Senior Director, Local Business Leadership

This Opportunity

WSP USA, Inc. (WSP) is looking for a
Local Business Leader
for our
California Planning Practice
, as a Senior Vice President in Transportation, Environmental, or Land Use Planning
for our
California-based planning team
. This position can be filled in any of WSP’s California offices.

We have an immediate opening for a motivated, highly skilled, and experienced transportation, environmental, and/or land use planner with a focus in the transit and transportation industry. This position is expected to organize, plan, and grow our Planning services in the state of California as well as be a client advisor, staff manager, and pursuit and project manager on California and regional projects and programs.

This position will work closely with planning, environmental, civil, and transit/rail staff across WSP to research, analyze, document and present information related to various types of transportation projects across the region.

• Lead our California-based team of land use, transit/transportation, and environmental (NEPA/CEQA) planners.
• Provide profit & loss leadership over projects, pursuits, and staff, including managing and directing successful outcomes for key performance indicators.
• Provide proactive and strategic leadership for the planning discipline and function, offering direction, expertise, and support to ensure technically proficient and high-quality planning deliverables are provided to our clients.
• Responsible for the contribution and management of multi-disciplinary project teams in all phases of the execution and delivery of feasibility studies, alternatives analyses, site selection reports, NEPA/CEQA compliance documents, locally preferred alternative selection, comprehensive plan updates, climate action plans, short/long range plans, etc.
• Lead larger-scale more complex transportation planning projects ensuring contributors know what they are required to do and by when, preparing and overseeing relevant project budgets, monitoring external events, tracking hours and expenses, ensuring profitability and satisfactory performance, and supervising subcontractors, contract work, and employees.
• Actively ensure compliance with applicable Federal, State, and Local Agency laws, policies, and regulatory requirements.
• Support the overall long-term strategy, growth, and pipeline development of transportation and environmental planning work for WSP in assigned area of responsibility, with a focus on opportunities in all disciplines (planning, design, strategic consulting, and program management).
• Lead technical aspects of contract negotiation, presentations, and meetings.
• Assist with the preparation of an annual update to business tactical action plans within the specified area.
• Ensure that planning discipline certifications, accreditations, and value proposition is developed and continuously improved.
• Conduct needs analyses and client value surveys to align the planning discipline’s function with business and project strategy, identifying and addressing any skill gaps or risks within the sector business operations.
• Schedule planning discipline meetings, providing updates and recommendations to ensure that all reasonable and proper measures are taken to inculcate discipline expertise and innovation into project work.
• Serve as one of the planning discipline’s lead representatives/liaison to a variety of external entities including Federal, State, and Local Agencies, Clients, Subcontractors, industry-related groups, and various government and community entities.
• Develop and inform proposal and project scopes, timelines, pricing, and budgetary metrics.
• Interpret and summarize data, including reports and documents that result in sound planning and regulatory conclusions to minimize impacts to the community, population, local economy, and environment.
• Maintain and grow a client base for providing high level Transportation Planning services including identifying additional business development opportunities, and cross-selling of other WSP capabilities.
• Manage and provide performance guidance and leadership to assigned staff.
• Remain current in latest transportation, urban and environmental planning…