Principal Transport Planner - Strategic Highways

Job Description

What if you could do the kind of work the world needs? At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives. You can experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you.

Due to our expanding public sector workload and recent place on a large National Highways framework, we are seeking a Principal or Senior Transport Planner to join our Transport Planning Team. The role is ideally based in our Leeds, Birmingham, Guildford, Manchester, Newcastle, or Southampton offices, with hybrid working allowing for a mix of in‑office and home working.

Working as part of an integrated team of planners, engineers and modellers, and collaborating with various disciplines across our UK offices, you will contribute to the successful delivery of our wide portfolio of projects by providing mentoring and technical advice to our team members and a range of clients.

You will work within a team with a focus on our range of National Highways contracts and projects including Spatial Planning, Strategic Studies, Route Strategies and Scheme Development (including business case development and concept design). The team also takes a strategic lead role on multi‑disciplinary projects and works closely with our planning, infrastructure design, structures, and transport and environmental teams across WSP.

You Can Expect To Be Active On Several Projects And Client Accounts At Any Given Time. You Will Report To a Senior Member Of Our Team With Day‑to‑day Tasks Spanning The Following:

• Providing day‑to‑day support in the delivery of a range of projects, which at any one time could include a selection of the following (Concept studies/strategies, development of feasibility studies/options appraisal reporting).
• Reviewing Transport Statements, Transport Assessments, Travel Plans, Local Plans, Spatial Strategies and supporting National Highways at all stages of the planning process.
• Analysing a wide range of data to understand network issues, identify potential solutions, and support pipeline building.
• Actively managing and leading efforts to build and maintain collaborative working relationships with both clients and colleagues.
• Effective Project Management, ensuring your projects are delivered to budget, programme, technical standards and associated legal requirements.
• Involvement in high profile client engagement, stakeholder management, liaison with internal and external partners and industry professionals.

• Experience working for National Highways in the areas outlined above is desirable, but we would encourage those with other relevant experience to apply.
• Project management experience, with the ability to review client briefs and tenders, develop fee proposals and lead project delivery including supervising workloads, task delegation, supporting junior staff and managing client expectations.
• Sound commercial awareness including effective financial management.
• Up to date knowledge on latest transport policies and legislations, design standards and planning processes applicable to the UK.
• Experience in using transport planning software and tools including TRICS and traffic modelling and appraisal software packages.
• Ability to produce technical project reports and non‑technical public‑facing reports and presentations for a range of clients and stakeholders to a high technical standard; strong interpersonal and communication skills, able to communicate confidently with clients, stakeholders, team members and present at meetings, workshops and public forums.

If not already achieved, you will be encouraged and supported by WSP to work towards professional accreditation.

Work‑life balance:
Hybrid working policy offers the flexibility to work from home two days a week, while also providing opportunities to collaborate in our modern offices across the UK. Inclusivity & Belonging:
We welcome applicants with varied backgrounds and experiences…