Associate Director Land

Overview

WSP Land is one of the largest and most successful land teams in the UK and Ireland, supporting a wide portfolio of major strategic infrastructure projects. We are looking for talented Land professionals to join our team and contribute to the delivery of land referencing, urban and rural landowner engagement, consultation management, land access, formal consents, statutory orders, compensation agreements, and land acquisition.

Associate Director level responsibilities include:

• Provide leadership and direction on WSP Land projects.
• Provide excellent stakeholder engagement to ensure successful land identification, securing of land rights and land acquisition using landowner agreements and statutory powers.
• Champion a collaborative and high‑performance team culture, driving collective purpose and alignment with project and organisational goals, and fostering excellent partnership with senior leadership across WSP Land.
• Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to both external and internal clients, proactively engaging with client capture teams and Key Client Managers (KCMs) to enhance client relationships and secure business opportunities.
• Oversee the successful delivery of major projects, ensuring they are completed on time, within budget, and to exemplary quality standards.
• Lead business development initiatives for WSP Land within the Energy, Water, and Rail sectors, securing new projects, project extensions, and cultivating new client relationships.
• Work in close partnership with WSP’s Engineering, Engagement, Environmental, and Planning disciplines to identify and capitalise on multidisciplinary and strategic opportunities, supporting the growth of our business.
• Enhance the reputation and visibility of WSP Land across the public sphere, target business sectors, and academic settings through thought leadership and sector engagement.
• Direct and oversee the preparation of compelling bids and tenders, ensuring the highest quality submissions to secure new business opportunities.
• Implement effective resource strategies, including talent retention, succession planning, and recruitment, ensuring the team’s capabilities align with project requirements.
• Lead regular reviews to identify and manage risks and opportunities, ensuring robust project governance and proactive issue resolution.
• Maintain rigorous oversight of project delivery, ensuring alignment with client objectives, actively seeking and integrating client feedback to drive continuous improvement and client satisfaction.
• Promote WSP culture of health, safety & wellbeing (HS&W).
• Promote adherence to Quality Assurance and development of our processes.
• Promote adherence to Data Protection and development of our processes.
• Promote growth of key markets, expanding delivery and quality culture and pursuing digital innovation and excellence.
• Travel within Ireland and the UK.

What we are looking for you to demonstrate:

• Proven leadership in managing and directing the delivery of comprehensive Land services, including land identification, access, and acquisition, at a strategic level.
• Extensive and demonstrable expertise in navigating land consents, consultation processes, and landowner engagement for major infrastructure development projects.
• Experience collaborating with multi‑disciplinary teams across various sectors and locations, guiding projects through all stages of scheme development.
• Advanced capability in mitigating land risk for clients and providing strategic advice on land‑related matters throughout the entire project lifecycle.
• Experience representing clients at public inquiries and oral hearings, including effective management of objections.
• Strong record of fostering repeat business and expanding services with established clients.
• Proven success in securing and cultivating new business opportunities and client relationships.
• Demonstrable expertise in leading bid management, including bid writing, review, and approval, ensuring high‑quality submissions.
• Experience in developing and implementing resource strategies, including talent retention, succession planning, and recruitment for high‑performing teams.
• Exceptional skills in…