Job Description

The Head of Department – Mining & Metals, Australian GCC is a senior business leadership role responsible for leading, growing and developing WSP's GCC Mining & Metals organisation as an integrated delivery partner to the Australian business. Working with Australian and GCC leadership, the role will establish the leadership capability, operating systems, governance and culture required for a sustainable, scalable and high-performing organisation.

The role is accountable for the performance and development of an organisation of approximately 70 professionals, with significant growth ambitions. The priority is to build strong leaders, clear accountabilities and embedded business and delivery systems so the organisation operates proactively and consistently without reliance on individual intervention.

This is a business leadership and operating-model role requiring strong leadership presence, commercial judgement and credibility in an engineering or project-delivery environment. Australian Mining & Metals experience is strongly preferred, although candidates from comparable sectors or markets will be considered where they can establish credibility quickly.

The Head of Department will strengthen integration through connected relationships at multiple levels and a culture of trust, transparency, constructive challenge and shared accountability. People will be expected to identify risks early, exercise judgement and retain ownership through to resolution, supporting predictable delivery, sustainable growth and career development across both regions.

Scope of Work – Mining & Metals

The GCC Mining & Metals team supports the Australian business across the full project lifecycle, including:

Studies and early project phases
Design and engineering delivery
Project execution and delivery support
Operations, sustaining capital and brownfield work

The Head of Department is not expected to provide technical delivery, but is accountable for ensuring the leadership, capability and systems are in place to support high-quality outcomes.

Responsibilities

Leadership, Governance & Operating Model

Provide visible senior leadership with accountability for the organisation's growth, performance, culture and development.
Build an effective leader-of-leaders structure with clear responsibilities, decision rights and performance expectations.
Translate Australian Mining & Metals strategy and business plans into executable GCC priorities and operating requirements.
Establish and continuously improve the systems, governance and operational disciplines required for consistent and sustainable performance.
Empower decisions at the appropriate level and build accountability for matters through to resolution, reducing reactive intervention and upward escalation.
Provide evidence-based advice and constructive challenge to Australian and GCC leadership on strategy, growth, capability and integration.

Delivery, Quality, Health & Safety

Establish a strong culture of health, safety and wellbeing, with clear leadership and individual accountability.
Ensure predictable, high-quality delivery within agreed scope, schedule and requirements, aligned with Australian technical governance and client expectations.
Embed fit-for-purpose planning, assurance, review, reporting and lessons-learned systems that improve delivery confidence and reduce rework.
Ensure delivery risks, capability constraints and resource limitations are identified early, communicated transparently and addressed appropriately.
Work with Australian leaders, technical authorities and project managers to clarify requirements, maintain effective interfaces and drive sustained improvement.

Australian Interface, Integration & Collaboration

Strengthen the One Team – Two Locations model through trusted relationships between Australian and GCC leaders, disciplines, project teams and support functions.
Set clear expectations for communication, planning, decision-making and escalation, including early dialogue on scope, priorities, constraints and risk.
Promote early GCC involvement in workforce and project planning to improve predictability, quality and integration.
Build multi-level relationships, shared ownership and clear interfaces that reduce reliance on individual points of contact.
Address structural, behavioural or cultural barriers to collaboration and represent the organisation in relevant leadership forums.

People, Culture & Capability

Create a safe, inclusive and high-performing environment that supports wellbeing, engagement, retention and sustainable growth.
Build psychological safety, ownership and initiative so people ask questions, provide honest advice, challenge respectfully and bring considered recommendations.
Build leadership depth through clear accountabilities, coaching, succession planning and practical development pathways.
Lead workforce planning and recruitment against agreed growth, capability and business plans.
Empower leaders to manage day-to-day people, performance and delivery matters within clear governance boundaries.
Build cross-cultural leadership capability and meaningful career opportunities across Australian and GCC teams.

Business Planning & Resource Stewardship

Develop and deliver the GCC Mining & Metals business plan, workforce plan and budget in partnership with Australian leadership.
Manage headcount, capability, deployment and utilisation to align capacity with demand while protecting quality, wellbeing and sustainable delivery.
Provide transparent information on performance, capacity, financials and risk to support timely business decisions.
Support project planning, resource commitments and proposals, ensuring commitments are achievable and commercially sound.
Promote a value-based approach to GCC growth that improves client outcomes, competitiveness, profitability and reinvestment in people across both regions.

Key Interfaces & Stakeholders

Australian Mining & Metals leadership, discipline leaders and project teams; GCC discipline and team leaders; other WSP regions, sectors and GCC leaders; and Talent, HR and Operations teams.

Qualifications

Experience, Skills & Profile Required

Senior leadership experience in a complex professional services, engineering or project-delivery environment, including leading leaders and scaling teams.
Demonstrated success establishing or evolving operating models, governance and delivery systems during growth or transformation.
Proven ability to lead across regions and cultures and build credibility with Australian or comparable international teams.
Strong leadership presence and stakeholder skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders, challenge constructively and drive behavioural change.
Experience building leadership depth, accountability and succession rather than relying on direct control.
Commercial acumen and understanding of workforce planning, utilisation, delivery economics and risk.
High cultural and emotional intelligence, sound judgement and clear communication.
Mining & Metals experience is strongly preferred but not mandatory where relevant sector leadership and credibility can be demonstrated.

Qualifications

A bachelor's degree in engineering, science, business or a related discipline, or equivalent practical leadership experience.
Postgraduate leadership, management or business qualifications and professional accreditation are advantageous but not mandatory.
Extensive senior leadership experience, judgement and credibility are more important than specific academic or technical qualifications.

What Success Looks Like (12–24 Months)

Australian and GCC leaders routinely undertake joint workforce, project and delivery planning, with clear interfaces, direct multi-level relationships and shared accountability for outcomes.
A capable leader-of-leaders structure is established, with clear accountability and decisions made at the appropriate level.
Business, workforce and delivery systems are documented, implemented and routinely used by leaders to plan, manage performance, identify risks and make decisions.
Delivery performance, risks, capacity and resource constraints are predictable and transparent.
Workforce growth and career opportunities align with business demand, capability requirements and agreed plans across both regions.
Health, safety, wellbeing, quality and team sustainability are evident in leadership decisions and everyday practices.

BGV:

Employment with WSP India is subject to the successful completion of a background verification (BGV) check conducted by a third-party agency appointed by WSP India.
Candidates are advised to ensure that all information provided during the recruitment process — including documents uploaded — is accurate and complete, both to WSP India and its BGV partner.

Head Mining & Metals