Midwest Surface Water Practice Lead
WSP · Chicago, Illinois, United States
WSP has an exciting career opportunity for a Midwest Surface Water Practice Lead to help lead, grow, and strengthen our Surface Water practice across the Midwest Region.
This is a leadership position for an individual who combines strong technical expertise in surface water and water resources with a passion for developing people, building client relationships, and growing a high-performing regional practice. The Practice Lead will work closely with the Midwest Water leadership team, other Regional Practice Leads, technical leaders, project managers, and national experts to connect our people and capabilities across offices and markets. The successful candidate will play a key role in advancing WSP's Surface Water practice by developing staff, strengthening technical capabilities, supporting utilization and work sharing, and driving strategic business development within the practice.
Our Midwest Surface Water practice supports a diverse portfolio of work including municipal stormwater, flood risk management, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, FEMA programs, transportation drainage, open channel hydraulics, and related water resources planning and design. The broader Midwest Water organization also maintains capabilities in dams and levees and alternative delivery, creating opportunities to bring multidisciplinary teams together for complex client needs.
We are looking for a collaborative leader who can build on our existing strengths while helping shape the next generation of our Surface Water practice across the Midwest.
Your Impact
- Lead and grow the Midwest Surface Water practice, working with regional and national Water leadership to establish priorities, strengthen capabilities, and position the practice for sustainable growth.
- Develop and mentor our people, including supporting career development, technical growth, mentoring, succession planning, recruitment, and retention of surface water professionals.
- Drive technical excellence across the practice by connecting technical experts, advancing consistent approaches and quality, mentoring developing professionals, and supporting complex or high-profile projects.
- Promote work sharing and collaboration across Midwest offices, other WSP regions, and national Communities of Practice to connect available talent with project needs and provide meaningful development opportunities for staff.
- Support utilization and staffing across the practice, proactively balancing workloads, identifying upcoming needs and available capacity, and coordinating staffing with project and operational leadership.
- Support strategic business development within Surface Water, working with Midwest Water leadership and client account teams to develop growth strategies, strengthen client relationships, identify pursuits, and increase WSP's position in priority markets.
- Build and expand client relationships with municipal, state, federal, transportation, and other public-sector clients, while identifying opportunities to broaden WSP's services with existing clients.
- Support growth across key Surface Water capabilities including municipal stormwater, flood risk management, open channel hydraulics, FEMA programs, transportation drainage, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, and related water resources planning and design.
- Serve as a senior technical leader, project manager, program manager, or strategic advisor on select projects involving flood risk management, stormwater and drainage, hydrologic and hydraulic analysis, and related surface water infrastructure.
- Lead and support technical planning, modeling, analysis, design, and construction support for projects involving stormwater systems, culverts, channels, detention and retention facilities, erosion control, and hydraulic structures.
- Provide senior-level oversight and technical review to help ensure quality, consistency, and successful delivery of Surface Water projects.
- Recruit and help build the Surface Water team, identifying strategic hiring needs and participating in recruitment of professionals who strengthen priority capabilities and markets.
- Collaborate with Midwest Water leadership on practice performance, staffing, backlog, utilization, project needs, and business development priorities.
- Actively participate in WSP's regional and national technical networks and Communities of Practice, bringing national expertise and resources to Midwest clients and creating opportunities for Midwest staff to contribute to projects across WSP.
- Represent WSP with clients, professional organizations, industry partners, and at conferences and technical events to strengthen the firm's visibility and position in the Surface Water market.
Who You Are
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Water Resources Engineering, or a closely related field. Master's degree preferred.
- Professional Engineer (PE) licensure required, with the ability to obtain licensure through reciprocity in applicable Midwest states.
- 20+ years of progressive experience in surface water, hydrology and hydraulics, stormwater management, flood risk management, drainage design, or related water resources disciplines.
- Demonstrated experience leading and developing technical professionals and multidisciplinary project teams.
- Strong technical knowledge of hydrologic and hydraulic analysis and the ability to provide senior-level technical review, mentoring, and guidance.
- Experience with industry-standard hydrologic and hydraulic modeling platforms such as HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS/HEC-RAS 2D, FLO-2D, SWMM or comparable tools, as applicable to the candidate's area of expertise.
- Experience with GIS and its application to water resources planning, modeling, analysis, and project delivery.
- Proven ability to develop client relationships, identify business opportunities, support pursuits, and contribute to the growth of a water resources or surface water practice.
- Demonstrated project and/or program management experience on complex water resources projects.
- Strong leadership and interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to collaborate across offices, disciplines, business lines, and geographic boundaries.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex technical concepts effectively to clients, stakeholders, and multidisciplinary teams.
- Familiarity with relevant federal, state, and local stormwater, floodplain, and water resources programs and regulations. Experience with FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program and Risk MAP program is beneficial.
- Ability and willingness to travel periodically throughout the Midwest and elsewhere in support of clients, projects, staff, and business development activities.
- Must pass background check and maintain a satisfactory driving record in accordance with WSP's driving policy.
Preferred Qualifications
- Established relationships with municipal, state, federal, transportation, or other Surface Water clients within the Midwest.
- Demonstrated success growing a water resources practice, client portfolio, technical capability, or geographic market.
- Experience leading geographically distributed teams and sharing resources across offices or regions.
- Experience developing emerging technical leaders and creating career pathways for water resources professionals.
- Active participation and leadership in professional organizations related to stormwater, floodplain management, water resources, transportation drainage, or related disciplines.
- Experience supporting major programs, multidisciplinary infrastructure projects, or alternative delivery project.
WSP Benefits:
WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on a providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement s