Technical Director, Geotechnical Engineering

Technical Director, Geotechnical Engineering Join to apply for the Technical Director, Geotechnical Engineering role at WSP in Canada. The Opportunity As a Technical Director – Geotechnical Engineering, you will serve as a senior leader and subject matter expert, responsible for shaping the strategic direction of WSP’s geotechnical services across Ontario and beyond. This role is ideal for a seasoned professional with deep technical expertise, strong leadership capabilities, and a track record of delivering complex, high‑impact projects. You will lead multidisciplinary project teams, advise executive leadership, and represent WSP externally in client engagements, industry forums, and strategic partnerships. Responsibilities Strategic & Technical Leadership Provide strategic leadership and technical oversight for geotechnical investigations, foundation design, slope stability, and ground improvement projects. Lead the development and implementation of geotechnical methodologies, standards, and innovation initiatives. Serve as a trusted advisor to clients, internal stakeholders, and executive leadership on geotechnical matters. Oversee project delivery, ensuring quality, compliance, and profitability across a portfolio of high‑impact projects. Mentor technical staff and contribute to talent development and succession planning. Represent WSP in industry associations, technical committees, and client engagements. Drive thought leadership in geotechnical engineering, contributing to publications, conferences, and strategic initiatives. Seller/Doer & Business Growth Act as a “seller/doer” by actively engaging in business development activities while leading project execution. Play a key role in driving business growth through client relationship management, opportunity identification, and strategic proposal development. Work collaboratively to drive growth by supporting business development activities and key pursuits. Increase the visibility of WSP by sharing knowledge and innovation at key client engagements. Actively participate in the Go/No Go review process, contribute to win strategies, and ensure successful project execution through hands‑on involvement in key pursuits, client management, and project management. Lead growth by developing and leading the business development, key pursuit, and sales strategy, holding team members accountable to expand reach and client base. Partner with other leadership to drive collaboration on pursuits across geographies and business lines. Responsible for ensuring the opportunity pipeline is maintained, including opportunity forecasting. Project & People Management Proactively identify opportunities to reinforce and further develop WSP’s high‑performance culture with a focus on talent, quality, innovation, productivity, excellence, and business performance in pursuits. Inspire, motivate, and hold the team accountable for the delivery of innovative design solutions throughout the pursuit and project stages. Build strong partnerships with business leaders in other WSP sectors to foster collaboration, grow new expertise, increase work share opportunities, and drive growth. Oversee risk management related to projects and pursuits, including review of contracts, fees, and proposals on large pursuits. Collaborate with the team in developing, attracting, engaging, and retaining top talent while supporting the overall talent management lifecycle. Establish employee connectedness to leadership by interfacing frequently with employees and participating in meetings to communicate the vision, business strategy, and progress against action plans. Qualifications Education – Bachelor’s degree in Geotechnical or Geological Engineering; Master’s or PhD preferred. Professional degree and registration preferred in your field of practice, as applicable. Professional Designation – Registered Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in Ontario. Experience – Minimum 20–25 years of progressive experience in geotechnical engineering, including 10+ years in senior leadership or technical director roles. Minimum 15 years of experience within the earth and environment sector in Ontario and Atlantic Canada markets, including 10 years of direct involvement in or managing pursuits/proposals for engineering design and/or construction services. Technical Expertise Advanced knowledge of geotechnical investigation, foundation systems, slope stability, and geohazard assessment. Experience with offshore and nearshore geotechnical projects, pipeline routing, and complex ground modelling. Proficiency in geotechnical software, GIS systems, and data management platforms. Leadership & Strategic Impact Demonstrated leadership on key projects and experience with delivering project excellence. Strong seller‑doer capable of generating work, creating long‑term relationships, and delivering long‑term value to clients for WSP. Highly collaborative and driven to form internal partnerships. Knowledge of market assessment techniques, insights, and contacts. Entrepreneurial orientation with a strong understanding of the business development challenges of a consulting services provider. Proven ability to lead large multidisciplinary teams and manage complex project portfolios. Strategic thinker with experience in business development, client relationship management, and operational oversight. Demonstrated ability to influence organisational strategy and drive innovation. Communication – Exceptional interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills. Professional Associations – Active membership in relevant industry bodies. Additional Experience – Experience with responding to Requests for Proposals, Expressions of Interest, and Statements of Qualifications. Why Choose WSP? A Canadian success story – we’re proud to wear the red and white of this beautiful country and show the world what Canada has to offer. Enhance the world around you – from the environment to the highways, to the buildings and the terrain, WSP is the fabric of Canada. Outstanding career opportunities – we’re growing and pushing ourselves every day to be greater than yesterday – we’re open to your ideas and trying new things. A phenomenal collaborative culture. Come find out for yourself what it’s like to be a part of our journey. We offer attractive pay, flexible work options, comprehensive and employee‑focused benefits including virtual healthcare and a wellness platform as well as great savings programs, and a clear vision for the future. About Us WSP is one of the world’s leading professional services firms. Our purpose is to future‑prove our cities and environments. We have over 65,000 team members across the globe. In Canada, our 12,000+ people are involved in everything from environmental remediation to urban planning, from engineering iconic buildings to designing sustainable transportation networks, from finding new ways to extract essential resources to developing renewable power sources for the future. WSP Values 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. We have an empowering culture and hold ourselves accountable. Important Notes Health and Safety is a core paramount value of WSP. Given the importance of keeping one another safe it is expected that you comply with our Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) policy at all times as well as client HSE policies when working at client locations. Offers of employment for safety‑sensitive positions involving fieldwork are contingent upon candidates being able to perform key physical tasks of the job as described in the job posting and interview. This may include the ability to work in a variety of environmental conditions, such as remote or isolated areas, working alone, and in inclement weather (within safe and reasonable limits). WSP welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. WSP is committed to the principles of employment equity. Only the candidates selected will be contacted. WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from agencies. For more information please read the full policy. Remember to apply online; the link will expire if you do not submit within 48 hours. #J-18808-Ljbffr