Sustainable Certification Team Lead

Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom

12/12/2024

Job Description

WSP is one of the world's leading professional services consulting firms dedicated to delivering projects that meet the urgent environmental and social challenges of the 21st century. With an international team of experts in all aspects of environment and sustainability, we provide a vast range of skills in affecting game changing solutions across every sector. And with access to a wider team of engineers, technicians, scientists, architects, planners, and surveyors, as well as other design, program and construction management professionals we bring a truly multi-disciplinary integrated service.

THE TEAM

Our Sustainability and Safety Advisory Discipline is a team of integrated specialists across the fields of Environmental management, Health, Safety, Social and Sustainability management. We have specialists to deliver integrated and multi-service advisory support to our clients and across almost all sectors, from energy, water, industry and local government through transport, commercial property, financiers and investment, through to aviation, we have a very broad experience and in-demand services that create genuine impact.

We work on a variety of project sizes, from small commissions of several days (e.g. fast response due diligence), through to advising on the development of mega-projects (e.g. HS2, Rogan Hydro Power Plant) or the delivery of very long term and high impact programmes (e.g. the Global Airport Carbon Accreditation Programme).

Sustainability and Safety Advisory (S&SA) comprises three service lines; i) Sustainability and Climate Change (S&CC), ii) Responsible Production and Consumption, Policy and Permitting and iii) Health and Safety. The discipline has a very broad capability and seeks to join up across our discipline as frequently as possible to deliver on our clients integrated demands.

The Sustainable Certification team is one of eight teams within the S&CC service level, together with Corporate ESG and Climate Change, Carbon/Net Zero, Lenders and Investors ESG, Environmental Due Diligence, Microclimate, 360 Energy and Industrial Decarbonisation.

Overall, our S&SA Discipline exists to help our clients manage their risks, and identify and implement impactful programmes which deliver positive and sustainable change.

THE ROLE

The appointed Sustainable Certification Team Lead will be a member of the senior leadership team of S&CC (circa 130 people). This will be a role with a specific responsibility for the growth and development of the Sustainable Certification services with a substantial contribution to the growth of wider sustainability services in the built environment in collaboration with other team leads across the service line. This position will also have team lead accountability for strategic growth, client care, project delivery, technical excellence and operational delivery.

Responsibilities

• Team Growth - Develop and implement a robust Sustainable Certification growth strategy in collaboration with other team leads to identify areas where offerings can be leveraged affecting market growth, or services and tools integrated to business advantage across the built environment.
• Team Ethos - Develop and instil a culture of inclusivity, collaboration, commitment and pride, with the aim of fostering a team that people want to join and then remain and progress through, while achieving all that they are capable of. Actively champion and role model diversity within the workplace and drive an inclusive environment where colleagues collaborate and thrive based on personal and collective contributions.
• Leadership - Actively demonstrate leadership in safety, health and wellbeing, with a commitment to a zero-harm culture.
• Budget responsibility – Accountable for the performance of the team against agreed budgets and targets set at service line level including profitability.
• Client relationship management and business development – ensure a client centred culture within the team and personally lead critical client and partner relationships, and support business development activities for the team through participation in internal and external market profile raising activities and functions, and through involvement with strategic clients.
• Technical quality and innovation – Instil a culture of technical excellence and innovation promoting the importance of quality, sustainability, technical excellence, innovation and best practice solutions.
  
  

Candidate Profile And Experiences

The successful candidate will be an existing or aspiring business leader with a demonstrably accomplished career to date within a multi-disciplinary client centric environment. You will be comfortable with leading from the front and be recognised by clients as an expert in their chosen field. The business has a diverse service offering so the individual also needs to have a growing breadth of understanding across other core discipline services and wider WSP services and have a detailed knowledge of Sustainable Certification services offered by WSP.

