Technical Principal Transport Planning

Location/s: Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh
Recruiter contact: Pamela Wray-Slack

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices. 

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual. 

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

We are seeking a senior individual to join our specialist team who will span across public transport planning and business case development. The planning of public transport enhancements and services is a core service at Mott MacDonald, forming a vital part of our extensive transport business. This includes extensive working as part of a multi-disciplinary teams across development and design of programmes and projects.

Our existing team specialises in business case development, modelling and appraisal, service planning and option identification, and strategy, and are proud to support some of the UK’s most high-profile projects, including Clyde Metro, Midland Metro, Liverpool Rapid Transit, Operational planning for Metrolink, Cardiff Crossrail, Midlands Rail Hub, the Energy Coast Rail Upgrade, and Liverpool Baltic Station. We’re also supporting a growing portfolio of international projects with UK resource.

In the north of the UK and Wales, we work across all the major city regions and several other geographies, delivering both large-scale regional and local projects. Our team operates across major frameworks with Transport for Greater Manchester, Merseytravel, Cheshire and Cumbria, West and South Yorkshire Combined Authorities, and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport.

We’re at the forefront of applying innovative approaches to business cases, modelling, helping our clients to achieve their ambitions for public transport and the outcomes it delivers, working with them to help develop the right modal and network solutions consistent with national and regional guidance.

As a Technical Principal Transport Planning, you’ll be based in one of our northern offices (Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle, or Edinburgh), leading the delivery of public transport planning support, both as the lead discipline and by supporting other teams in delivering multi-disciplinary projects. You’ll manage project workstreams, mentor junior staff, and engage directly with clients and stakeholders. You’ll contribute to business development, shape regional transport agendas, and help deliver some of the UK’s most exciting and transformative transport projects.

Candidate specification

We’re looking for someone who shares our passion for shaping the future of transport and who wants to grow their career in a collaborative, forward-thinking environment.

We’re looking for a Technical Principal Transport Planning with a strong track record in shaping development of public transport planning programmes and projects. You’ll bring technical expertise, and a collaborative mindset to a team delivering some of the UK’s most complex and high-profile investments.

You’ll typically have 10-15 years of post-graduate experience in transport planning, with proven experience in leading workstreams, managing client relationships, and contributing to business development. Your background may include transport economics, appraisal, modelling sustainable transport, or major scheme development.

Essential:

You will be able to demonstrate some of the following skills, experience and attributes, depending on your interests and work to date:

• A strong interest in transportation, transport economics and appraisal, business cases, placemaking, and collaborative working
• Degree in a related discipline (or equivalent). This could include Transport Planning, Geography, Engineering, Economics, Urban Planning
• The successful candidate will be a member (or working towards membership) of a relevant professional organisation (such as CIHT, CILT, TPS or ICE) and/or ideally looking to achieve chartered status (e.g. CTPP)
• Demonstrable skills in at least some of the following: transport policy and strategy, business cases, transport economics, scheme development and appraisal, or sustainable transport planning
• Strong numerical and analytical skills, with proficiency in spreadsheet-based data analysis and economic appraisal, supplemented by experience and/or knowledge in other applications such as MOIRA, Podaris, GIS software, and OpenPaths, Visum et al
• Experience applying techniques in line with Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG) and His Majesty’s (HM) Treasury Green Book guidance, and a clear understanding of their role in scheme development
• Excellent report writing and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly to clients and colleagues
• Experience contributing to successful bids and tenders, demonstrating commercial awareness and client engagement capability

Desirable:

The following would also be desirable however not essential:

• An MSc or post degree qualifications in a transport related subject
• Project management experience
• Better Business Cases qualification
• An ability to consider public transport investment in a broader sense, including contribution to place-making, and links to complementary investment and active modes through first/last mile connectivity
• Knowledge of the North-West, North-East, Midlands, Wales, and/or Scotland and regional transport and regeneration market
• Strong market knowledge and client connections in your home region

We welcome applications from individuals at all experience levels who believe they possess the necessary skills. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

Agile working  

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity and inclusion 

We put equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they have the opportunity to contribute. 

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com and we will talk to you about how we can support you.