, collaborative teams and foster a positive working culture, identify skills gaps and support effective succession planning.

Commercial & Operational Performance: Take accountability for project and regional financial performance, including revenue generation and profitability through effective margin management. Support forecasting, pipeline development and reporting, ensuring projects are delivered in compliance with WSP governance, quality and health & safety requirements, and contributing to effective operational planning and resource management.

Technical Leadership & Assurance: Provide senior technical oversight and maintain high standards of delivery, acting as a subject matter expert in contaminated land, hydrogeology or remediation (or related disciplines). Support innovation and continuous improvement across the service line, contributing to technical excellence and promoting knowledge sharing across the wider business.

Qualifications

• A degree (and ideally postgraduate qualification) in environmental science, geology, engineering, or a related discipline
• Chartered status with a relevant professional body
• Significant experience in Ground & Water, contaminated land, or related consultancy services
• A proven track record in:
• Winning work and building client relationships
• Delivering complex projects
• Leading teams and developing people
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of consultancy delivery models

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