Associate Airfield Pavement

About WSP in the Middle East

WSP in the Middle East is a leading professional services consulting firm. The company is committed to delivering major infrastructure projects across the region, contributing to significant developments in aviation and other sectors.

The Opportunity: Associate Airfield Pavement

WSP in the Middle East is seeking an Associate Airfield Pavement professional to join its airport design team. This full-time position is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and focuses on supporting the delivery of major aviation infrastructure projects. The role requires 5-10 years of experience, with a strong emphasis on technical expertise in airport pavement engineering, including design principles, rehabilitation methodologies, material performance, and airfield operational requirements. Middle East experience is preferred due to the need to apply international standards, local authority requirements, and regional climatic considerations.

Core Responsibilities

• Undertake and contribute to the design of airport pavements for aviation infrastructure projects, including runways, taxiways, aprons, aircraft stands, shoulders, blast pads, and airside service roads.
• Deliver runway pavement rehabilitation designs, encompassing evaluation of existing pavement conditions, structural assessment, rehabilitation strategies, strengthening options, overlay design, reconstruction solutions, and staged implementation planning.
• Execute pavement engineering tasks such as pavement thickness design, flexible and rigid pavement design, overlay design, pavement condition evaluations, life-cycle assessment, and material selection/specification development.
• Develop engineering solutions for both new airfield pavements and existing pavement upgrades/rehabilitation projects.
• Contribute to the design of broader pavement works beyond runways, including landside roads, heavy-duty pavements, maintenance areas, access roads, and service infrastructure, as required.

Design Management and Technical Compliance

The Associate Airfield Pavement will coordinate with multidisciplinary teams, including airfield civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, drainage, utilities, structural engineering, and aviation planning. This involves ensuring pavement designs are integrated with wider airport systems, operational requirements, safety constraints, and construction staging strategies. The role also requires reviewing and validating pavement design inputs such as traffic loading, aircraft movement data, subgrade parameters, and material properties. A key aspect is applying relevant international and project-specific standards, ensuring designs comply with applicable aviation and infrastructure requirements, and adapting solutions to suit regional conditions, considering factors like high-temperature environments, material availability, and operational continuity. The position also supports the preparation of design reports, technical notes, specifications, and tender documentation.

Candidate Profile and Experience

• Proven experience (5-10 years) in airport pavement design on major aviation or airfield infrastructure projects.
• Experience working on airport or aviation infrastructure projects in the Middle East, preferably Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, or the wider GCC.
• Strong experience in runway pavement rehabilitation, including inspection, structural assessment, rehabilitation planning, and design of strengthening or reconstruction works.
• Demonstrated technical capability across airfield pavement systems, including runways, taxiways, aprons, and associated paved infrastructure.
• Experience in pavement engineering covering both new build and rehabilitation/upgrade projects.
• Familiarity with a range of pavement types, including flexible and rigid pavements.
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary design environments and manage interfaces across complex infrastructure projects.

Application Information

This is a full-time position based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Qualified candidates with the specified experience and technical background are encouraged to apply.