Climate Change Discipline Lead

THE COMPANY:

WSP is one of the world's leading professional services firms, uniting our engineering, advisory and science-based expertise to make a positive impact. We envision future possibilities and bring them to life through technical know-how and innovation. To further our strategic business execution plan, we are seeking leaders who share our guiding principles – we value our people and our reputation; we are locally dedicated with international scale; we are future-focused and challenge the status quo; we foster collaboration, we have an empowering culture and hold ourselves accountable.

KEY ROLE:

WSP is seeking a Climate Change Discipline Lead to head our climate resilience and decarbonization initiatives. This role will provide strategic leadership, technical expertise, and business development support across projects that address climate risk, adaptation, and mitigation. The successful candidate will guide multidisciplinary teams, shape innovative solutions, and strengthen WSP's position as a global leader in climate change consulting.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Strategic Leadership

•    Define and implement WSP's climate change strategy across regions and sectors.

•    Act as the subject matter expert on climate risk, resilience, decarbonisation, and broader sustainability themes including energy transition, resource efficiency, and circular economy principles.

•    Represent WSP in industry forums, conferences, and client engagements.

Technical Excellence

•    Advanced understanding of national and international regulatory and policy frameworks (e.g., NDCs, Paris Agreement, IFC, CSRD).
⦁    Climate risk and vulnerability assessments (e.g., Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), ISO
⦁    Proven experience translating climate science and policy frameworks into actionable strategies for infrastructure, energy and development sectors. 
⦁    Carbon accounting and footprinting, including Scope 1-3 analysis, Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) target setting, and scenario modelling. 
⦁    Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and circular economy tools for resource efficiency. 
⦁    Experience integrating climate risk and resilience metrics into sustainability reporting and corporate ESG strategies. 
⦁    A solid understanding of how climate and sustainability performance drive investor confidence, regulatory compliance and long-term resilience.
 

Project Delivery

•    Manage complex, high-profile climate change projects from inception to completion, with a focus on project financial performance and alignment with WSP's systems. 

•    Provide technical oversight and quality assurance for deliverables.

•    Mentor and support the team in climate-related disciplines.

Business Development

•    Identify and pursue new opportunities in climate resilience and sustainability markets.

•    Build strong client relationships and expand WSP's climate change portfolio.

•    Collaborate with internal teams to develop proposals and secure funding.  

Leadership & Team Development

•    Proven track record of leading teams and mentoring emerging professionals.

•    Ability to foster collaboration across diverse disciplines and geographies.

•    Commitment to building a culture of innovation and continuous learning.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Act as a SHEQ role model, behaving consistently within the company's health, safety, environmental and quality vision and policies.
Contribute to the identification of SHEQ risks and drive processes to achieve Zero Harm.
Embrace, display and promote company values, ensuring a safe working environment is maintained at all times.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

•    Advanced degree in Environmental Science, Climate Policy, Engineering, or related field.

• years of experience in climate change consulting, policy, or applied research.

•    Proven track record in leading multidisciplinary teams and delivering climate-focused projects.

•    Strong knowledge of climate modelling, risk assessment, and adaptation frameworks.

•    Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement, and leadership skills.

KEY COMPETENCIES AND GENERIC SKILLS:

•    High-level problem-solving and critical thinking abilities.

•    Strong interpersonal skills with cultural sensitivity and inclusivity.

•    Proficiency in digital tools and data visualization for climate-related analysis.

•    Resilience, adaptability, and a proactive approach to challenges. Willingness to travel in Sub Sahara Africa (outside of South Africa) if required.

•    Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and quality assurance.

•    Capacity to deliver under pressure and adapt to changing priorities.