The firm currently employs over 7,000 people across the UK and Ireland.

The firm aims to ramp up staff headcount in specialisms including rail, water, planning, highways and building structures, and business support functions including legal, finance and marketing & communications. 

Two areas of particular growth are the firm’s earth & environment and advisory services disciplines, where roles for ecologists, climate specialists, digital specialists, economists and technical due diligence specialists will support the firm’s increasing activity in these sectors. 

This will support WSP’s commitment to halve the carbon footprint of all designs and advice provided to clients by 2030 – a first in the engineering consultancy sector. 

Mathieu du Plooy, Chief Operating Officer at WSP, said: “Our new growth strategy makes WSP UK’s ambitions very clear: we intend to build on our market-leading position across a number of exciting sectors, provide opportunities for our people to work on fantastic projects, and push our ingenuity forward to become future ready together. Having the best people in the industry will support the business in delivering on these ambitions.” 

WSP presently supports public and private sector clients on landmark projects, including HS2 stations such as Old Oak Common and Curzon Street, 22 Bishopsgate in London and National Highways’ net zero highways plan.

Carol White, UK Director of Recruitment and HR Operational Services at WSP, said: “It’s truly exciting to see such investment in our business through its people, particularly when those working within the built and natural environment have vital skills to address the climate and biodiversity crises through their designs and advice.”