Project Director

Role Overview

Project Director at WSP in the Middle East. The role leads the delivery of major and complex projects and programmes, providing strategic direction to multidisciplinary design teams from project inception through to completion.

Company Overview

WSP is a global consultancy with more than 69,000 employees working across landmark projects and communities worldwide.

Role Purpose

The Project Director is accountable for design quality, project performance, commercial success, governance, stakeholder management, and overall delivery outcomes. The role requires strong leadership of integrated teams across buildings, specialist disciplines, infrastructure and master planning interfaces, ensuring coordinated, high-quality design solutions that meet client aspirations and business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Project & Programme Leadership

• Lead the successful delivery of major and complex projects and programmes within a multidisciplinary design consultancy environment.
• Assume overall accountability for project performance, including scope, programme, budget, quality, risk, and client satisfaction.
• Establish project delivery strategies, governance structures, and execution plans to achieve successful project outcomes.
• Drive effective project planning, design management, risk management, and delivery performance.

Design & Technical Excellence

• Provide strategic leadership to multidisciplinary design teams, ensuring effective integration across all technical disciplines.
• Champion design excellence, technical quality, innovation, and compliance throughout the project lifecycle.
• Ensure projects are delivered in accordance with contractual obligations, regulatory requirements, quality standards, and corporate governance procedures.

Stakeholder & Client Management

• Act as the senior client interface and trusted advisor, providing strategic guidance and leadership throughout project delivery.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, stakeholders, authorities, and delivery partners.
• Lead the management of complex project interfaces, including those with infrastructure, transport, utilities, master planning, and external stakeholders where applicable.

Business Development & Growth

• Support business development activities, including proposals, client presentations, key pursuits, and account development initiatives.
• Identify opportunities for repeat work, cross-selling, and project growth within existing client accounts.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop project managers, design managers, and multidisciplinary project teams.
• Foster a high-performance culture that promotes collaboration, accountability, continuous improvement, and technical excellence.
• Drive employee engagement, talent development, succession planning, and retention within project teams.
• Ensure projects are appropriately resourced and that teams have the capability and capacity required to deliver successfully.
• Promote a positive, inclusive, and safe working environment that supports employee wellbeing and professional growth.

Health, Safety & Wellbeing

• Champion health, safety, and wellbeing across all projects and teams.

Commercial & Financial Management

• Maintain accountability for project financial performance, including revenue, profitability, cash flow, forecasting, and resource utilisation.
• Lead project commercial reviews and take proactive action to improve project performance and manage commercial risk.
• Support the development of commercially aware and financially accountable project teams.

Governance & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure effective implementation of project controls, reporting, governance, and performance monitoring processes.
• Drive lessons learned and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance project delivery, client satisfaction, and business performance.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Architecture, Project Management, Construction Management, or a related discipline.
• Chartered status or equivalent professional accreditation preferred.
• 15–20 years of experience within a leading design practice.
• Proven track record of leading complex projects and programmes with significant commercial responsibility.
• Strong experience managing multidisciplinary teams and overseeing large-scale project delivery.
• Demonstrated success in client relationship management and business development.
• Experience operating in client-facing leadership roles within complex project environments.
• Proven ability to drive operational excellence, governance, and project delivery performance.
• Experience in the Middle East region is advantageous.

Skills & Competencies

• Project and Programme Leadership
• Design Leadership
• Strategic Planning and Execution
• Executive Stakeholder Management
• Client Relationship Management
• Business Development and Market Growth
• Commercial and Financial Management
• Governance and Risk Management
• Change Management and Transformation
• Contract Management
• Operational Excellence
• Team Leadership and Talent Development
• Resource and Capacity Planning
• Decision Making and Accountability
• Negotiation and Influencing Skills
• Communication and Executive Presentation Skills
• Quality Assurance and Compliance
• Health, Safety and Wellbeing Leadership
• Strong commercial acumen with experience managing budgets, profitability, forecasting, and financial performance.
• Excellent leadership, communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.