KEY COMPETENCIES AND ATTRIBUTES

• Leadership – experienced leader in their field with a positive internal and external market profile and someone that drives an innovative and trusted culture. Demonstrates the desire to constantly improve, motivate and encourage others, leads and implements change programmes, inspires colleagues and drives an innovative and supportive culture.
• Operational Performance – oversight of the operational performance for the Sustainable Certification team, including the combination of workload pipeline development and tracking, project UK and iCRC team resourcing, net revenue delivery, in addition to, WIP and Debt (Working capital) management.
• Strategic thinking and direction – forward thinking, capable of visualising and planning for the longer term. Designs, communicates, engages and drives initiatives and strategies.
• Technical skills – High level of experience and technical knowledge in their team with broad, developing knowledge of others.
• Communication – Sharing knowledge, intelligence and inspiration. Demonstrates an ability to communicate effectively, to support and coach others, and to motivate through passion and empathy. Actively champions sharing knowledge, ideas and intelligence.
• Persuasive – Influential and persuasive internally and externally but encourages open dialogue and feedback.
• Innovation – challenges the status quo, encourages, research and the development of new techniques, is well informed about current developments in their own area of expertise, and is alert to opportunity in service and product.
• Team building – works collaboratively and consultatively, leads, develops and participates in a culture of team working. Has a track record of building high performing teams.
• Relationship building – able to establish, build, sustain and share strong, professional relationships with relevant groups both inside and outside the organisation. Understands and manages expectations and ensures that these are then exceeded.
• Externally facing – external market profile, recognised within their profession by co-professionals and clients.
• Problem Solving – able to reason logically and apply a systematic process to finding solutions, proactive in responding to problems, able to apply sound logic in situations of ambiguity and problem solving methodologies across a range of circumstances.
• Developing people – has a passion for developing the full potential of others with good coaching skills. Understands and respects diversity and difference using this for the advantage of both the individual and the business.
  
  

Experience

The successful candidate will have:

• Manages project teams of significant size;
• Extensive experience in successfully delivering Sustainable Certification and wider sustainability projects in the built or natural environment; and
• Extensive experience of budgeting and profitability on projects to meet team net revenue and EBITDA targets.
  
  

Qualifications

• Educated to degree standard, MBA or similar post degree qualification an advantage. Exceptional candidates without a degree will be considered, if they can demonstrate equivalent professional qualifications (e.g. Chartered Status);
• Full membership of a relevant professional body;
• Continued their professional development, through participation in relevant organisations, conferences, events and self-study (formal institutional CPD evidence is not required as this varies significantly between professions).
  
  

About Us

We are WSP - Join us and make your career future ready!

In today’s world it’s important to work for a company that has clear purpose, giving back to communities and supporting what is truly important in the world.

When considering a career move its vital to work for a business that is aligned to your values and goals, a place where you can belong.

To find out more about our business click on the following link and discover what awaits you at WSP: Who We Are | WSP

What’s In It For You

Work-life balance?

WSP recognises that work is only one part of your life and making time for other things is important – whether that’s for your families, friends, or yourself.

Our hybrid working policy allows the flexibility to work from the comfort of your own home as well as collaborating in our contemporary offices across the UK.

Inclusivity & Diversity?

We want our people to achieve rewarding careers, bringing their whole selves to work. We celebrate integrity and treat people with respect, supporting each other and embracing diversity to create a culture of inclusion and belonging at WSP.

Our employee resource groups VIBE (LGBTQ+ employees), CREED (Championing Racial Equality and Ethnic Diversity) and our Gender Balance Group, in tandem with WSP’s Neurodiverse Community Group, WSP Connect Group (visible and non-visible disabilities) help us promote the right environment for you to reach your full potential.

Health & Wellbeing?

We are committed to supporting our people, giving you the tools to make improvements to your health and wellbeing through our Thrive programme.

Med24 gives you and your family unrestricted telephone access to an NHS doctor where you can call day or night or have a face-to-face video consultation.

Flex your time?

For improved work life balance, WSP offers the “WSP Hour” which enables you to take one hour per day to do as you wish and make up the time earlier or later that day. We also offer part time and flexible working arrangements plus the option to flex your bank holiday entitlement to suit you.

Your development?

We appreciate that development and training is important to you and that’s why we have a supportive environment that invests in your development, whether that’s chartership, training or mentoring.

APPLY NOW AND BE THE FUTURE OF WSP!

#WeAreWSP

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.

Please note WSP reserves the right to close the vacancy before the advertised closing date.