Principal – Development, Planning and Economics at WSP

Fortitude Valley, Queensland, Australia -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

23 Jun, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

25 Mar, 26

Experience

10 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Advisory, Leadership, Business Cases, Investment Assurance, Economic Appraisal, Strategic Planning, Policy, Project Delivery, Stakeholder Management, Technical Oversight, Mentoring, Thought Leadership, Commercial Acumen, Risk Management, Governance Frameworks, Client Workshops

Industry

Professional Services

Description

What if you could shape a career as unique as you? At WSP, you can always find opportunities to grow and do what matters to you. Make the most of our global reach to discover new challenges and chances to work with diverse, talented individuals who will help you expand your horizons. At WSP, we help governments and institutions shape places, economies and infrastructure that make a lasting difference. As one of the world’s leading professional services firms, we combine deep local insight with global expertise to solve complex problems and deliver better outcomes for communities. We are looking for a Principal – Development, Planning & Economics to play a senior leadership role in delivering high‑impact advisory work across infrastructure, land use, investment and policy. The opportunity In this role, you’ll act as a trusted advisor to public‑sector and institutional clients, leading complex advisory engagements that inform major investment and planning decisions. You’ll combine technical depth with commercial acumen—shaping business cases, investment assurance, economic appraisal and strategic planning studies—while helping grow and position WSP’s Development, Planning & Economics (DP&E) capability nationally. You’ll work collaboratively across WSP’s broader advisory, transport, property and infrastructure teams, bringing together multidisciplinary expertise to solve complex challenges. What you’ll be doing * Leading and delivering complex advisory studies, including: - Business cases and investment assurance (SOC/BCF, IA frameworks) - Economic appraisal and cost–benefit analysis - Multi‑criteria analysis and options assessment - Freight, land‑use and infrastructure strategy - Policy, precinct and network planning studies * Acting as a senior, trusted advisor to government agencies, statutory authorities and infrastructure owners * Shaping scopes, methodologies and governance frameworks to ensure robust, defensible, decision‑ready outputs * Leading client workshops, briefings and steering committee discussions with senior stakeholders * Managing end‑to‑end project delivery—scope, programme, budget, risk and quality * Contributing to pipeline growth, proposals and strategic pursuits * Providing senior technical oversight and peer review across team outputs * Mentoring and developing staff, fostering a collaborative and inclusive team culture * Building WSP’s profile through thought leadership and market engagement About you You’re a senior advisory professional with strong judgement, credibility and a track record of leading complex work in public‑sector and infrastructure environments. You enjoy solving ambiguous problems, working with decision‑makers, and helping shape better outcomes at scale. You’ll bring: * Typically 12+ years’ experience in economic, planning, infrastructure or strategic advisory roles * Demonstrated leadership of multidisciplinary advisory projects for government or institutional clients * Strong experience across business cases, investment assurance, economic appraisal and/or strategic planning * A solid understanding of Australian public‑sector governance, approvals and funding processes * Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including board‑ and executive‑level reporting * Commercial awareness and experience managing project financial performance * A collaborative mindset and commitment to mentoring and developing others Qualifications * Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Finance, Commerce or a related field (required) * Postgraduate qualification in economics, planning, public policy, transport, infrastructure or business (desirable) Why choose WSP? At WSP, you’ll be part of a team that: * Is locally dedicated with international scale * Tackles complex, future‑focused challenges * Values collaboration, integrity and technical excellence * Invests in your career through meaningful work, flexibility and development opportunities Imagine a better future for you and a better future for us all. Work on landmark projects around the world and embrace opportunities to make an even bigger impact in the communities you care about. What if you could do the best work of your life and create a legacy for yourself? We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive and be their authentic self. With us, you can. Apply today.

Responsibilities

This senior leadership role involves leading complex advisory engagements for public-sector and institutional clients, focusing on infrastructure, land use, investment, and policy decisions. Responsibilities include delivering studies like business cases, economic appraisals, and strategic planning, while also contributing to business growth and mentoring staff.