Technical Director

Job Description WSP in the Middle East are seeking an accomplished Technical Director - Electrical to join our Building Services team in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, supporting an ongoing project. This is a senior, client-facing technical leadership role for an experienced electrical building services professional with a strong multidisciplinary understanding of MEP design and delivery. The successful candidate will provide technical leadership on electrical building services, coordinate closely with the wider MEP and multidisciplinary teams, maintain strong client and stakeholder relationships, and help ensure high-quality project delivery in line with project requirements, applicable codes, authority requirements and WSP quality procedures. Responsibilities Technical leadership and quality • Act as the senior technical authority for electrical Building Services, providing clear direction on complex design and delivery matters. • Lead key electrical design reviews, challenge assumptions and resolve difficult technical and multidisciplinary interfaces. • Oversee electrical systems including power distribution, lighting, emergency power, earthing and lightning protection, and interfaces with ELV and life-safety systems, as applicable to the project. • Ensure designs are coordinated, buildable, efficient and aligned with the client brief, applicable codes, authority requirements, sustainability objectives and WSP quality procedures. • Promote practical, innovative and digitally enabled solutions that improve quality, coordination and project outcomes. Project and stakeholder leadership Provide senior technical leadership throughout project delivery, supporting mobilisation, design development, coordination and close-out as required. Work closely with the client, project management team, architects, engineers, specialist consultants and other project stakeholders. Support resolution of technical issues and provide clear, credible recommendations to senior stakeholders. Monitor technical risks, programme interfaces, design dependencies and quality, intervening early where corrective action is required. Represent WSP as a trusted senior technical adviser and maintain strong professional relationships with the client and project partners. People, collaboration and governance Guide and mentor electrical engineers and support effective collaboration across the wider Building Services team. Coordinate with WSP specialists across Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and the wider global business when specialist input is required. Apply WSP project management, quality assurance, health and safety, ethics and governance requirements consistently. Support effective scope, change, risk and commercial awareness within the project team. Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Building Services Engineering, or a closely related discipline; a relevant master’s degree would be advantageous. • Chartered Engineer status or equivalent professional registration with a recognized institution is strongly preferred. • 25+ years of relevant experience in Electrical Building Services, with substantial experience gained within leading multidisciplinary engineering or design consultancies. • Extensive Middle East experience, with a strong track record of delivering major, complex, and high-profile developments across the region. • Significant Saudi Arabia experience, ideally supporting mega and giga projects, with a strong understanding of the KSA market, local codes, authority requirements, and delivery environment. • Demonstrable technical expertise in Electrical Building Services, with comprehensive knowledge of integrated MEP design, multidisciplinary coordination, and project delivery. • A proven track record of leading electrical and multidisciplinary teams on large-scale and technically complex projects. • Strong client-facing and relationship management experience, with a proven ability to build and maintain trusted relationships with key clients, developers, project partners, and senior stakeholders. • Strong stakeholder engagement, influencing, and negotiation capabilities, with the credibility to represent the business confidently at senior and executive levels. • Excellent communication, presentation, leadership, and interpersonal skills, combined with a collaborative and commercially aware approach. Show more Show less

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Building Services Engineering, or a closely related discipline; a relevant master’s degree would be advantageous. Chartered Engineer status or equivalent professional registration with a recognized institution is strongly preferred. 25+ years of relevant experience in Electrical Building Services, with substantial experience gained within leading multidisciplinary engineering or design consultancies. Extensive Middle East experience, with a strong track record of delivering major, complex, and high-profile developments across the region. Significant Saudi Arabia experience, ideally supporting mega and giga projects, with a strong understanding of the KSA market, local codes, authority requirements, and delivery environment. Demonstrable technical expertise in Electrical Building Services, with comprehensive knowledge of integrated MEP design, multidisciplinary coordination, and project delivery. A proven track record of leading electrical and multidisciplinary teams on large-scale and technically complex projects. Strong client-facing and relationship management experience, with a proven ability to build and maintain trusted relationships with key clients, developers, project partners, and senior stakeholders. Strong stakeholder engagement, influencing, and negotiation capabilities, with the credibility to represent the business confidently at senior and executive levels. Excellent communication, presentation, leadership, and interpersonal skills, combined with a collaborative and commercially aware approach.

Technical leadership and quality: Act as the senior technical authority for electrical Building Services, providing clear direction on complex design and delivery matters. Lead key electrical design reviews, challenge assumptions and resolve difficult technical and multidisciplinary interfaces. Oversee electrical systems including power distribution, lighting, emergency power, earthing and lightning protection, and interfaces with ELV and life-safety systems, as applicable to the project. Ensure designs are coordinated, buildable, efficient and aligned with the client brief, applicable codes, authority requirements, sustainability objectives and WSP quality procedures. Promote practical, innovative and digitally enabled solutions that improve quality, coordination and project outcomes. Project and stakeholder leadership: Provide senior technical leadership throughout project delivery, supporting mobilisation, design development, coordination and close-out as required. Work closely with the client, project management team, architects, engineers, specialist consultants and other project stakeholders. Support resolution of technical issues and provide clear, credible recommendations to senior stakeholders. Monitor technical risks, programme interfaces, design dependencies and quality, intervening early where corrective action is required. Represent WSP as a trusted senior technical adviser and maintain strong professional relationships with the client and project partners. People, collaboration and governance: Guide and mentor electrical engineers and support effective collaboration across the wider Building Services team. Coordinate with WSP specialists across Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and the wider global business when specialist input is required. Apply WSP project management, quality assurance, health and safety, ethics and governance requirements consistently. Support effective scope, change, risk and commercial awareness within the project team.