Senior Director, Commercial and Risks

WSP is one of the world’s leading professional services firms. Our purpose is to future proof our cities and environments.

We have over 48,000 team members across the globe. In Canada, our 8,000+ people are involved in everything from environmental remediation to urban planning, from engineering iconic buildings to designing sustainable transportation networks, from finding new ways to extract essential resources to developing renewable power sources for the future.

The excellence we bring to our work and to our workplace has been recognized far and wide. We are among the LinkedIn Top 25 Companies two years in a row, one of the Top 100 Sustainable Companies in the World (and among the Top 10 in Canada), and we earned Platinum Elite Recognition through our participation in more than half of Canada’s Top 100 Infrastructure Projects.

At WSP :
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 in everything we do

We have an empowering culture and hold ourselves accountable

CANADA

POSITION DESCRIPTION

WSP is currently looking for a Senior Director, Commercial and Risks to be based in any major WSP Canadian Office reporting the Transportation Systems market. This role is responsible for managing the commercial and contractual activities associated with a project or a portfolio of projects that are part of WSP’s different business sectors. The Senior Director, Commercial and Risks is responsible for providing leadership, expertise and oversight to ensure project commercial objectives are met within the contractual framework and risks are managed in accordance with WSP principles and guidelines.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Observe and implement corporate Governance requirements in all commercial aspects of the project;

Act as the point of contact for all commercial matters that require escalation in the project;

Compile, analyze and report on risk and commercial data in support of decision making;

Foster a continuous improvement culture supporting this effort on the commercial & risk front;

Coach and mentor other team members in the commercial and risk discipline;

Support Business Development, Legal & Risk and Market Sector leadership teams to review and suggest contractual articles, sections or schedules and prepare for submissions on Go-No Go processes, Fee Review and Risk Committee presentations;

Support the Proposal and Project Manager in all commercial matters during project pursuit phases providing expert advice and guidance on commercial and risk matters;

Develop an appropriate project risk reserve in accordance with WSP guidance and procedures.

Provide leadership regarding all contractual relationships on the project and escalate issues to the appropriate level as required safeguarding WSP commercial interest on the project;

Lead the Commercial & Risk Management processes seeking synergies and optimization;

Implement and lead the change management process, providing support to the Project Manager on commercial decisions and claims management;

Prepare and assist managing claims through dispute resolution mechanisms until complete resolution.

Monitor and manage the project Risk Reserve in accordance with the project Risk Plan and Procedures.

Liaise with Legal & Risk team, acting as the project point of contact in coordination with the Project Manager for all claims extending beyond project completion;

Support the closure of the risk process and release any outstanding balance of the Risk Reserve;

Support the lessons learned process with regards to commercial and risk issues.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree qualification in Engineering, Business, Transportation and/or Planning related discipline, plus 20 years of experience in commercial and risk management function in project management, construction or engineering environment;

MBA is an asset.

Strong business acumen with sound knowledge of commercial terms and conditions and project risk management principles, methods and processes;

Experience with Collaborative Contracting (Alliancing, IPD, Progressive Design Build, CMAR) is an asset;

Experience in a similar role working on projects with CAPEX over $1 billion preferably under an AFP/P3 structure and procurement process;

Experience in working with Public Sector Clients and Private Sector Clients in the Transportation and Infrastructure sectors;

Experience in contract or commercial management, supporting major construction projects as a consultant, general contractor or owner’s representative is key;

Pre and post contract risk management experience;

Management and reporting of contract performance;

Extensive experience of contract and commercial negotiations;

Deep knowledge of pricing, costing, and contribution modelling;

Demonstrable experience working in collaboration with multiple project stakeholders;

Excellent Health & Safety awareness;

Experience developing financial models and application of Monte Carlo risk simulations at project and program levels is an asset;

Clear understanding of the importance of robust business processes and systems;

Experience of operating in large organisations in a collaborative, divisional structure;

Strong experience managing multi-disciplinary teams, with specific experience negotiating, mediating issues and facilitating discussions with key stakeholders to achieve consensus;

Good understanding of scheduling and estimating processes is an asset; and

Exceptional written and oral communication skills;