Assistant Vice President, Ports and Marine Engineering

WSP USA is seeking an Assistant Vice President, Ports and Marine Engineering to join our National Maritime Practice Group. This position can be based out of the following offices: Irvine, San Francisco, or San Diego, CA; Miami or Tampa, FL; Portland, OR; or Houston, TX. Part-Time and Full-Time openings are available.

About the role

Provides subject matter technical support and leadership for the development, design, construction, and inspection of structures and facilities for port, marine, and intermodal rail terminal projects in the public and private sector. These facilities may include piers, wharves, port and upland marine terminals, seawalls/bulkheads, dry docks, marinas, and other nearshore/offshore facilities. Ensures delivery of work products at a level of quality that meets or exceeds acceptable industry standards for design, safety, and functionality.

Responsibilities

• Responsible-in-charge for supervising the work of technical staff, engineers, and task leads.
• Track staff workloads and participate in workload forecasts.
• Mentor staff to support their growth and professional development as they transition to project leads and senior technical positions.
• Prepare and/or perform oversight of calculations, cost estimates, drawings, technical specifications, and reports/studies.
• Track progress of milestone activities and manage completion of Plans, Specifications, and Estimate (PS&E) submissions.
• Assist with engineering review of permit applications to ensure compliance with applicable state and/or federal regulations and sound engineering practice and standards.
• Perform quality assurance/quality control checks for marine facility projects, including various types of cargo terminals (e.g., container, bulk, break-bulk), federal facilities (homeporting piers and shipyards), and clients (port authorities, DoD, private terminals, public agencies, etc.).
• Prepare alternatives analysis reports and presentations for repair projects and capital improvement programs.
• Manage cross-functional teams to execute project work on large-scale projects and/or multiple concurrent mid-level projects, including collaboration with other engineers and larger multi-disciplinary teams on Federal, State, regional, and locally funded improvement and development projects.
• Perform multiple discipline management and coordination of internal and external teams comprised of civil, structural, geotechnical, electrical, mechanical, coastal, fire protection, and architecture.
• Act as the engineer of record while providing high-level technical assistance on various engineering, design, and construction issues relating to marine, port, and coastal systems.
• Maintain project schedules, budgets, and profitability by monitoring external events, tracking hours and expenses, supervising subcontractors, and ensuring satisfactory performance.
• Lead review meetings, client presentations, and design charrettes.
• Lead preparation of technical proposals and presentations; participate in client interviews and scope negotiations.
• Develop a client base for providing high-level marine, port, and coastal engineering services, including identifying additional business development opportunities.
• Remain current in latest marine, port, and coastal engineering techniques and practices.
• Occasionally meet travel demands, depending on client and project-specific requirements.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from an ABET-accredited program.
• 10+ years of relevant post-education experience in engineering with demonstrated marine and coastal design experience (including rehabilitation and new design).
• Professional Engineering license required (multi-state preferred) or ability to obtain within 6 months of employment.
• Demonstrated proficiency in completing technical computations/calculations involving the application of engineering principles to ports and marine structures.
• Highly proficient in technical writing, engineering software and tools, and engineering fundamentals including statics and logical problem-solving.
• Demonstrated ability with AutoCAD, REVIT, SAP2000, and similar tools; ability to supervise staff in the use of these programs.
• Demonstrated ability in design/build processes.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, conduct, and lead site inspections/investigations on various aspects of the construction and design of facilities per applicable regulations and policies.
• Demonstrated aptitude in maritime-related codes (ASCE, COPRI, etc.) and Department of Defense (UFC, UFGC) criteria.
• Highly effective interpersonal and communication skills when interacting with others, expressing ideas effectively and professionally to engineering and non-engineering audiences.
• Proficiency with building and infrastructure planning, design, and construction management.
• Strong self-leadership and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to interact effectively and tactfully with clients, regulators, architects, engineers, project managers, and employees at all levels.
• Ability to work independently to provide guidance and leadership to mid-level to senior-level team or project members, with strict adherence to QA/QC processes.
• Experience with providing critical review of submittals and preparation of technical deliverables and plans for projects with a high degree of complexity.
• Well-developed critical thinking and problem-solving skills required when applying technical knowledge to planning and engineering processes.
• Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety, drug/alcohol, and harassment policies.
• Ability to work schedules conducive to project-specific requirements that may extend beyond the typical workweek.
• Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.
• Ability to obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card, which requires a TSA background check.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Engineering from an ABET-accredited program.
• Structural Engineering license.
• Key member and active participant in national professional practice organizations.
• Ability to obtain a Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check for access onto U.S. Navy facilities.

Benefits

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include:

• Coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance.
• Retirement savings plans.
• Paid sick leave, vacation (or other personal time), and parental leave.
• Paid time off for bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.

Pay

Expected salary (all locations): $100,000 - $180,000. WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and internal equity, as well as specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.

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, 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 clients to help communities prosper. WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs.