Senior Project Manager / Project Director (retail)

Job Description What if you could do the kind of work the world needs? At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives. You can experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you. As a Senior Project Manager, you are responsible for the strategic leadership and successful delivery of complex, multi-disciplinary projects, with a focus on retail and mixed-use developments, from early concept through to completion. The role requires a highly proactive and commercially astute approach, ensuring delivery aligns with client objectives, brand requirements, operational constraints, and fast-track retail programmes. You will lead project teams, drive decision-making, and manage key stakeholder relationships, ensuring high-quality outcomes across all stages of design and delivery. You are expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy, provide leadership across multiple workstreams, and act as a trusted advisor to clients. Responsibilities Contract & Scope • Lead project set-up, including contract finalisation, internal alignment and mobilisation of the team • Fully understand and manage the contract, ensuring compliance with key obligations and deliverables • Define, agree and manage scope across all disciplines, ensuring clarity of responsibilities • Lead the appointment and coordination of sub-consultants, including scope, fees and agreements • Identify and manage changes to scope, leading variation preparation, negotiation and agreement with the client • Ensure all deliverables meet WSP quality standards and client expectations Communication & Team Leadership • Act as the primary interface with the client, operators, tenants, and key stakeholders • Provide clear leadership, establishing a high-performing “one team” culture • Lead client engagement, workshops and presentations, including executive-level reporting • Manage complex stakeholder environments, including retail tenants, landlords, operators and authorities • Support clients with strategic decision-making, balancing commercial, operational and design priorities • Proactively manage expectations, risks and issues to maintain trust and project momentum Programme • Lead development of detailed, realistic programmes aligned with retail delivery and tenant fit-out requirements • Manage programmes proactively, identifying and mitigating risks to delivery • Coordinate with design teams to ensure alignment with anchor tenant, F&B and retail unit handover milestones • Oversee integration of base build, shell & core, and tenant fit-out packages • Ensure programme reflects authority approvals, procurement strategies and phased handovers • Work with Planning & Controls to maintain robust P6 programmes and client reporting Design & Technical Coordination • Lead multidisciplinary design coordination through all stages (Concept to IFC and construction support) • Ensure alignment between brand standards, operational requirements and technical design solutions • Oversee design reviews, ensuring buildability, compliance and coordination across disciplines • Drive high-quality outputs through structured QA/QC processes • Ensure coordination between landlord criteria and tenant requirements Risk Management • Establish and lead the project Risk Register, ensuring regular review and active management • Identify key risks associated with retail phasing, tenant changes, authority approvals and programme constraints • Develop and implement mitigation strategies • Escalate critical risks to senior leadership and clients as required Commercial Management • Lead all project commercial aspects, including budget management and financial reporting Manage project invoicing, cost tracking and financial performance • Lead preparation, negotiation and agreement of variations • Provide commercial advice to clients, particularly relating to programme impacts and tenant-driven changes Delivery & Handover • Oversee project delivery through to completion, ensuring alignment with client and operational objectives • Coordinate phased handovers, including base build and tenant fit-out interfaces • Ensure smooth transition to supervision / construction teams • Lead project close-out, ensuring all deliverables, approvals and documentation are complete Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Architecture or related field • 13+ years professional experience, with a strong focus on retail, mixed-use or commercial developments • Proven track record delivering complex, multidisciplinary projects from Concept through to IFC and construction • Demonstrable experience in retail delivery, including tenant coordination and fit-out integration • Experience working with major developers, operators or retail brands preferred • Experience managing large, multidisciplinary teams and multiple stakeholders Core Competencies • Strong leadership and ability to operate at a senior, client-facing level • Strategic thinking with ability to manage competing priorities • Excellent stakeholder management, particularly within complex retail environments • Commercial acumen and contractual awareness • Strong programme and risk management capability • Ability to drive quality, coordination and technical excellence • Collaborative and proactive communication style • Ability to lead and motivate multidisciplinary teams • Strong understanding of health and safety in design Imagine a better future for you and a better future for us all. Join our close-knit community of talented individuals who share your passion for making a positive impact. Our global team includes more than 69,000 employees, working together to make a difference in communities both close to home and around the world. With us, you can. Apply today. Show more Show less

Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Architecture or related field; 13+ years professional experience, with a strong focus on retail, mixed-use or commercial developments; Proven track record delivering complex, multidisciplinary projects from Concept through to IFC and construction; Demonstrable experience in retail delivery, including tenant coordination and fit-out integration; Experience working with major developers, operators or retail brands preferred; Experience managing large, multidisciplinary teams and multiple stakeholders.

Lead project setup, including contract finalisation, internal alignment and mobilisation of the team; Fully understand and manage the contract, ensuring compliance with key obligations and deliverables; Define, agree and manage scope across all disciplines, ensuring clarity of responsibilities; Lead the appointment and coordination of sub-consultants, including scope, fees and agreements; Identify and manage changes to scope, leading variation preparation, negotiation and agreement with the client; Ensure all deliverables meet WSP quality standards and client expectations; Act as the primary interface with the client, operators, tenants, and key stakeholders; Provide clear leadership, establishing a high-performing “one team” culture; Lead client engagement, workshops and presentations, including executive-level reporting; Manage complex stakeholder environments, including retail tenants, landlords, operators and authorities; Support clients with strategic decision-making, balancing commercial, operational and design priorities; Proactively manage expectations, risks and issues to maintain trust and project momentum; Lead development of detailed, realistic programmes aligned with retail delivery and tenant fit-out requirements; Manage programmes proactively, identifying and mitigating risks to delivery; Coordinate with design teams to ensure alignment with anchor tenant, F&B and retail unit handover milestones; Oversee integration of base build, shell & core, and tenant fit-out packages; Ensure programme reflects authority approvals, procurement strategies and phased handovers; Work with Planning & Controls to maintain robust P6 programmes and client reporting; Lead multidisciplinary design coordination through all stages (Concept to IFC and construction support); Ensure alignment between brand standards, operational requirements and technical design solutions; Oversee design reviews, ensuring buildability, compliance and coordination across disciplines; Drive high-quality outputs through structured QA/QC processes; Ensure coordination between landlord criteria and tenant requirements; Establish and lead the project Risk Register, ensuring regular review and active management; Identify key risks associated with retail phasing, tenant changes, authority approvals and programme constraints; Develop and implement mitigation strategies; Escalate critical risks to senior leadership and clients as required; Lead all project commercial aspects, including budget management and financial reporting; Manage project invoicing, cost tracking and financial performance; Lead preparation, negotiation and agreement of variations; Provide commercial advice to clients, particularly relating to programme impacts and tenant-driven changes; Oversee project delivery through to completion, ensuring alignment with client and operational objectives; Coordinate phased handovers, including base build and tenant fit-out interfaces; Ensure smooth transition to supervision / construction teams; Lead project close-out, ensuring all deliverables, approvals and documentation are complete.