Description
The Senior Vice President – US Advisory and Planning Operations Director is part of WSP USA's Advisory and Planning Leadership Team. The role supports the Business Line Executive (BLE) with all aspects of the P&L, including revenue generation, staff utilization, EBITDA, DSO, quality, safety, and project performance.
General Operations Duties
- Partner with the Business Line Executive on all operational aspects of the business.
- Communicate and coordinate with Local Leaders and other managers on operational aspects of the business.
- Collaborate with Strategic Growth Team (SGT), HR Partners, Finance Managers, and Project Accounting.
- Oversee Regional Operations Leaders (ROL) and the Project Delivery Director.
- Support and promote a consistent approach to project delivery, operational reporting, quality, and other key initiatives.
- Deliver training and mentoring support for project managers and staff.
- Act as a key leader in the Business Line.
People and Culture
- Work to support staff hiring and attrition goals.
- Monitor staff billability/billable hour goals and take corrective action when needed.
- Assist in developing corrective plans to address deficiencies identified in project performance.
- Support work sharing across regions/business lines.
- Support HR as needed with personnel issues.
- Support programs such as Safety, Sustainability, and Ethics & Compliance.
Operational Excellence
- Monitor Business Line budgets and provide recommendations/corrective actions to stay within budgets.
- Effectively operationalize growth strategies, forecasting, and funding strategy in collaboration with Business Line Executive.
- Track, support, and report project funding.
- Take necessary actions to lead and improve cash flow.
- Participate in the development of the annual budget process.
- Responsible for executing on the Business Line P&L priorities and strategies.
Project Operations Duties
- Coordinate with Project Delivery Director and Project Delivery Team.
- Monitor that appropriate Project Reviews are being conducted in the Business Line.
- Confirm that project directors (PDs) are performing their duties.
- Identify project execution risk.
- Evaluate Project Manager performance.
- Identify challenged projects and provide oversight.
- Lead pricing strategies and pricing reviews for key projects.
- Lead Readiness Reviews for large or high-risk projects.
- Ensure appropriate proactive project reviews are being conducted on high-risk/large value projects.
- Identify projects that are in distress and provide oversight.
- Oversee aspects of Project Manager and Delivery Training.
Key Performance Indicators
- Net Revenue, EBITDA, utilization, Organic Growth, Margin Erosion, DSO, Billability, Funding (Backlog), and Headcount growth.
Qualifications
- 17+ years of experience.
- BA/BS Degree in Engineering, Planning, Architecture, Business, or equivalent discipline.
- Experience as a major project manager or related role.
- Strong understanding of project financials, team dynamics, client relationships, staffing, and resource requirements.
- Proactive problem-solving skills and strong communication skills.
- Leadership skills that portray commitment, reliability, and accountability.