Senior Technical Director Property & Buildings

About the Role

WSP is seeking a Senior Technical Director to join the Property & Buildings team in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This full-time position requires an internationally experienced professional with a strong technical background in architecture, building structures, or building services. The role involves senior oversight of selected projects and client relationships, ensuring WSP's services are coordinated and responsive across its full Property & Buildings offering.

Client and Business Development Responsibilities

• Represent WSP's full Property & Buildings capabilities, including core design disciplines and specialist services, to assigned clients.
• Build trusted relationships with existing and prospective clients, such as developers, asset owners, government entities, architects, and project managers.
• Act as a senior adviser and point of escalation, ensuring coordinated responses across all relevant services.
• Maintain client confidence through clear communication, consistent engagement, and timely issue resolution.
• Lead selected prospects from early positioning and capture planning through proposal, client presentation, negotiation, and project mobilisation.
• Take an active role in work winning and shaping integrated solutions, including developing technical approaches, scopes, delivery strategies, and fee proposals.
• Represent WSP at client meetings, industry events, and professional forums to strengthen the company's profile and identify new opportunities.

Project Oversight and Technical Delivery

• Provide senior oversight of Property & Buildings services for selected projects and priority client engagements.
• Coordinate relevant discipline and specialist leads to ensure services are aligned with client objectives.
• Maintain oversight of project health, including client confidence, quality, multidisciplinary coordination, scope, programme, resources, commercial performance, and risk.
• Identify and mitigate technical, contractual, commercial, delivery, and relationship risks.
• Establish clear accountability across disciplines and draw on appropriate technical authorities.
• Lead and deliver selected complex or major projects within the successful candidate’s professional discipline.
• Take responsibility for the technical quality, coordination, scope, programme, resources, fee, and performance of the assigned discipline.
• Provide authoritative technical direction, lead key design reviews, and resolve complex discipline-specific and multidisciplinary interfaces.
• Maintain a direct client relationship throughout delivery, managing expectations, risks, opportunities, and technical decisions.

People and Capability Development

• Provide leadership for assigned employees and project teams, covering performance, workload, coaching, and career development.
• Encourage collaboration across Property & Buildings disciplines and specialist services.
• Support the development of Saudi national talent.
• Connect teams with WSP’s regional and global expertise to bring optimal capability to clients and projects.

Qualifications and Experience

• Western education in architecture, structural engineering, mechanical engineering, or electrical engineering.
• Approximately 20 years of relevant experience, with substantial experience in the design and delivery of major or complex Property & Buildings projects.
• Strong understanding of multidisciplinary building design and the ability to integrate different disciplines to meet client objectives.
• Proven client-facing experience, with the presence and judgment required to represent WSP, manage sensitive issues, and maintain client confidence.
• Demonstrated ability to develop senior client relationships, lead prospects, and actively contribute to work winning.
• Experience within a leading international or multidisciplinary consultancy, with exposure to projects and clients across various markets.
• Excellent professional English communication, presentation, negotiation, and influencing skills.
• GCC experience and an established regional client network are advantageous, with Saudi Arabian experience being particularly valuable.

Work Environment

This role is based in Riyadh, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and is a full-time position within WSP's Property & Buildings team. The successful candidate will operate within a global network of specialists, contributing to landmark projects.