Senior Director, Community Relations

The Opportunity:

WSP's Transportation Systems team in Canada is growing and looking for a strategic partner for its major projects. We are seeking to hire a Senior Director, Community Relations. Reporting to the Senior Vice President, External Relations, this role will be responsible for the design and oversight of engagement plans that will be tailored to the context of the objectives of the clients, projects and proponents.

Why choose WSP?

• We value and are committed to upholding a culture of inclusion and belonging
• Our Flexible Work Policy– we recognize the importance of balance in our lives and encourage you to prioritize the balance in yours. We will support you on and off the job so you can be fully present in both your work and home lives.
• A Canadian success story - we're proud to wear the red and white of this beautiful country and show the world what Canada has to offer.
• Enhance the world around you - from the environment to the highways, to the buildings and the terrain, WSP is the fabric of Canada.
• Outstanding career opportunities - we're growing and pushing ourselves every day to be greater than yesterday - we're open to your ideas and trying new things.
• A phenomenal collaborative culture and a workforce filled with genuinely good people who are doing humbly important work. Come find out for yourself what it's like to be a part of our journey.

We offer attractive pay, flexible work options, a great corporate culture, comprehensive and employee-focused benefits including virtual healthcare and a wellness platform as well as great savings programs, and a clear vision for the future.

#WeAre WSP

What you can expect to do here:

• Define anddevelop public engagement and communications strategies in line with the priorities and objectives of the clients and proponents of the projects for which you will be responsible, in order to support social acceptance and regulatory filings with the various authorities;
• Oversee the development of stakeholder mapping and information tracking;
• Develop tailored tactical plans for community engagement, including digital, virtual and in-person;
• Implement best practices and tools to optimize all aspects of the function;
• Ensure the development of performance key indicators to evaluate and monitor the progress of all public actions and campaigns;
• Oversee the deployment and work of engagement teams and field staff;
• Collaborate with all other project discipline leads to ensure smooth processes, consistent methods of reporting and to maintain regular contact with key stakeholders, including public and regulators;
• Ensure team and plan alignment with the business objectives of clients, project delivery partners, and ultimately the firm;
• Preserve the reputation of WSP, its partners, and the various clients and developers;
• Develop and maintain good relationships with all project stakeholders;
• Grow a team of engagement professionals and actively develop a collaborative team culture;
• Oversee and deliver various briefings and reports to clients, proponents, partners and other disciplines leads.

What you’ll bring to WSP:

• Excellent verbal and written skills in English and French;
• Bachelor's degree in communications, administration, urban planning, environment or equivalent;
• A minimum of 15 years' experience in a team leadership role in community relations, issues management corporate and/or government relations or related field;
• Familiarity with International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) with Foundations training in IAP2 being preferred;
• Knowledge of the Canadian regulatory and policy context, and the federal and/or provincial environmental assessment processes;
• Relevant stakeholder relations and/or issues management experience in the transportation, transit, energy, construction or infrastructure sectors;
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships;
• Ability to communicate complex concepts and express themselves clearly to the public;
• Exceptional listening skills;
• Excellent negotiation and problem-solving skills;
• Strong sense of ethics;
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with senior management;
• Ability to question ways of doing things and processes and proactively develop inventive solutions with an eye toward sound management;
• Ability to manage multiple urgent files simultaneously and adapt to a changing environment;
• Experience in a large company with national or international operations;
• Ability to see situations in a broader context and find innovative solutions;
• Ability to present and argue ideas;
• Ability to analyze, synthesize and conceptualize.

#LI-Hybrid