Associate Director Land

Associate Director, Land

At WSP, our Land team is the largest and most successful in the industry, delivering major strategic infrastructure projects across the UK and Ireland. We support a wide range of sectors - Energy, Highways, Water, Rail, Local Government, and Aviation - through land referencing, acquisition, access, and stakeholder engagement.

We offer flexible working patterns, competitive salaries, and a range of benefits that support your professional growth and personal well being.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and direction on WSP Land projects.
• Deliver excellent stakeholder engagement to secure land rights and acquisition through landowner agreements and statutory powers.
• Champion a collaborative, high performance team culture and foster partnership with senior leadership across WSP Land.
• Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to internal and external clients, engaging with client capture teams and Key Client Managers to enhance relationships and secure business opportunities.
• Oversee successful delivery of major projects, ensuring they are completed on time, within budget, and to exemplary quality standards.
• Lead business development initiatives within the Energy, Water, and Rail sectors, securing new projects and cultivating new client relationships.
• Partner with engineering, engagement, environmental, and planning disciplines to identify multidisciplinary and strategic opportunities that support business growth.
• Enhance WSP Land's reputation through thought leadership and sector engagement in the public sphere, targeted business sectors, and academic settings.
• Direct 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-to align the team's capabilities 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, aligning with client objectives and integrating client feedback to drive continuous improvement and satisfaction.
• Promote WSP culture of Health, Safety & Wellbeing; quality assurance; data protection; and digital innovation and excellence.
• Travel within Ireland and the UK.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership in delivering comprehensive Land services, including land identification, access, and acquisition at a strategic level.
• Extensive expertise in navigating land consents, consultation processes, and landowner engagement for major infrastructure projects.
• Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams across sectors and locations, guiding projects through all development stages.
• Advanced capability in mitigating land risk and providing strategic advice throughout the project lifecycle.
• Experience representing clients at Public Inquiries and Oral Hearings, managing objections effectively.
• 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 bid management, including writing, review, and approval, ensuring high quality submissions.
• Experience developing and implementing resource strategies, including talent retention, succession planning, and recruitment for high performing teams.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to engage the public and landowners.
• Outstanding communication, influencing, and negotiation skills, driving consensus and delivering positive outcomes.
• Highly effective collaboration at all organisational levels.
• Resilient under pressure, consistently delivering high quality outputs in demanding environments.
• Excellent commercial acumen and proficiency with relevant IT systems.
• Rigorous commitment to quality assurance, data protection, and Health and Safety standards.
• Degree level education in Geography, Agriculture, Land and Estate Management, or a related discipline.
• Chartered status or membership of a recognised professional body is highly desirable.

Benefits

• Flexible working patterns.
• Competitive salaries.
• Support for professional development and career growth.
• Health, safety and wellbeing initiatives.

Apply today.