Transport Planning Director

SLR is a global leader in sustainability solutions, working with clients to help make sustainability happen, within a collaborative, people-first culture.

Due to continued growth, we are seeking an experienced Transport Planning Team Lead to join our established Transport & Mobility Planning team in Manchester. This is an exciting opportunity to lead and grow our transport planning capability in the North of England, supporting a diverse portfolio of development, infrastructure and sustainability projects.

As part of our national leadership team, you will play a key role in expanding our presence in Manchester, strengthening client relationships, and delivering innovative transport planning solutions that support sustainable development and decarbonisation objectives.

The Role You'll lead and grow our Manchester Transport Planning team while working closely with Directors and Associate Directors across our Midlands and Northern offices. This role combines business leadership, team development, client management and technical excellence.

The role includes:

Leading the growth and development of the Manchester Transport Planning team Working with the national leadership team to implement business growth strategies

Generating new business opportunities from existing and prospective clients

Developing and managing key client relationships

Recruiting, mentoring and supporting the development of team members

Providing expert transport planning advice across a variety of development sectors

Managing and delivering complex development projects from feasibility through to planning consent

Supporting local plan promotions, planning applications, appeals and public inquiries where required

Preparing and negotiating fee proposals and overseeing project finances

Promoting a strong culture of health, safety and wellbeing

Raising awareness of CDM responsibilities and best practice

Keeping abreast of planning, policy, legal and transport sector developments

Identifying opportunities to add value to projects through innovation and technical excellence

You'll collaborate with colleagues across Planning, Environmental, Engineering and Sustainability disciplines, delivering complex and impactful projects while benefiting from the support of SLR's national leadership team.

Rewards & Benefits SLR's ‘One Team’ culture is at the heart of our business, providing a collaborative and supportive environment where people can develop and grow. Through a structured career framework, regular performance reviews, and support towards chartership, professional qualifications and licences, we offer excellent opportunities for long-term career progression.

Our flexible benefits and reward package includes:

Competitive salary with discretionary bonus

Company pension

Private medical insurance

Life, income, and travel insurance

Salary sacrifice car lease and cycle-to-work schemes

Flexible, hybrid and agile working
25 days' annual leave plus flexible public holidays

Buy or sell leave options

Core working hours

Cross-border remote working and sabbatical opportunities

Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave pay Workplace Nursery benefit

Volunteering and Community Giving Employee Assistance Programme Specialist support for mental health, stress and menopause, supporting our people both professionally and personally

About You We're looking for a commercially minded transport planning professional with strong leadership skills, a proven track record of winning work, and experience developing successful teams.

You will ideally have:

Extensive experience delivering transport planning projects within the development industry

Proven experience leading, mentoring and growing high-performing teams

Strong business development and work-winning capability

Excellent client contacts, particularly within the private sector

Experience managing project and team budgetsA successful track record of securing and delivering project work Experience across a range of land-use development sectors

Public sector and/or Development Consent Order (DCO) experience (desirable)
A high level of knowledge of planning, policy and legal frameworks affecting development projects

Strong technical…