Principal or Senior Consultant / Engineer: Local Government Flood Risk Management and Sustainable Drainage

Join to apply for the Principal or Senior Consultant / Engineer: Local Government Flood Risk Management and Sustainable Drainage role at WSP.

What if you could do the kind of work the world needs? At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects, and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives, and shape a career as unique as you.

As part of the Sustainable Water Management business, you will support a national team of 300 water science and engineering professionals. Your work will involve a wide range of flood risk management projects for local authoritiy clients, including investigations, strategy development, and delivery of sustainable drainage master‑planning.

A Little More About Your Role…

We are looking for passionate professionals who have strong experience working with Lead Local Flood Authorities and a competent understanding of key legislation and policies such as the Flood and Water Management Act, The Land Drainage Act and the National Planning Policy Framework. With preferred strengths in flood risk management and sustainable drainage you will ideally also have familiarity with other water environment disciplines to aid delivery of complex projects for a range of clients.

The appointment will be at Senior or Principal grade, depending on experience. We can be flexible on location within the UK and offer a true hybrid work arrangement. Your role will include technical review, mentoring, project oversight and client engagement.

Responsibilities will include:

• Significantly contributing to delivery of good quality technical deliverables to clients, often as a technical reviewer.
• Supporting and mentoring junior colleagues, overseeing small project teams.
• Managing workload and project delivery with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrating positive H&S behaviours and championing this within the team.
• Contributing to the planning of tasks/projects, providing input to programme, budget and quality requirements.
• Engaging positively and professionally with clients and developing a trusted advisor role as you grow a network of client contacts, supported by more senior colleagues.
• Contributing to securing small projects and extensions to existing projects.
• Developing solutions that address client issues, challenges and needs in collaboration with project or team leaders.

Skills / Experience

• Experience working in flood risk management with local authorities or a combination of public and private sector flood risk management experience.
• Demonstrable experience of understanding budgets and leading delivery of projects or technical outputs related to flood risk management or sustainable drainage.
• Understanding of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, the Land Drainage Act, the Planning Practice Guidance: Flood Risk and Coastal Change and its application for management of flood risk for Local Authorities in the UK. Desirable wider knowledge of the regulatory context for planning in the UK.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; experience in supporting and/or mentoring more junior colleagues whilst successfully liaising with more senior colleagues.
• Knowledge and understanding of surface water drainage modelling and Sustainable Drainage Systems.
• Experience in preparing Local Flood Risk Management Strategies and Strategic Flood Risk Assessments.
• Demonstrable experience in technical report writing and checking.
• Confidence in presenting and leading meetings with team members and clients.

Qualifications

• A degree in a relevant environmental, geographical, science or engineering discipline is essential.
• Chartered status with C.WEM, CEnv, CSci or CEng is desired for Principal or evidence of working towards chartership for Senior.

Don’t quite meet all the criteria? Apply, and we can see how your experience aligns to this role and other opportunities within the team.

Here at WSP we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity. As a Disability Confident leader, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria, please let us know if you require any workplace adjustments in support of your application.