WSP in the U.S.
Senior Economic Development Specialist
WSP is currently initiating a search for a
Senior Economic Development Specialist . The role will provide leadership within the Economics, Finance, and Grants team and be a subject matter expert on regional economic growth policies, incentive programs, Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) documents, infrastructure and real estate development finance, public‑private partnerships, and interagency coordination. The ideal candidate will help WSP’s clients understand how to generate economic growth, job opportunities, and new development in their cities and service regions.
Our Senior Economic Development Specialist is responsible for driving top line growth as One WSP across the A&P business and with our counterparts within the Transportation & Infrastructure, Earth & Environment, Property & Buildings, Power & Energy, and Federal end‑markets. The activities will focus on leading and managing economic development strategies, projects, and developments, including mixed‑use, industrial, commercial, and transit‑oriented development. The role will evaluate how infrastructure development can drive growth, create positive economic impact, and be financed by that very growth, in alignment with locally adopted plans and goals.
Our ideal candidate also has connections with private and public clients across the various end‑markets and can articulate the growth potential and opportunities they provide. We need a leader who can lead complex projects that help our clients find innovative economic development strategies in places that have seen limited interest from the private sector. Familiarity with incentive tools, economic growth policies, real estate development, and infrastructure finance is required. Experience negotiating complex agreements with private businesses and analyzing financial pro formas, market studies, and economic impact reports is essential.
At WSP, we are driven by inspiring the right people to be part of our future‑focused business objectives. Our devotion to teamwork has allowed us to build communities and expand our skylines. Come join us and help shape the future!
Your Impact
Provide proactive and strategic leadership for the planning discipline and function, offering direction, expertise, and support to ensure project and work site deliverables are successfully achieved within the business sector.
Oversee the appropriate use of topographic maps, aerial photographs, GPS data, and other visualization tools to determine exact locations of project areas, associated physical/urban/economic/political sensitivities, and to uncover primary, secondary, and tertiary impacts.
Lead larger‑scale, more complex land/urban planning projects, ensuring contributors know what they are required to do and by when, preparing and overseeing relevant project budgets, monitoring external events, tracking hours and expenses, ensuring profitability and satisfactory performance, and supervising subcontractors, contract work, and employees.
Responsible for the contribution and management of multi‑disciplinary project teams in all phases of the execution and delivery of siting, impact assessment, and permitting for assigned business sector projects, as well as land/urban planning and management projects.
Actively foster compliance with applicable Federal, State, and Local Agency laws, policies, and regulatory requirements.
Lead technical aspects of contract negotiation, presentations, and meetings.
Assist with the preparation of an annual update to business tactical action plans within the specified area.
Analyze local, state and national trends, policies and/or legislation to determine impact.
Support the overall long‑term strategy, growth, and pipeline development of Land/Urban Planning work for WSP in the assigned area of responsibility, focusing on opportunities in all disciplines.
Conduct needs analyses and client value surveys to align the planning discipline’s function with business and project strategy, identifying and addressing any skill gaps or risks within the sector operations.
Develop a client base for providing high‑level Land/Urban Planning services, identifying additional business development opportunities, and cross‑selling other WSP capabilities.
Who You Are We are looking for an experienced economic development and planning professional who is innovative, results‑oriented, and able to influence stakeholders across public and private sectors.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Planning, Environmental Planning, Public Policy/Administration or a related field (or equivalent experience).
Minimum 10+ years of experience in a regional economic development agency or corporate environment working in business attraction/retention, the land/urban planning field, engaging in general plans, master plans, zoning code updates, public involvement, and regulatory compliance for diverse development projects.
Strong working knowledge of relevant zoning laws, permitting requirements, notification and compliance practices, job creation/retention, and the applicable Regional/State/Federal regulatory framework.
Demonstrated experience leading by influence.
Experience in leading and winning major strategic pursuits.
Excellent communication skills (presenting and writing).
Organized, self‑starter with a strong entrepreneurial spirit.
Preferred Qualifications
Master's Degree.
Essential professional licensure/certification.
CEDS certification.
WSP Benefits WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, disability, life, retirement savings, paid sick leave, paid vacation, paid parental leave, and paid time off for bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.
Compensation Expected Salary (all locations): $122,700 – $218,680. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and to offer additional benefits and compensation, depending on circumstances not related to protected status.
About WSP WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world’s leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.
WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career.
WSP wants your challenges to grow your career and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?
