Job Description

The Head of Specialists – India is responsible for leading, developing, and growing WSP's Specialist Services community across India.

The role acts as the primary custodian of the Specialist Services Strategy within India, ensuring alignment with regional and global objectives while creating an engaged, high-performing, and connected specialist workforce.

The position is primarily a people leadership role focused on talent, capability, collaboration, and strategy execution rather than day-to-day technical delivery.

The successful candidate will ensure that the specialist disciplines in India operate as an integrated community, supporting business growth, technical excellence, innovation, and global collaboration while delivering the same operating model and culture successfully established within the Middle East.

Key Accountabilities

1. Strategy Implementation

• Lead the implementation of the Specialist Services Strategy across India.

• Translate strategic objectives into practical actions, measurable outcomes, and annual business plans.

• Drive adoption of the four specialist strategy pillars:

  • Grow Our Expertise

  • Empower Our People

  • Expand Client Centricity

  • Leverage Our Platform

• Monitor progress against KPIs and strategic initiatives.

• Act as the key link between India, the Middle East, and Global Specialist leadership teams.

2. People Leadership & Capability Development

• Lead and develop the Specialist Services community across India.

• Build a strong culture of collaboration, engagement, accountability, and continuous improvement.

• Partner with discipline leaders to identify capability gaps, succession needs, and future talent requirements.

• Develop talent pipelines and career pathways for specialist staff.

• Drive retention strategies for key talent.

• Support the development of future leaders through coaching, mentoring, and succession planning.

• Champion diversity, inclusion, and employee engagement initiatives.

3. Organisational Growth & Workforce Planning

• Develop workforce plans aligned with business growth objectives.

• Identify recruitment priorities across specialist disciplines.

• Support strategic hiring and onboarding of key talent.

• Work with regional and global teams to leverage internal mobility opportunities.

• Ensure resources are aligned to current and future business needs.

4. Community & Collaboration Leadership

• Establish and maintain a unified Specialist Services community across India.

• Facilitate collaboration between disciplines, sectors, and geographies.

• Drive participation in global specialist forums, working groups, and initiatives.

• Promote knowledge sharing and best practice exchange.

• Strengthen connections between India teams and regional specialist leaders.

5. Performance & Operational Excellence

• Establish clear objectives and measures of success for specialist teams.

• Track specialist growth, capability, utilisation, recruitment, retention, and engagement metrics.

• Support discipline leaders in improving organisational effectiveness.

• Drive consistency in operating processes, reporting, and governance.

• Ensure strategic initiatives are delivered on time and achieve intended outcomes.

Key Performance Indicators

• Successful implementation of Specialist Services Strategy initiatives.

• Employee engagement scores.

• Voluntary attrition and retention rates.

• Internal promotion and succession readiness metrics.

• Recruitment and workforce plan delivery.

• Participation in global forums and strategic initiatives.

• Growth of specialist capabilities and service offerings.

• Delivery of agreed annual strategic objectives.

Essential Experience

• 15+ years of professional experience within consulting, engineering, design, or professional services environments.

• Significant experience leading and developing large multidisciplinary teams.

• Demonstrated ability to implement organisational strategies and operating models.

• Experience managing change and driving business transformation initiatives.

• Track record of building high-performing teams and developing future leaders.

• Strong stakeholder management experience across multiple functions, disciplines, and geographies.

Essential Skills

• Strategic leadership.

• People leadership and coaching.

• Talent and succession planning.

• Organisational development.

• Change management.

• Workforce planning.

• Influencing and stakeholder engagement.

• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.

Leadership Behaviours

• People-first leader who develops and inspires others.

• Builds alignment and collaboration across teams and geographies.

• Converts strategy into practical execution and measurable outcomes.

• Champions a "One WSP" mindset.

• Demonstrates accountability and follows through on commitments.

• Creates an inclusive and high-performing culture.

• Drives continuous improvement while maintaining a long-term perspective.

BGV:

• Employment with WSP India is subject to the successful completion of a background verification (“BGV”) check conducted by a third-party agency appointed by WSP India.

• Candidates are advised to ensure that all information provided during the recruitment process — including documents uploaded — is accurate and complete, both to WSP India and its BGV partner”.

WSP is one of the world's leading professional services consulting firms. We are dedicated to our local communities and propelled by international brainpower. We are technical experts and strategic advisors including engineers, technicians, scientists, architects, planners, surveyors and environmental specialists, as well as other design, program and construction management professionals. We design lasting solutions in the Transportation & Infrastructure, Property & Buildings, Earth & Environment, Power & Energy, Resources and Industry sectors, as well as offering strategic advisory services. Our talented people around the globe engineer projects that will help societies grow for lifetimes to come.

With approximately 4,000 talented people across 3 locations (Noida, Bengaluru & Mumbai offices) in India and more than 73,000 globally, in 550 offices across 40 countries, we engineer projects that will help societies grow for lifetimes to come.

At “WSP” we draw on the diverse skills and capabilities of our employees globally to compete for the most exciting and complex projects across the world and bring the same level of expertise to our local communities. We are proud to be an international collective of innovative thinkers who work on the most complex problems. Unified under one strong brand, we use our local expertise, international reach and global scale to prepare our cities and environments for the future, connect communities and help societies thrive in built and natural ecosystems. True to our guiding principles, our business is built on four cornerstones: Our People, Our Clients, Our Operational Excellence and Our Expertise.

www.wsp.com

We are

• Passionate people doing purposeful and sustainable work that helps shape our communities and the future.
• A collaborative team that thrives on challenges and unconventional thinking.
• A network of experts channeling our curiosity into creating solutions for complex issues.

Inspired by diversity, driven by inclusion, we work with passion and purpose.

Working with Us

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.

Our Hybrid Working Module

With us, you can operate in a flexible, agile, yet structured work environment and follow a Hybrid Work Model.

• Maximize collaboration.
• Maintain product quality and cultural integrity.
• Balance community, collaboration, opportunity, productivity, and efficiency.

Health, Safety and Wellbeing

Our people are our greatest asset, and we prioritize a safe work environment. Health, safety, and wellbeing are integral to our culture, with each of us accountable for fostering a safe workplace through our “Making Health and Safety Personal” initiative. Our Zero Harm Vision drives us to reduce risks through innovative solutions, earning recognition for our global health and safety practices with the prestigious RoSPA Health and Safety Awards for six consecutive years.

Inclusivity and Diversity

WSP India is dedicated to fostering a sustainable and inclusive work environment where our greatest strength - Our People -feel valued, respected, and supported. We ensure an unbiased approach in hiring, promotion, and performance evaluation, regardless of age, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, physical ability, education, social status, or cultural background.

Imagine a better future for you and a better future for us all.

Join our close-knit community of over 73,300 talented global professionals dedicated to making a positive impact. Together, we can make a difference in communities both near and far.

With us, you can.

Apply today.

NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES:

WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes include any resume or hiring document sent to WSP in the absence of a signed Service Agreement where WSP has expressly requested recruitment/staffing services specific to the position at hand. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of WSP and WSP will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.