The posting
Job Description
Position Summary
The Vice President, Right of Way Operations – National Programs, provides executive leadership in establishing, managing, and expanding a national right-of-way (ROW) organization. Initially focused on American Electric Power (AEP) electric transmission programs, the organization is being developed as a scalable delivery platform with the strategic objective of supporting additional clients and becoming a principal ROW services organization within WSP.
Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President / Deputy ROW Director, the Vice President serves as the designated second-ranking operational leader of the national ROW organization. The Vice President exercises delegated executive authority over day-to-day operations, including the direction and oversight of ROW Program Managers and their respective teams, program performance, staffing and resource allocation, and implementation of organizational priorities. The Vice President will remain directly involved in critical programs and operational matters as necessary, particularly during the organization’s initial development.
Key Responsibilities
Executive Leadership and Organizational Development
- Partner with the Senior Vice President to establish, build, and lead WSP’s national transmission ROW operations, including business strategy, operational planning, program governance, management accountability, and execution of organizational objectives.
- Develop scalable management structures, staffing strategies, reporting systems, and operating standards for a geographically dispersed national ROW organization, initially focused on AEP and positioned to serve additional utility and infrastructure clients; support the organization’s long-term objective of expanding to more than 500 employees, subject to business growth and organizational approval.
- Oversee organizational integration, continuous improvement, leadership succession planning, and coordination with WSP’s energy, engineering, environmental, and infrastructure businesses.
- Identify organizational risks, competing priorities, and opportunities for improved delivery; make or recommend decisions consistent with delegated authority.
National ROW Program and Delivery Oversight
- Provide executive oversight of a portfolio of ROW programs and their Program Managers, including delivery strategy, project controls, schedules, staffing, consultant and subconsultant performance, contract execution, and client commitments.
- Oversee the full ROW lifecycle: property research and due diligence; route and site evaluation; title review and curative work; easement and fee acquisition; landowner engagement; appraisal and valuation; condemnation support; construction support and damage claims; and property rights documentation.
- Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), quality assurance practices, executive reporting, and corrective action processes across programs.
- Coordinate ROW delivery with engineering, environmental clearance, surveying, permitting, utility coordination, design, construction, and legal professionals; directly support critical or complex matters when needed.
Financial Management and Operational Performance
- Partner with the Senior Vice President in developing and executing operating plans, budgets, forecasts, staffing models, and financial objectives; provide executive oversight of portfolio revenue, profitability, resource utilization, and consultant, subconsultant, and delivery-partner financial performance.
- Establish financial accountability across programs; evaluate budgets, forecasts, schedules, contract performance, and KPIs; direct corrective action to protect profitability, service quality, and client commitments, and report consolidated results to senior leadership.
- Provide leadership oversight of scope development, contract administration, procurement coordination, change management, and financial considerations for new and existing engagements, subject to WSP approval requirements.
Client Relationship and Business Development
- Serve as a senior executive resource and advisor to WSP’s strategic client teams, including AEP leadership, supporting program strategy, executive-level issue resolution, key client relationships, and long-term business opportunities.
- Support proposals, client presentations, contract discussions, and business development initiatives to expand national ROW services beyond the initial AEP work.
- Develop relationships with utility and infrastructure clients and identify opportunities to leverage WSP’s multidisciplinary services and expand its ROW delivery capabilities.
People Leadership, Risk Management, and Compliance
- Recruit, develop, mentor, and oversee Program Managers and other senior ROW professionals; establish an accountable leadership team capable of directing complex programs while supporting organizational expansion, performance management, and succession planning.
- Promote a culture of safety, integrity, inclusion, collaboration, responsiveness, and high-quality client service across geographically dispersed teams.
- Oversee identification and escalation of ROW-related legal, regulatory, contractual, landowner, stakeholder, schedule, and operational risks; coordinate with appropriate subject-matter specialists and counsel.
- Support compliance with applicable federal, state, and local acquisition, relocation, property management, and other regulatory requirements, as well as WSP policies and quality standards.
Leadership Attributes and Skills
- Strategic Leadership: Balances long-term organizational objectives with immediate operational demands and establishes priorities that support business growth.
- Collaborative Leader: Builds and develops high-performing teams while promoting accountability, inclusion, professional development, and succession planning.
- Executive Judgment: Exercises sound judgment in complex operational, financial, contractual, and personnel matters.
- Relationship Management: Establishes strong relationships with executive leadership, clients, business partners, and internal stakeholders.
- Adaptability and Innovation: Leads effectively in a developing organization, promotes continuous improvement, and responds to evolving business and client needs.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in business, law, real estate, engineering, planning, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience; advanced degree (including J.D. or MBA) desirable.
- Significant progressive leadership experience in ROW, utility or infrastructure programs, real estate, professional services, business operations, or related fields; demonstrated ability to lead complex programs and multidisciplinary teams.
- Experience with budgets, contracts, staffing, operational performance, client relationships, and organizational development; strong understanding of property rights, easements, acquisition and negotiation, and associated regulatory considerations.
- Excellent executive communication, judgment, relationship-building, strategic planning, and problem-solving skills; ability to operate effectively in a growing organization.
- Travel as business needs require.
About Us
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.
www.wsp.com
WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also 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.
At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers 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?
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.
The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.
NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES:
WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes include any resume or hiring document sent to WSP in the absence of a signed Service Agreement where WSP has expressly requested recruitment/staffing services specific to the position at hand. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of WSP and WSP will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.