The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.
Equal Opportunity Employer WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status.
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Senior Economic Development Specialist . The role will provide leadership within the Economics, Finance, and Grants team and be a subject matter expert on regional economic growth policies, incentive programs, Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) documents, infrastructure and real estate development finance, public‑private partnerships, and interagency coordination. The ideal candidate will help WSP’s clients understand how to generate economic growth, job opportunities, and new development in their cities and service regions.
Our Senior Economic Development Specialist is responsible for driving top line growth as One WSP across the A&P business and with our counterparts within the Transportation & Infrastructure, Earth & Environment, Property & Buildings, Power & Energy, and Federal end‑markets. The activities will focus on leading and managing economic development strategies, projects, and developments, including mixed‑use, industrial, commercial, and transit‑oriented development. The role will evaluate how infrastructure development can drive growth, create positive economic impact, and be financed by that very growth, in alignment with locally adopted plans and goals.
Our ideal candidate also has connections with private and public clients across the various end‑markets and can articulate the growth potential and opportunities they provide. We need a leader who can lead complex projects that help our clients find innovative economic development strategies in places that have seen limited interest from the private sector. Familiarity with incentive tools, economic growth policies, real estate development, and infrastructure finance is required. Experience negotiating complex agreements with private businesses and analyzing financial pro formas, market studies, and economic impact reports is essential.
At WSP, we are driven by inspiring the right people to be part of our future‑focused business objectives. Our devotion to teamwork has allowed us to build communities and expand our skylines. Come join us and help shape the future!
Your Impact
Provide proactive and strategic leadership for the planning discipline and function, offering direction, expertise, and support to ensure project and work site deliverables are successfully achieved within the business sector.
Oversee the appropriate use of topographic maps, aerial photographs, GPS data, and other visualization tools to determine exact locations of project areas, associated physical/urban/economic/political sensitivities, and to uncover primary, secondary, and tertiary impacts.
Lead larger‑scale, more complex land/urban planning projects, ensuring contributors know what they are required to do and by when, preparing and overseeing relevant project budgets, monitoring external events, tracking hours and expenses, ensuring profitability and satisfactory performance, and supervising subcontractors, contract work, and employees.
Responsible for the contribution and management of multi‑disciplinary project teams in all phases of the execution and delivery of siting, impact assessment, and permitting for assigned business sector projects, as well as land/urban planning and management projects.
Actively foster compliance with applicable Federal, State, and Local Agency laws, policies, and regulatory requirements.
Lead technical aspects of contract negotiation, presentations, and meetings.
Assist with the preparation of an annual update to business tactical action plans within the specified area.
Analyze local, state and national trends, policies and/or legislation to determine impact.
Support the overall long‑term strategy, growth, and pipeline development of Land/Urban Planning work for WSP in the assigned area of responsibility, focusing on opportunities in all disciplines.
Conduct needs analyses and client value surveys to align the planning discipline’s function with business and project strategy, identifying and addressing any skill gaps or risks within the sector operations.
Develop a client base for providing high‑level Land/Urban Planning services, identifying additional business development opportunities, and cross‑selling other WSP capabilities.
Who You Are We are looking for an experienced economic development and planning professional who is innovative, results‑oriented, and able to influence stakeholders across public and private sectors.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Planning, Environmental Planning, Public Policy/Administration or a related field (or equivalent experience).
Minimum 10+ years of experience in a regional economic development agency or corporate environment working in business attraction/retention, the land/urban planning field, engaging in general plans, master plans, zoning code updates, public involvement, and regulatory compliance for diverse development projects.
Strong working knowledge of relevant zoning laws, permitting requirements, notification and compliance practices, job creation/retention, and the applicable Regional/State/Federal regulatory framework.
Demonstrated experience leading by influence.
Experience in leading and winning major strategic pursuits.
Excellent communication skills (presenting and writing).
Organized, self‑starter with a strong entrepreneurial spirit.
Preferred Qualifications
Master's Degree.
Essential professional licensure/certification.
CEDS certification.
WSP Benefits WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, disability, life, retirement savings, paid sick leave, paid vacation, paid parental leave, and paid time off for bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.
Compensation Expected Salary (all locations): $122,700 – $218,680. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and to offer additional benefits and compensation, depending on circumstances not related to protected status.
About WSP WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world’s leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.
WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career.
WSP wants your challenges to grow your career and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?
The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.
Equal Opportunity Employer WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status.
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