Tunnels Lead
WSPWSP is hiring a Tunnels Lead to steer its tunnelling practice within the Middle East Transport & Infrastructure team. The role is based in Dubai and on site, supporting projects across the GCC and the broader region. WSP is a global engineering and professional services firm with more than 69,000 employees, and this position is aimed at someone who can set technical direction, win major underground projects, and mentor a growing cadre of tunnel specialists.
The successful candidate will bring a strong blend of deep technical know-how in tunnel and underground structures with proven delivery and people leadership. They’ll help shape big transportation, rail, metro, highway, utility and underground infrastructure programmes while guiding multidisciplinary teams and expanding WSP’s tunnelling capabilities across the region.
The daily rhythm of tunnels leadership
You’ll act as the regional technical authority for tunnelling and underground works, overseeing the design and review of a range of schemes, from TBM-driven tunnels to NATM or SEM approaches, as well as tunnel shafts, underground stations, and cut‑and‑cover structures. Your role spans feasibility through concept design to detailed design and construction support, ensuring designs meet international standards, client requirements, and industry best practices, while pushing for innovation and prudent risk management.
In project delivery, you’ll lead the successful execution of complex tunnel and underground projects across the Middle East. You’ll manage technical scope, programme, quality, resource allocation and commercial performance, coordinating multidisciplinary teams that include geotechnical, civil, structural, rail, highways, utilities and construction specialists. The goal is to deliver safely, on schedule, within budget and to the highest quality standards, with ongoing support for construction supervision by offering specialist design input when challenges arise.
Beyond project delivery, you’ll shape the discipline’s growth. You’ll develop and grow WSP’s tunnels capability in the Middle East, mentor tunnel engineers and technical specialists across offices, influence recruitment and succession planning, and help embed technical excellence frameworks and best practices. Collaboration with WSP’s global tunnels community will be part of your routine, sharing knowledge and aligning local work with wider global initiatives while maintaining a high‑performing team culture.
Must-have foundations for the role
- A bachelor’s degree in civil, structural or geotechnical engineering, or a closely related field
- At least 15 years of professional experience in tunnel and underground infrastructure engineering
- A proven track record of leading the design and delivery of major tunnelling projects, especially in rail, metro, highway, utilities or underground networks
- Experience managing multidisciplinary engineering teams and delivering large-scale programmes
- Strong knowledge of both conventional and mechanised tunnelling methods
- Hands-on experience with TBM tunnels
- Familiarity with NATM/SEM tunnelling approaches
- Proven ability to design cut-and-cover tunnels, underground stations and shafts
- Geotechnical and structural analysis for underground works
- Understanding of ground-structure interaction and temporary works
- Experience with construction methodologies and tunnel safety, fire life safety and risk management
- Design software and analytical tools relevant to tunnel engineering and underground structures
- A track record of leading high-performing technical teams
- Strong project management and commercial awareness
- Excellent client management and stakeholder engagement skills
- Demonstrated ability to secure and deliver major engineering commissions
- Strong communication, presentation and report-writing capabilities
- A master’s degree in tunnel engineering, geotechnical engineering, or a related field would be advantageous
Helpful extras that could help
- Experience on international projects across the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Australia, or North America is highly desirable
Guidance for candidates stepping into this role
Lead with a resume section that foregrounds your tunnel leadership in the Middle East and a record of delivering major underground schemes, including the types of projects and the outcomes you achieved.
When you describe your experience, quantify what you delivered, programmes completed on time, budgets managed, safety metrics, and how you integrated multidisciplinary teams across offices or regions.
Be prepared to discuss how you’ve created or strengthened technical excellence frameworks, how you’ve built capability within a tunnelling discipline, and how you’ve contributed to business development and client engagement in regional contexts.
In interviews, expect to walk through specific design decisions (for TBM, NATM, cut‑and‑cover, or underground stations) and demonstrate your approach to risk, ground-structure interaction, and temporary works. Have a clear narrative about how you’ve led teams to balance technical rigour with practical delivery realities in the Middle East and beyond.
Smart question to end with: what are the near-term growth priorities for WSP’s tunnelling practice in the Middle East, and how would this role contribute to delivering them?