The Associate Director is a senior project delivery leadership position responsible for the design management, technical governance and successful delivery of MEP engineering services for Transport, Mission Critical and Property and Buildings projects across Australia.
The role provides leadership and management throughout the project lifecycle, including due diligence, feasibility, concept design, schematic design, detailed design, procurement, construction-phase services, integrated testing, commissioning and operational handover.
The position also contributes to internal technical governance and quality assurance, client relationship management, continuous improvement of WSP's design capability and collaboration nationally.
RESPONSIBILITIES General · Act as a senior representative of WSP in dealings with clients, project managers, architects, contractors, authorities, operators and other stakeholders.
· Provide clear, timely and commercially informed engineering advice.
· Understand WSP's appointment, contractual obligations, duty of care and limitations of scope.
· Coordinate Multidisciplinary inputs with structural, civil, geotechnical, ICT, security, controls, sustainability and commissioning teams.
· Work effectively within integrated local, interstate and international project teams.
· Prepare and review technical reports, design briefs, basis-of-design reports, options studies, specifications, drawings, schedules, calculations, tender documentation, technical submissions, review comments, minutes and presentations.
· Communicate complex technical matters in a concise form suitable for technical and non-technical stakeholders.
· Support Project Directors and Project Managers in establishing programmes, resource plans and deliverable schedules.
· Maintain appropriate records of design decisions, instructions, approvals, risks and changes.
· Promote collaborative, respectful and inclusive behaviours.
Design Management Leadership · Act as the Design Management Lead on nominated Property and Building's projects as required.
· Provide direction to engineers, designers, modellers and project teams including project teams in Manila · Lead design management workshops with clients, operators, contractors, vendors and other multidisciplinary design team members.
· Participate in model coordination, clash detection and constructability reviews.
· Ensure BIM and digital models accurately represent engineering intent and define appropriate information requirements.
· Develop or review functional descriptions/scopes, resource allocations, and project programmes · Seek new work opportunities within projects and secure new work · Ensure engineering deliverables are tracked and compliant in accordance with project scope, standards etc Codes, Standards and Regulatory Compliance · Ensure designs comply with applicable Australian legislation, the National Construction Code, state and territory requirements, electrical safety legislation, network service provider requirements, Australian Standards, relevant IEC/international standards, client standards and project requirements.
· Maintain working knowledge of standards associated with electrical installations, · Coordinate with building surveyors, certifiers, fire-safety engineers, authorities and utilities.
· Prepare or support design statements, engineering certifications and statutory submissions within the individual's competence and registration.




· Maintain safety-in-design registers and communicate residual risks.
Construction, Testing and Commissioning · Establish or review the electrical commissioning strategy and define commissioning requirements · Collaborate with the client, commissioning agent, contractors, vendors and operations personnel.
· Ensure reporting is undertaken identifying departures, incomplete work, defects, access concerns, coordination issues, safety concerns and recommended actions.
· Review commissioning plans, ITPs, FAT/SAT procedures, pre-functional checklists, functional and integrated test scripts, energisation plans, or other commissioning documentation.
· Attend coordination meetings, technical workshops and risk reviews.
· Review results, identify deviations, assist troubleshooting and ensure issues are tracked to closure.
· Support operational-readiness review, handover and post-occupancy or seasonal testing where included.
Internal Quality Assurance and Technical Governance · Prepare and implement project-specific design and verification plans and establish reviews based on complexity and risk.
· Maintain technical review registers, design-risk registers, departures registers and decision logs.
· Escalate significant technical, safety, contractual or programme risks to the Project Director.
· Assist in the development of standard templates, specifications, calculation tools, checklists, details, commissioning requirements, guidance notes and benchmark designs.
· Participate in audits, design reviews and lessons-learned workshops and implement corrective actions.
· Promote a culture in which technical concerns can be raised and resolved openly.
Staff Development and Training · Allocate work considering programme, competency, workload and development objectives.
· Set clear expectations for quality, accountability, communication and responsiveness.
· Review staff output and provide timely, constructive feedback.
· Encourage knowledge sharing through forums, project reviews and communities of practice.
· Manage workload responsibly and contribute to a psychologically secure workplace.
Business Development and Work Winning · Identify opportunities through client engagement, market intelligence and industry networks.
· Develop relationships with prospective clients and strategic partners, contractors, utilities, vendors and project managers.
· Assist with the development of scopes and delivery strategies for bids.
· Lead technical presentations, workshops and meetings.
· Represent WSP at industry forums and technical events.
DECISION-MAKING AUTHORITY Within delegated authority, the Associate Director may: · Assist with the coordination of discipline resources.
· Determine technical review and verification requirements.
· Approve discipline deliverables for issue where formally authorised.
· Represent WSP at client and project technical meetings.
· Recommend acceptance or rejection of technical submissions.
· Initiate technical risk escalation and recommend review.




· Assist PMs with the negotiation of technical scope and variations.
· Recommend design changes needed to protect safety, compliance, resilience or design intent.
The position does not authorise the individual to: · Commit WSP contractually beyond delegated authority.
· Approve unbudgeted expenditure beyond delegated limits.
· Certify work outside their competence or registration.
· Accept construction responsibility belonging to the contractor.
· Waive statutory or safety requirements.
· Approve departures from client requirements without appropriate authorisation.
QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION Essential · Bachelor's degree in Engineering · Chartered Professional Engineer status, or demonstrable progress toward an equivalent recognised credential.
· Eligibility for registration on the National Engineering Register.
· Appropriate professional engineering registration for jurisdictions in which services are performed eg RPEV · Substantial consulting engineering experience in building services, infrastructure, industrial or mission critical facilities.
· Demonstrated experience leading electrical design for large, complex and high-availability facilities.
Desirable · Engineers Australia Chartered status and NER registration.
· Registered Professional Engineer status in one or more Australian jurisdictions.
· Building industry endorsement or registration where relevant.
· Postgraduate qualifications in engineering, business, project management or a related discipline.
· Formal project-management or commissioning qualifications.
· Membership of relevant technical institutions or industry bodies.
EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS · Experience leading electrical packages on major multidisciplinary projects.
· Practical knowledge of Australian design, construction and regulatory practices.
· Experience under traditional, design-and-construct, novated, managing-contractor and early-contractor-involvement models.
· Experience managing teams across multiple offices or locations.
· Demonstrated client-facing, commercial and financial management experience.
· Experience managing accelerated design programmes, progressive construction issue, BIM and common data environments.
KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS Internal · Building Services State Manager · Project Directors and Project Managers.
· Mechanical, fire, hydraulics, ICT, security, civil, structural, sustainability and commissioning leads.
· BIM and Digital Engineering teams.
· Interstate and global data centre specialists.
· Graduate, intermediate and senior engineering personnel.
External · Client and technical representatives.
· Project and development managers.
· Architects and specialist consultants.
· Contractors, subcontractors, commissioning agents SUCCESSFUL ROLE OUTCOMES · Delivers safe, coordinated and high-quality designs satisfying client operational and commercial objectives.
· Improves consistency and technical quality across MEP Delivery · Anticipates and manages technical, programme and commercial risks.
· Manages project team and resources for a smooth delivery of the project(s) · Provides effective support to Clients during construction, testing and commissioning.
· Strengthens strategic client relationships and contributes to winning profitable, appropriately risk-managed work.
· Achieves predictable project financial performance.

📌 Associate Director (Victoria)
🏢 WSP
📍 Victoria