Principal / Senior Principal / Technical Principal - Transport Planner

Location/s: Madrid, ES
Recruiter contact: Madeleine Knight

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.

About the business unit 
We help conceive, drive, and implement transport solutions for cities, regions, and asset owners/operators around the globe. From preparing the business case and advising on related issues - such as revenue, procurement, and environmental legislation - to delivering the completed infrastructure and helping maintain it. Our planning, engineering, environmental and management skills cover the whole project cycle. We play a major role in developing and delivering the Global Transport Sector Strategy.

Overview of the role
Mott MacDonald is a uniquely diverse global management engineering and development consultancy that offers a varied range of opportunities for potential employees to work with world expert practitioners on small- and large-scale projects across the globe.

As a member of the transport planning team in the Madrid office you will be integrated within a range of international transport planning projects (generally UK based) and assisting in driving these projects to successful delivery.

You will be a key addition to the team, supporting the Regional, technical and Service Lead with the continued development of Mott MacDonald’s market presence and ongoing growth of the transport planning business across the UK and Spain. You may also contribute to the company’s wider portfolio of international projects.

This role will see you:

• Taking the lead role in providing transport planning advice and technical services to deliver projects in accordance with project time, quality and cost objectives as agreed with project managers
• Undertake and manage technical analysis deriving key findings and reporting result
• Preparing and contributing to technical reports and other project outputs overseeing tasks and activities that match your ability, expertise and interest
• Project managing medium and larger sized commissions, with increasing responsibility as skills and experience develop
• Delivering active projects from initial strategy to concept and planning, design and construction - to UK, Spanish and potentially international design standards (depending on project location)
• Undertaking business development activities, including proposal writing and meeting potential clients and project partners to increase the pipeline of work
• Coordinating with key Business Development and Resource management teams in the Division, and with other Units and Divisions and identifying opportunities with Principal/Account Leads
• Assisting in developing the technical knowledge in the team/s within the sector, potentially providing mentoring, guidance and technical advice to junior staff to upskill and assist in their professional development
• Specifying and overseeing data analysis to include traffic and pedestrian counts as well as car parking surveys
• Undertaking site audits to identify existing and future requirements for transport infrastructure and public transport services
• Liaising with key clients and being responsible for developing effective relationships with internal and external organisations
• Specifying and managing feasibility studies, preparing reports and presentations
• Being client focused, identifying opportunities for both internal and external clients and how these may be addressed by the team, group and wider Mott MacDonald
• Meeting clients to understand their needs and pipeline of future works and documenting how they will be achieved in proposals and project plans
• Promoting innovative and cost-effective practices to deliver a high-quality service to internal and external clients, implementing digital technology to increase delivery efficiency or enhance project outcomes
• Working in as part of our collaborative project team/s in transport planning and, overall, in a team environment that represents and exemplify Mott MacDonald’s values in all activities

Candidate specification
As a Transport Planning professional, you will have experience working within the transport planning industry and have knowledge of the current Spanish transport policy context (and ideally also UK’s) with the ability to utilise this knowledge through projects and client interaction, for project delivery and for business development (to win work).

We need someone who:

• Has a good appreciation of people and places and understands the demand and the supply side of transport issues
• Is self-assured and pro-active, good at problem solving
• Writes assuredly and produces high-quality outputs both in English and Spanish
• Is confident interrogating numbers, data and spreadsheets
• Has experience in the transport planning industry, particularly in the Spanish market, and ideally also international and in the UK markets
• Can understand what our clients’ want, and how to help them achieve the outcomes they need

You will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Rounded experience in transport and/or urban planning with skills in areas such as sustainable transport and policy development being desirable
• Technical knowledge in transport planning ideally including business case, active travel, travel choice and behaviour, public transport, decarbonising transport, strategic transport connectivity, transport studies and development planning experience (or a combination of) for projects with national and / or local government clients, agencies, and private sector
• Experience in contributing to proposals and winning and delivering Transport Planning projects, managing / leading teams and engaging with Clients
• Strong communication skills within both project teams and in a client environment, with an ability to apply sound analytical and numeric skills to work, solve complex problems, and identify new innovative solutions
• Commercial awareness and the ability to maintain good client relationships and commitment to continuous improvement and innovation across the organisation
• Transport Planning or Civil Engineering degree or equivalent

We seek candidates able to demonstrate the attributes listed above. However, we encourage all applicants able to meet some or most of these to also apply for the role as they may have other comparable / transferable skills that are found relevant and desirable for the role.

Although not essential, holding an MSc of post-graduate qualification in a transport / urban design related subject would be beneficial, as would chartered status or equivalent. While knowledge of transport modelling software would an advantage for this role, it is not essential. An established network of industry relationships, particularly in Spain, as well as experience in both the private and public market sectors, will be beneficial.

In return we offer you the opportunity to build a dynamic career and make the world you love a better place. It is your turn to be you! At Mott MacDonald, you won’t find just a job, you’ll find the way to a greater future. By joining Mott MacDonald, you will find we are committed to fostering a culture that empowers our people, promotes teamwork and embraces sustainability. There’s no time like the present to make a change.

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 can 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.

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.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

• Competitive annual leave
• Pension scheme 
• Life insurance
• An annual professional institution subscription
• Private medical insurance 
• Optional benefits via salary sacrifice (restaurant voucher/transport card/day care voucher)
• Continuous development opportunities – because we want you to thrive  
• Agile/flexible working – because life isn’t 9-5  
• Annual bonus scheme  
• Wellbeing support including access to an independent Employer Assistance Scheme, wellbeing champions and access to learning and support resources 
• Access to our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability and parents/carers communities 
• The opportunity to make a difference; learn more about our social outcomes

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.