Manager, Counsel

This Opportunity

WSP's dynamic and multiple-award winning legal team is committed to providing world class legal services to our managers and consultants practicing in the field of engineering, environmental and construction services. WSP is currently seeking a U.S.-based In-House Legal Counsel to support WSP's North American Contracts Centre of Excellence (COE), with relevant experience gained from a top law firm or in-house environment and a strong legal background in one or more of the following areas: engineering/design, construction management, infrastructure, environmental, transportation, property, and energy-related contracting. This role will be supporting project teams and business stakeholders across Canada and the United States. As a team member, you will have opportunity to provide practical legal and business advice, help shape contract strategy and risk management practices at scale, and support the organization's legal and compliance needs as the COE continues to grow.

Effective communication skills, self-motivation and the ability to work independently within a collaborative, multidisciplinary team environment are essential. As a seasoned member of the COE, you have 7+ years of experience drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and interpreting engineering and construction contracts, procurement contracts, commercial agreements, and associated documents, with the judgment to provide rapid, practical legal advice.

We are seeking a motivated candidate with an excellent ability to grasp legal and business issues quickly, communicate well, and operate closely with project teams, Operations Managers, and business stakeholders. Equally important, the candidate must be willing and able to provide practical and constructive legal advice in a fast-paced, dynamic business environment, while mentoring colleagues, supporting consistent COE practices, and helping improve contracting processes across a renowned, multi-national engineering and consultancy company.

Your Impact

An overview of your role will include:

• Provide a strategic blend of business and legal advice to project teams, Operations Managers, and business stakeholders across Canada and the United States, with a practical, service-oriented COE approach
• Review, draft, negotiate, and interpret client contracts, RFP terms, teaming agreements, NDAs, subcontract instruments, service offers, and other contractual documents, identifying major requirements, responsible parties, scope, commercial terms, and legal and business risks
• Lead or support negotiations of consulting, engineering, construction, procurement, and other commercial agreements, escalating appropriately and helping project teams reach balanced, business-focused outcomes
• Conduct contract risk assessments and develop proactive, practical risk mitigation strategies that align with WSP's authorization matrices, corporate policies, governance requirements, and applicable legal considerations
• Provide timely legal support on contract issues arising during the project lifecycle, including change management, claims, disputes, payment issues, and other matters requiring rapid practical advice
• Lead and support legal and contracts training for project teams and legal/contracts colleagues, including Contracts 101, Lessons Learned, Prompt Payment, and other practical training that builds contracting capability
• Provide leadership within the COE by mentoring colleagues, supporting consistent contract review practices, using CLM systems and AI-driven tools, improving templates and standard clauses, and helping identify and implement process and practice improvements to meet evolving business requirements

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of related legal and contracting experience, including drafting, editing, reviewing, negotiating, and interpreting contracts, preferably in the engineering, infrastructure, environmental, transportation, energy, or commercial construction sectors.
• Working knowledge of common commercial models and compensation types, including CPFF, T&M, FFP, and other professional services contracting structures.
• Law degree from a recognized institution and membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar, with eligibility to provide in-house legal support consistent with applicable bar rules
• In-house or comparable experience working with a large, matrixed, international organization and supporting stakeholders across jurisdictions, including Canada and the United States
• An enthusiastic collaborator and practical advisor who works well with project teams, business stakeholders, and legal/contracts colleagues in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to provide sound, concise business and legal advice to all levels of the company, including the ability to simplify complex legal concepts for engineers, scientists, project managers, and business leaders
• Personable, critical thinker able to partner with Operations Managers, project teams, and business stakeholders while exercising sound legal judgment
• Driven to achieve excellent results and balanced, commercially reasonable negotiations for WSP, Operations, and clients
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and provide timely advice under time-pressured deadlines
• Experience with CLM systems, Microsoft 365 tools, and AI-driven technologies, with a willingness to help the COE use these tools responsibly and effectively
• Excellent and efficient problem-solving skills, with strong contract risk assessment, analytical, and issue-spotting capabilities.
• Excellent communication skills - must be able to coordinate between multiple departments, project teams, business stakeholders, and legal/contracts colleagues across North America.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, set priorities, see projects through completion, and help improve contracting processes, templates, standard clauses, and practical guidance materials.
• Strong business acumen, excellent judgment, and the ability to mentor and train others without overstating the scope of the L1 Manager, Counsel role

WSP Benefits:

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on a providing health and financial stability throughout the employee's career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.

Compensation:

Expected Salary (all locations): $106,100.00 - $157,500.00

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 in addition to internal equity and 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, 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.