Associate Director- Creative Lead

WSP Middle East is seeking a Creative Associate Director – Lighting Design to join our Middle East team. This leadership role combines artistic vision with technical expertise to deliver innovative lighting solutions for our clients. The successful candidate will lead the creative direction and delivery of lighting design projects, ensuring designs enhance aesthetics, functionality, and storytelling while driving strategic growth and creative branding for WSP's lighting discipline.

The Creative Associate Director will shape and lead the lighting team's design vision, ensuring high-quality creative output across all projects while guiding the development of new ideas, methods, and service opportunities. This role is responsible for elevating the studio's creative capability, strengthening existing skills, exploring new sectors, and broadening the team's offer in ways that align with market potential. Alongside project leadership, the Creative Associate Director will define and champion the team's creative identity, establishing a clear design signature and a compelling brand presence that differentiates the studio and inspires both clients and colleagues

Creative Leadership & Project Delivery

• Lead the creative direction and design quality across all lighting projects, from concept through delivery.
• Provide clear creative guidance to the team, ensuring ideas are rigorous, distinctive, and aligned with project objectives.
• Oversee the integration of lighting design within multidisciplinary teams, strengthening the creative contribution to broader project narratives.

Capability Growth, Business Development & Innovation

• Identify opportunities to elevate the team's creative skillset, introducing new techniques, tools, and design approaches.
• Explore and assess potential growth areas for the studio—whether new sectors, emerging technologies, or expanded service lines.
• Build and nurture strong client relationships, representing the lighting team with confidence and credibility.
• Identify and develop new leads and project opportunities, contributing to the studio's pipeline and market presence.
• Drive a culture of experimentation, knowledge-sharing, and continuous improvement.

Brand & Design Identity

• Define, articulate, and evolve the studio's creative brand, ensuring a consistent and compelling creative point of view.
• Establish a recognisable design signature that distinguishes the team in the market and resonates with clients.

• Champion the studio's work externally through thought leadership, showcases, and strategic collaborations.

• Extensive experience in creative leadership within lighting design or a related design discipline.

• Proven ability to lead complex projects with strong conceptual, visual, and technical design skills.

• Track record of developing client relationships and winning work.

• Demonstrated ability to identify market opportunities and support strategic growth.

• Strong communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to inspire clients and teams.

• Visionary with a strong design sensibility and the ability to articulate a compelling creative direction.

• Collaborative, confident, and able to build trust with both internal teams and external partners.

• Proactive, curious, and committed to continuous improvement and innovation.

• Comfortable balancing creative ambition with delivery realities and business needs.

Imagine a better future for you and a better future for us all.

Join our close-knit community of talented individuals who share your passion for making a positive impact. Our global team includes more than 69,000 employees, working together to make a difference in communities both close to home and around the world.

With us, you can. Apply today.