DescriptionWe are seeking an established leader to join our team as Head of Sustainability Advisory to lead and expand our India based team responsible for delivering comprehensive policy, sustainability, circular economy, sustainable finance, ESG, decarbonisation, climate adaptation and resilience consultancy and advisory services for both private and public sector clients across WSPs global portfolio. In this pivotal role, you will take full responsibility for the strategic direction, operational efficiency, and growth of the Sustainability Advisory unit. You will act as the primary interface with senior stakeholders, ensuring that project outcomes align with both client and organizational objectives while fostering a high-performing, collaborative environment.
The ideal candidate will bring a strong understanding of the UK and international advisory market, with deep expertise in one or more of the core service areas and experience building and leading teams across diverse service capabilities. You will report to UK iCRC, playing a key role in shaping and implementing the unit’s vision.
The ideal candidate will also have a proven track record of successfully leading complex advisory projects and teams, a strong vision and enthusiasm for driving the growth across adjacent advisory services in alignment with the organization’s strategic objectives.
ResponsibilitiesStrategic Leadership & Development:
• Lead, mentor, and inspire a multidisciplinary team specializing sustainability and sustainable finance related advisory areas.
• Set and drive the strategic goals of the unit, aligning with broader organizational objectives.
• Provide vision and direction for resource management, succession planning, and staff development to build a resilient and agile team capable of addressing future needs.
• Establish and maintain an environment of collaboration, accountability, and high performance.
• Through story telling and sharing success, derive and direct activities to increase the proportion of effort delivered from GCC to >20%, including across our recently acquired businesses.
• Act as a thought leader in advisory services and build thought leadership capability within our technical advisory areas.
Project Oversight & Delivery:
• Oversee planning and delivery of projects from initial concept through to completion, ensuring adherence to time, quality, and budgetary standards.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to set project parameters and objectives, maintaining a strong client focus.
• Review and optimize workflows, driving efficiencies and ensuring best practices in project management are upheld
• Ensure accountability within project delivery, optimizing resources and budgets to meet or exceed financial and or delivery targets.
• Through alignment of stakeholders and behaviours address and remove barriers and systemic issues associated with deployment of our India based team.
QualificationsKey Competencies / Skills / Qualifications
Technical & Subject Matter Expertise:
• Act as a thought leader in planning, road design, and infrastructure, with the ability to provide high-level technical oversight and direction.
• Leverage technical expertise and maintain up-to-date knowledge of industry standards, legislation and emerging trends in areas of policy, sustainability, circular economy, sustainable finance, ESG, decarbonisation, climate adaptation and resilience to support and guide the team.
• Leverage the technical expertise and knowledge of others to create world leading outcomes for our clients. Ideally including a professional network and sufficient industry standing to attract new technical expertise to WSP.
Stakeholder Engagement:
• Serve as the senior point of contact for clients and stakeholders, translating complex planning and infrastructure insights into actionable recommendations.
• Present strategic updates, project progress, and analytical insights to senior leadership, the UK team, and other stakeholders.
• Foster alignment of unit objectives with organizational goals and key performance indicators, contributing to broader business development efforts.
Technical Skills:
• In-depth knowledge of environmental, sustainability or investment advisory services, with detailed knowledge of delivery of projects in UK and international markets.
• Strong understanding of regulatory frameworks, standards, and best practices within the UK advisory sector.
Leadership & Soft Skills:
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing multidisciplinary teams, with a focus on strategic growth and cross-team collaboration.
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex concepts to diverse audiences.
• Strong decision-making, problem-solving, and organizational abilities.
• Proficiency in managing budgets, project timelines, and resource allocation.
Qualifications
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in an a related advisory subject, or a related field.
• Chartered Membership or similar, from an accredited institution will be an advantage.
• 15+ years of experience in provision of advisory services to the UK consultancy market.
• Proven track record of successfully leading large, complex projects and teams, particularly in a planning and development consulting capacity.
• Strong vision and enthusiasm for driving the growth and impact of the team in alignment with the organization’s strategic objectives.
BGV:
• Employment with WSP India is subject to the successful completion of a background verification (“BGV”) check conducted by a third-party agency appointed by WSP India.
• Candidates are advised to ensure that all information provided during the recruitment process — including documents uploaded — is accurate and complete, both to WSP India and its BGV partner”.
