Director: Technical Advisory (Highways and Transportation)

WSP is one of the most diverse consulting firms in Africa. To further our strategic business execution plan, we are seeking leaders that share our guiding principles - we value our people and our reputation; we are locally dedicated with international scale; we are future focused and challenge the status quo; we foster collaboration in everything we do and we have an empowering culture and hold ourselves accountable. We are committed to the achievement and maintenance of diversity and equity in employment.

Key Role

The Director: Technical Advisory - Highways and Transportation is a senior, billable technical leader who combines hands on delivery, independent technical judgement, and strategic advisory capability across WSP's highways and transportation portfolio in Africa.

The role requires active participation in project delivery, including technical leadership, Independent Engineer and advisory roles, governance reviews, and selected high risk or complex project appointments. The position supports the Sector Lead and Discipline Leads while maintaining a measurable billable utilisation target aligned to Director level expectations.

This role balances delivery, client confidence, governance, and mentorship, and is not limited to a purely managerial or oversight function.

1. Technical Delivery

• Actively perform billable technical advisory and delivery roles on selected highways and transportation projects.

Fulfil delivery roles such as:

• Technical Advisor and lead for PPP Projects
• Technical Director and or Contracts Engineer on major projects
• Peer reviewer for complex or high risk schemes
• Provide hands on technical input into:
  • Design reviews and technical reports
  • Procurement documentation and bid evaluations
  • Construction phase support and technical risk resolution
• Take professional responsibility for defined deliverables where required.
• Leading the development of portfolio strategies, business cases, process optimization frameworks, procurement strategies, risk management approaches and assurance frameworks.
• Integrate cross-functional and regional teams to deliver advisory services for our clients

2. Strategic & Technical Leadership

• Provide senior technical oversight and assurance on major projects across Africa.
• Act as a technical authority for National/provincial authorities, municipalities, concessions, and private sector clients.
• Guide Discipline Leads and Project Directors on technical strategy, delivery approach, and risk mitigation.
• Support development and execution of PPP, EPC, concession, and IE assignments.Support Discipline Leads and Project Directors on delivery strategy, technical risk, and governance.
• Support T&I EXCO on Strategy
• Take a leading role in WSP T&I I Africa leadership team in the growth of this sector and working with our global network of advisory professionals and partner firms
• Develop partnerships with third party vendors / partners to develop a flexible team providing solutions for client issues
• Engagement Management of project teams to deliver medium-large (or complex) client advisory engagements.

Manage business winning activities, including opportunity identification and proposal development.

3. Client, Market & Business Development

• Maintain and strengthen executive level client relationships.
• Support tender preparation, technical strategy, bid reviews, pricing input, and contract negotiations.
• Participate in client meetings, workshops, and steering committees in a delivery and advisory capacity.
• Represent WSP in industry bodies, committees, and strategic engagements.
• Maintaining and further developing relationships with a wide range of public and private sector clients and critical internal and external stakeholders.

4. Project, Contract & Commercial Governance

Support Project Directors and Managers with:

Technical and contractual risk identification

Claims assessment and dispute resolution support

• Delivery assurance and governance reviews
• Contribute to margin protection and financial performance through experienced technical judgement and early intervention.

5. People & Capability Development

• Mentor senior engineers, discipline leads, and project managers through project based coaching.
• Support professional registration development and succession planning.
• Promote a culture of delivery excellence, accountability, and sound engineering judgement

Health and Safety

• Role model standards for SHEQ performance and behaviour consistent with the company's health, safety, environmental and quality vision and policies by influencing those around you

Contributing to the identification of SHEQ risks and driving processes to achieve Zero Harm

Embracing, displaying and promoting the company values and ensuring a safe working environment is maintained at all times

• BSc / BEng / BTech in Civil Engineering or equivalent
• Professional registration with ECSA (PrEng or PrTechEng)
• 20+ years' experience in Highways and Transportation infrastructure
• SANRAL and public sector transport projects
• Large capital road and freeway schemes
• PPP / concession and Independent Engineer roles
• Construction support, contract management, and dispute resolution

Strong working knowledge of:

SANRAL standards and COTO

GCC and FIDIC contracts

Key Competencies and Generic Skills

• Senior technical delivery capability
• Billable advisory leadership
• Client and stakeholder confidence
• Commercial and contractual acumen
• Risk management and dispute resolution
• Governance and professional accountability
• Mentorship through delivery

What if we can have work life balance? What if we can be rewarded in ways that support our individual needs? What if we can be accepted for who we are? Here at WSP - we can! WSP recognizes that work is only one part of our lives and making time for the other things in our life is important - be that our families, our friends or ourselves. So, if working from home, working part time or having flexible start and finish time will help with this let us know as part of your application. As well as rewarding you with competitive pay, WSP offers standard benefits including first class medical cover, generous days annual leave, and paid professional subscriptions. Be you, be happy - we strive to have a friendly and inclusive culture which respects and maximizes the contribution individuals can bring to WSP. We recognize the benefits that people with varying backgrounds and experiences can bring. Here at WSP we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity. We will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria.