Head of Mission Critical – Senior Technical Director

Job Description Strategic Leadership Overview: Lead WSP’s Middle East Mission Critical Sector as the Senior / Technical Director, with a primary focus on Data Centres while owning the strategy and growth across a broader portfolio of mission-critical sub-sectors. In this highly visible leadership role, you will define the regional vision for Mission Critical, shape sub-sector strategies, and expand WSP’s market presence in the rapidly evolving mission-critical infrastructure landscape. Your leadership will directly influence growth performance, strengthen strategic client relationships, and elevate WSP’s Mission Critical portfolio — establishing repeatable, high-performance solutions across data centres and adjacent mission-critical environments where uptime, resilience, speed-to-commissioning, and operational continuity are paramount. You will oversee the delivery of high-quality consulting services, lead strategic initiatives, ensure exceptional client satisfaction, and achieve key Profit & Loss (P&L) performance targets. Responsibilities Vision & Strategy: - Define and execute the regional strategy for mission-critical data centres, aligning with WSP’s global vision and Middle East priorities. - Own the Mission Critical sector architecture and sub-sector strategies (with data centres as the primary focus), including value proposition, priority accounts, partner strategy, capability roadmap, and a repeatable go-to-market plan for each sub-sector. Establish clear scorecards and governance to track pipeline, conversion, margin, delivery performance, and sector maturity. Cross-Business Collaboration: - Champion collaboration across Advisory, Engineering, Sustainability, and Digital practices to deliver integrated solutions that maximize value for clients. Market Expansion: - Position WSP as the partner of choice for hyperscale, colocation, and enterprise data centre clients, while advancing regional and multi-sector priorities across the Mission Critical portfolio. Client Engagement: - Strengthen relationships with key clients and stakeholders, ensuring exceptional satisfaction and trust in WSP’s delivery capabilities. Operational Excellence: - Oversee the delivery of high-quality consulting and engineering services, ensuring projects meet mission-critical standards for resilience, efficiency, and sustainability across data centres specifically. P&L Accountability: - Drive financial performance by achieving key Profit & Loss (P&L) targets, optimizing resource allocation, and ensuring sustainable growth. Business Development: - Lead strategic initiatives to expand WSP’s footprint in the Middle East data centre market, securing new opportunities and partnerships. Quality, Safety & Operations (QSO): - Uphold WSP’s commitment to quality, safety, and operational excellence, setting the tone for industry-leading standards in mission-critical delivery. Leadership & Team Management - Lead, inspire, and manage a diverse team of technical and strategic consultants and subject matter experts. Foster a collaborative, innovative, and inclusive culture centered on growth, technical excellence, strategic advisory services and accountability across business lines and global regions. Emerging Technologies & Future-Ready Solutions: - Drive innovation and future-ready solutions across mission-critical data centres, leveraging advanced technologies, sustainable practices, and integrated digital strategies to ensure resilience, efficiency, and long‑term market leadership in the Middle East Qualifications - Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Architecture, or a closely related technical discipline ( Mechanical, Electrical, ICT/Telecoms, Fire & Life Safety, or similar) - Master’s degree in engineering management, Business Administration, Data Centre Engineering, or a relevant technical field (preferred - 15+ years of experience in mission-critical/data centre projects, with at least 5 years in a leadership role. - Strong understanding of: Data centre MEP/HVAC systems, Electrical redundancy / Tier levels, Uptime Institute standards, Cooling and energy optimisation strategies, Commissioning processes & operational readiness, Mission‑critical resilience and risk engineering - Experience working within Middle East regulatory frameworks (UAE/KSA at minimum). - Proven track record in business development, client management, and P&L ownership. - Strong technical understanding of data centre design, construction, and operations. - Experience leading senior technical experts, sector teams, or multi-disciplinary delivery teams. Core Leadership Capabilities - Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills. - Strong commercial acumen and experience with P&L or division-level budget ownership. - Ability to manage multiple large-scale, complex projects simultaneously under aggressive timelines. - Deep understanding of data center-specific design considerations, including redundancy factors and industry regulatory frameworks. - Evidence of building culture, driving accountability, and setting governance structures.

• Principal Electrical Design Engineer – Mission Critical (Data Centres)

  WSP in the Middle East · Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates