Commercial Director - Planning and Consents

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, experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you.

• Providing leadership in commercial matters; directly with clients, making business easy and WSP easy to do business with.
• Developing commercial best practice, process and resources in support of WSP’s strategy.
• Demonstrating the value from the commercial role.
• Focusing action on strategic themes of governance, risk and opportunity with all stakeholders.
• Providing dispute resolution support to the business.
• Be a champion for our Projects First approach.

The Commercial Lead for the Planning and Consents business will report to the Commercial Director for Environment, Planning, Energy and Sustainability (EPES). On a day‑to‑day basis the Commercial Lead will support the Managing Director, Operations Director and Discipline Leads for the Planning and Consents business in a business‑partner role. The Commercial Lead will be a core member of the Senior Leadership Team and attend the Operational Leadership Team meetings for the P&C business.

The Commercial Lead will support Project Directors on the delivery of major portfolio projects to minimise commercial risk and maximise financial returns in line with the discipline’s objectives and will also contribute to the wider EPES commercial team, comprising the legal team, price‑to‑win leads and other commercial leads.

• Take a leading role in shaping major bids and strategic pursuits, working collaboratively with the Operations Director, and the price‑to‑win and legal team to develop win themes and to understand and manage key risks.
• Support the discipline Operations Director with discipline and UK‑level governance.
• Work with Project Directors to ensure effective hand‑over to our delivery teams.

• Provide leadership, guidance and assistance to the business to strengthen our approach to change management and payment, providing direct interventions to support Project Directors where necessary.
• Be a champion for change, providing leadership, mentoring and training to improve project outturns.

• Work closely with the Legal Team, ensuring that the business proactively manages and supports resolution of fee disputes, potential and actual claims.

• Be an active member of the WSP Commercial Team contributing to decision‑making and identifying business improvement opportunities; and contributing to the development of an enhanced commercial culture in the business.
• Work with the SLT and OLT to define an appropriate commercial structure to support the P&C business as it grows and develops.
• Raise commercial awareness and performance through regular feedback, meetings, and training.
• Review and implement improvements to processes and systems.

• Leading People – Acts as a 'change leader' by encouraging others to embrace change and face new challenges. Has a positive, curious, creative mindset and can work and collaborate across all levels. Demonstrates excellent interpersonal skills with good leadership and management abilities.
• Provide Leadership and Expertise in collaborative partnering arrangements.
• Commercial negotiation – Has in‑depth experience of commercial disputes and settlements.
• Inclusion and Performance – Promotes and engages diverse perspectives fostering inclusion in every area of business operations. Demonstrates courage in decision making and supports, coaches and develops others through respectful, actionable constructive feedback. Provides encouragement and development to allow all to reach their full potential and achieve maximum performance.
• Strategic Thinking and Direction – Ability to operate and develop a business; forward‑thinking, capable of visualising and planning for the longer term; capable of…