Planning - Local Business Leader

WSP•Raleigh, NC

About The Position

WSP USA, Inc. is seeking a Local Business Leader for its Raleigh, North Carolina Planning Practice, serving as a Vice President in Transportation Planning. The role will organize, plan, and grow WSP’s Advisory & Planning services in North Carolina while serving as a client advisor, staff manager, and pursuit and project manager on North Carolina and regional projects and programs. The position works with planning, environmental, civil, and transit/rail staff across WSP to research, analyze, document, and present information related to transportation projects. The Local Business Leader leads the North Carolina team of land use, transit/transportation, and environmental planners, with profit-and-loss responsibility for projects, pursuits, and staff. The role provides strategic and technical leadership to ensure high-quality planning deliverables, manages multidisciplinary teams and complex transportation planning projects, and supports the long-term growth and pipeline development of planning work. It also involves client and external stakeholder engagement, business development, staff leadership, proposal and project development, regulatory compliance, and maintaining current subject-matter expertise.

Requirements

At least 12 years of progressively responsible experience in land use, transportation planning, environmental planning, or policy work.
Experience leading projects similar to those described, successfully overseeing others and/or managing staff.
Bachelor’s degree in Transportation Planning, Urban Planning, Environmental Planning, Civil Engineering, Public Policy, or a related field.
Ability to develop business and technical strategy with others and to develop and manage high-quality technical and professional deliverables for projects and proposals.
Experience with state departments of transportation, local municipalities, metropolitan planning organizations, and/or North Carolina regulatory agencies.
Experience with project administration and project management in the transportation sector.
Strong communication skills, energy, enthusiasm, and a positive attitude.
Proficiency in the transportation project development cycle, from planning through implementation.
Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Ability to communicate ideas effectively orally and in writing; excellent writing skills are required. Prior writing samples may be requested.
Ability to work in the United States.
Valid driver’s license.
Proven record of upholding workplace safety and ability to comply with WSP health, safety, drug/alcohol, and harassment policies.
Occasional travel may be required.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Relevant professional licensure or certification, such as AICP certification.

Responsibilities

Lead the North Carolina-based team of land use, transit/transportation, and environmental planners.
Provide profit-and-loss leadership for projects, pursuits, and staff, and manage performance against key performance indicators.
Provide strategic leadership and technical direction for the planning discipline and function, ensuring proficient, high-quality client deliverables.
Lead multidisciplinary project teams through feasibility studies, alternatives analyses, site selection reports, NEPA documents, locally preferred alternative selection, comprehensive plan updates, climate action plans, and short- and long-range plans.
Lead complex transportation planning projects, including coordinating contributors, preparing and overseeing budgets, monitoring events, tracking hours and expenses, ensuring profitability and performance, and supervising subcontractors, contract work, and employees.
Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local agency laws, policies, and regulatory requirements.
Support long-term strategy, growth, and pipeline development for transportation and environmental planning work, including opportunities in planning, design, strategic consulting, and program management.
Lead technical aspects of contract negotiation, presentations, and meetings.
Assist with annual updates to business tactical action plans for the assigned area.
Develop and continuously improve planning discipline certifications, accreditations, and value proposition.
Conduct needs analyses and client value surveys; align the planning discipline with business and project strategy and identify skill gaps or operational risks.
Schedule planning discipline meetings and provide updates and recommendations to strengthen expertise and innovation in project work.
Represent and serve as a liaison for the planning discipline with agencies, clients, subcontractors, industry groups, and government and community entities.
Develop and inform proposal and project scopes, timelines, pricing, and budgetary metrics.
Interpret and summarize data and documents to support planning and regulatory conclusions that minimize impacts to communities, populations, local economies, and the environment.
Maintain and grow a client base for Transportation Planning services, identify business development opportunities, and cross-sell WSP capabilities.
Manage assigned staff and provide performance guidance and leadership.
Stay current in transportation, urban, and environmental planning practices, regulations, techniques, and subject matter.
Collaborate across disciplines to provide trusted-advisor service and future-ready client solutions.
Make responsible and ethical decisions regarding company funds, resources, and conduct, and follow WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.