Planning - Local Business Leader

WSP•Raleigh, NC

About The Position

WSP USA 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 advising clients, managing staff, and leading pursuits and projects across North Carolina and the region. The position works with planning, environmental, civil, and transit/rail professionals to research, analyze, document, and present information for transportation projects. The leader oversees a North Carolina team of land use, transportation, transit, and environmental planners and provides strategic, technical, operational, and financial leadership. Responsibilities include guiding complex, multidisciplinary projects; developing the practice’s business strategy and pipeline; managing client relationships, staff, budgets, and project performance; and ensuring high-quality, compliant planning deliverables. The role also represents the planning discipline to agencies, clients, subcontractors, and community and industry organizations. The position requires at least 12 years of progressively responsible experience in a relevant planning or policy field, a bachelor’s degree in a related discipline, experience leading similar projects and managing people, and familiarity with North Carolina transportation agencies and project development. Occasional travel may be required. WSP describes its workplace model as flexible and agile and offers medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings benefits.

Requirements

At least 12 years of progressively responsible experience in land use, transportation planning, environmental planning, or policy work.
Experience working on and leading similar projects, 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 manage high-quality technical and professional deliverables for projects and proposals.
Experience with state DOTs, local municipalities, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), and/or North Carolina regulatory agencies.
Experience with transportation-sector project administration and project management.
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 present and communicate ideas effectively orally and in writing; excellent writing skills. Prior writing samples may be requested.
Authorization to work in the United States.
Valid driver’s license.
Record of upholding workplace safety and ability to comply with WSP health, safety, drug/alcohol, and harassment policies.
Ability to travel occasionally.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Professional licensure or certification, such as AICP Certification.

Responsibilities

Lead WSP’s North Carolina team of land use, transit/transportation, and environmental planners.
Provide profit-and-loss leadership for projects, pursuits, and staff, managing performance against key indicators.
Set strategic direction for the planning discipline and ensure technically proficient, high-quality deliverables.
Contribute to and manage multidisciplinary teams delivering feasibility studies, alternatives analyses, site selection reports, NEPA documents, locally preferred alternative selections, comprehensive plan updates, climate action plans, and short- and long-range plans.
Lead complex transportation planning projects, coordinating contributors, budgets, schedules, hours, expenses, profitability, performance, subcontractors, contract work, and employees.
Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, policies, and regulatory requirements.
Support long-term strategy, growth, and pipeline development for transportation and environmental planning work in the assigned area.
Lead technical aspects of contract negotiations, presentations, and meetings.
Assist with annual updates to business tactical action plans.
Develop and continuously improve planning certifications, accreditations, and the discipline’s value proposition.
Conduct needs analyses and client value surveys; identify and address skill gaps or operational risks.
Schedule planning discipline meetings and provide updates and recommendations that support expertise and innovation in project work.
Represent and serve as 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 budget metrics.
Interpret and summarize data and documents to support sound planning and regulatory conclusions while minimizing impacts on communities, populations, local economies, and the environment.
Maintain and grow a transportation planning client base, identify business development opportunities, and cross-sell WSP capabilities.
Manage assigned staff and provide performance guidance and leadership.
Remain current on 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.
Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.