Technical Director - Water

Role Overview

Technical Director - Water at WSP Middle East, based in Saudi Arabia, providing technical leadership, strategic direction, and project delivery excellence across the Water business throughout the GCC and wider Middle East region.

Company Overview

WSP is a leading water consultancy operating across the Middle East, delivering a diverse portfolio of water infrastructure projects and serving clients throughout the region.

Role Purpose

To drive technical excellence, project performance, innovation, and business growth across WSP's Water practice in the Middle East. You will lead multidisciplinary teams delivering major water infrastructure schemes, serve as a trusted advisor to clients, mentor technical teams, support strategic pursuits, and elevate WSP's market position as a leading water consultancy throughout the region.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Excellence

• Act as Technical Authority and subject matter expert across water infrastructure disciplines.
• Provide strategic technical leadership for major water, wastewater, stormwater, irrigation, hydrology, and water resources projects.
• Lead technical reviews, assurance processes, and governance activities across project portfolios.
• Ensure designs comply with international best practice and local authority requirements throughout the Middle East.
• Champion innovation, sustainability, digital engineering, and resilient water infrastructure solutions.
• Drive adoption of emerging technologies, modelling tools, and best practice methodologies.

Project Delivery Leadership

• Oversee successful delivery of complex multidisciplinary water projects from inception through detailed design and construction support.
• Provide technical oversight across planning, feasibility, concept, preliminary, and detailed design stages.
• Monitor project performance with respect to scope, programme, quality, risk, and profitability.
• Support project directors and design managers in resolving complex technical challenges.
• Lead technical risk assessments and ensure robust mitigation strategies are implemented.
• Promote consistency, quality, and efficiency across all project deliverables.

Client & Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain strong relationships with utilities, government authorities, developers, municipalities, and strategic clients.
• Serve as senior client-facing representative for WSP across major commissions.
• Lead technical workshops, client presentations, and strategic advisory engagements.
• Support authority engagement and approval strategies across jurisdictions.
• Identify opportunities to expand client relationships and secure repeat business.

Business Development & Market Growth

• Contribute to growth strategy of the Water business across the Middle East.
• Identify emerging market opportunities and support development of new service offerings.
• Lead or support major bids, technical proposals, and strategic pursuits.
• Develop strong networks across regional water authorities, developers, and infrastructure clients.
• Enhance WSP's brand and reputation through industry engagement, conferences, and thought leadership initiatives.

People Leadership & Capability Development

• Mentor, coach, and develop engineers and technical specialists across the Water practice.
• Build and strengthen technical capability across all levels of the business.
• Support recruitment and workforce planning initiatives.
• Foster culture of collaboration, technical excellence, innovation, and inclusion.
• Identify future technical leaders and support succession planning across the region.

Sustainability & Innovation

• Promote sustainable water management principles across all project activities.
• Advocate for climate-resilient design, circular economy principles, water reuse, and resource efficiency.
• Support delivery of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) and integrated water management solutions.
• Contribute to WSP's sustainability commitments and regional environmental objectives.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Water Engineering, or related discipline.
• Master's degree preferred.
• Chartered Engineer (CEng), PE, PMP, or equivalent professional accreditation.
• Typically 15-20+ years of experience within water infrastructure consultancy.
• Extensive experience delivering major water projects in Saudi Arabia and wider Middle East.
• Proven expertise in one or more of the following: Potable Water Networks, Wastewater Collection Systems, Wastewater Treatment, Stormwater Management, Irrigation Systems, Hydrology & Hydraulic Modelling, Flood Risk Management, Water Resources Planning, Integrated Infrastructure Design.
• Strong understanding of GCC authority requirements and design standards.

Skills & Competencies

• Technical authority and subject matter expertise across water infrastructure disciplines.
• Demonstrated success managing large multidisciplinary project teams.
• Proven business development and client relationship management capabilities.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and leadership skills.
• Knowledge of emerging technologies, modelling tools, and best practice methodologies.
• Capability in technical risk assessment and mitigation strategy development.