Senior Program Director

About the role

WSP is seeking a Senior Program Director for the Power & Energy Program Management Office, primarily based in Tulsa, OK, with consideration for candidates in Oklahoma City, Dallas, Austin, Houston, Corpus Christi, Bentonville, and Shreveport. The role requires regular travel to WSP, client, and project locations across a multi‑state utility service territory in the south‑central United States.

Responsibilities

• Lead the most complex and largest‑scale projects, defining deliverables, schedules, budgets, forecasts, margins, and key performance indicators.
• Monitor external events, risk contingencies, hours, expenses, QA/QC, and contractual obligations to ensure successful project or portfolio delivery.
• Engage clients and stakeholders at all levels, maintain trusted relationships, and provide clear, timely reporting on project and portfolio progress.
• Participate in technical aspects of contract negotiation, presentations, and meetings.
• Serve as senior day‑to‑day client interface within established governance, project controls, safety, quality, reporting, and decision‑making processes.
• Coordinate with client representatives, internal delivery teams, functional leads, subcontractors, and external stakeholders to align priorities, clarify responsibilities, resolve issues, and support consistent execution across the regional footprint.
• Account for profitable performance and successful completion of all individual projects within the assigned area or portfolio.
• Provide leadership to multidisciplinary project teams distributed across multiple offices and locations, delivering strategic advice aligned with client priorities and capital program objectives.
• Guide managers and staff, promoting consistent delivery practices and an integrated team approach across WSP and client‑facing resources.
• Develop and maintain Project Initiation and governance documentation (Risk Registers, Project Management Plans, Quality Plans, Safety Plans, Communications Plans) per WSP and client requirements.
• Lead project‑management discipline meetings, address root‑cause issues, propose solutions, and drive continuous improvement.
• Develop project recovery plans to address budget overruns and schedule issues.
• Support integrated project controls and portfolio governance activities, including schedule and cost tracking, forecast updates, variance analysis, change control, risk and issue management, action tracking, decision documentation, escalation, and executive‑level reporting.
• Provide regular project and portfolio updates to client representatives, technical areas, and business unit managers, highlighting emerging issues in scope, schedule, cost, risk, resources, quality, safety, and stakeholder commitments.
• Ensure completion of formal project closeout activities and facilitate lessons‑learned meetings.
• Collaborate with professionals across disciplines to provide trusted‑advisor service, strengthen client confidence, and develop future‑ready solutions for regional utility needs.
• Exercise responsible and ethical decision‑making regarding company funds, resources, and conduct, adhering to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, or a related field, or equivalent technical/engineering experience.
• 15+ years of post‑education experience in project or program management within the power, energy, utility, or large capital infrastructure industry.
• Advanced understanding of A/E/C project delivery and extensive experience managing large‑scale utility or capital infrastructure projects and programs.
• Experience with multiple delivery models (DBB, EPC, PDB) and client‑led governance environments.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and business‑acumen skills to bridge business and project management.
• Deep knowledge of corporate project‑management principles, practices, processes, and their business impact.
• Proven ability to establish, implement, and manage multiple large‑scale/complex projects, programs, documents, systems, and practices.
• Excellent self‑leadership and interpersonal communication skills; ability to manage staff and interact persuasively at all organizational levels.
• Strategic lateral thinking, strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize under pressure.
• Ability to elicit cooperation from senior management, subcontractors, consultants, suppliers, clients, and staff across non‑hierarchical relationships.
• Experience in embedded or highly integrated client‑service environments, navigating matrixed organizations, regional operating groups, multiple functional interfaces, and geographically dispersed stakeholders.
• Advanced proficiency in technical writing, MS Office suite (Word, Excel, Visio, Project, SharePoint), and project‑management tools.
• Track record of upholding workplace safety and compliance with WSP health, safety, drug/alcohol, and harassment policies.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing client priorities, schedules, hours, and work locations.
• Regular travel to client offices, WSP offices, and project sites across the south‑central U.S. service territory.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree.
• Essential project‑management certification (e.g., PMP, CAP‑M).

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance coverage.
• Retirement savings plans.
• Paid sick leave, paid vacation (or other personal time), and paid parental leave.
• Paid time off for bereavement, voting, and attendance at naturalization proceedings.
• Comprehensive health and financial stability programs throughout the employee’s career.

Pay

Expected salary (all locations): $168,900 – $323,900.

Expected salary (Colorado only): $168,900 – $303,400.