Principal/Associate – Transport Planning & Mobility

WSP in the Middle East; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 260,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP Middle East is seeking an experienced Principal/Associate Transport Planner to join our Transport Planning & Mobility team in the UAE. You will lead transport master planning and mobility strategy for major developments across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, coordinating with authorities and multidisciplinary teams to deliver integrated, sustainable mobility solutions.

You will manage concept through approvals, guide technical delivery, and mentor junior staff, while maintaining strong client

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related discipline required.
• Master's degree in transport planning or related field desirable.
• Professional membership or accreditation advantageous.
• 10–15 years of experience in transport planning, mobility strategy, and master planning.
• Strong Middle East experience, UAE and Saudi Arabia preferred.
• Experience leading mobility inputs for large-scale multidisciplinary master planning projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead transport master plans, transport impact studies, mobility strategies, and development planning inputs for major projects.
• Develop multimodal transport strategies including road access, active mobility, PT integration, and parking strategies.
• Coordinate with master planning, road design, infrastructure, and other disciplines to integrate transport requirements.
• Manage pre-concept to detailed master planning, authority submissions, and approval processes.
• Act as client-facing transport planning lead for government and developers; lead meetings and workshops.
• Support business development in transport master planning, mobility strategy and related services.
• Mentor transport planners and contribute to capability development.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Client facing

Project delivery

Team mentoring

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Architecture, Urban Planning, Civil Engineering, Transport Planning, Transportation Engineering, or related

Master's Degree in Transport Planning, Urban Planning, Environmental Planning, Public Policy, Transportation Engineering, or related

Professional membership/accreditation (CIHT, TPS, ICE, ITE, RTPI, LEED, etc.)

Job description

WSP Middle East is seeking an experienced Principal/Associate Transport Planner to join our Transport Planning & Mobility team in the UAE. The role is intended to strengthen our capability in transport master planning, transport impact studies, mobility strategy, and multidisciplinary master planning delivery across the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The successful candidate will be expected to operate as a mobility lead on major development projects, with the confidence to manage client interfaces, coordinate with authorities, and guide technical delivery from early feasibility and concept stages through to approvals and detailed master planning. This role requires a planner who can combine strong technical transport planning capability with practical project delivery, design coordination, and stakeholder management. The candidate should be comfortable working closely with master planners, infrastructure engineers, sustainability, environment, smart city, security, and other disciplines to develop integrated, sustainable, and user-focused mobility solutions for complex mixed-use, TOD, island, tourism, civic, residential, and government-led developments.

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

• Lead the preparation and delivery of transport master plans, transport impact studies, mobility strategies, feasibility studies, and development planning inputs for major master planning projects.
• Develop multimodal transport strategies covering road access, internal circulation, parking, active mobility, public transport integration, marine or island access where relevant, and emerging mobility solutions.
• Provide practical transport planning advice for mixed-use developments, TOD schemes, new communities, tourism and island destinations, stadium and event-related developments, civic precincts, and large-scale infrastructure-led projects.
• Lead mobility inputs from pre-concept and concept master planning through to detailed master planning, authority submissions, and approval processes.
• Coordinate closely with master planning, road design, infrastructure, utilities, sustainability, environment, smart cities, security, and other disciplines to ensure transport requirements are properly integrated into the wider development strategy.
• Define trip generation, access assumptions, parking strategies, active mobility networks, public transport interfaces, mitigation measures, and phasing considerations in a clear and defensible manner.
• Oversee transport modelling inputs, review model outputs, and translate findings into clear planning recommendations and client-facing advice.
• Ensure technical quality, consistency, and clarity across reports, presentations, authority submissions, and technical notes.

Project Delivery

• Manage and deliver multiple transport planning and mobility workstreams across UAE and Saudi Arabia projects.
• Act as Project Manager, Deputy Project Manager, Transport Lead, or Mobility Lead on multidisciplinary master planning and development assignments.
• Manage day-to-day coordination between the transport team, master planner, infrastructure team, client, subconsultants, and relevant authorities.
• Prepare and manage programmes, deliverable trackers, resource plans, budgets, risk registers, and project interfaces for transport planning scopes.
• Support commercial and contractual management, including scope control, change management, variation inputs, and clear documentation of assumptions and exclusions.
• Ensure deliverables are issued on time, aligned with the agreed scope, and responsive to client, authority, and design team requirements.

Client and Stakeholder Management

• Act as a confident client-facing transport planning lead for government clients, master developers, private developers, and multidisciplinary project teams.
• Lead technical meetings, design workshops, progress reviews, and presentations with clients, stakeholders, and regulatory authorities.
• Coordinate effectively with UAE and Saudi transport and planning authorities, including experience with TMP, TIS, parking, access, and mitigation approval processes.
• Present transport planning recommendations clearly to senior stakeholders, explaining technical issues in a practical and non-technical manner where required.

Business Development

• Support business development across transport master planning, mobility strategy, transport impact assessment, TOD advisory, sustainable mobility, and development planning services.
• Lead or contribute to proposals, including methodology development, scope definition, resourcing, project references, CV inputs, assumptions, exclusions, and fee build-up support.
• Help position WSP for opportunities with master developers, public sector clients, and major development programmes across the region.
• Contribute to service development in sustainable mobility, active mobility, TOD, future mobility, autonomous mobility, fleet planning, and integrated master planning advisory.

Team Leadership and Mentoring

• Mentor and develop transport planners and junior team members.
• Provide technical guidance and support across project teams.
• Foster collaboration and knowledge sharing within the wider transport and infrastructure business.
• Support recruitment and capability development initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Architecture, Urban Planning, Civil Engineering, Transport Planning, Transportation Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Master's Degree in Transport Planning, Urban Planning, Environmental Planning, Public Policy, Transportation Engineering, or a related field is desirable.
• Professional membership or accreditation such as CIHT, TPS, ICE, ITE, RTPI, LEED Green Associate, Registered Architect, or equivalent is advantageous.
• Approximately 10–15 years of professional experience in transport planning, mobility strategy, transport master planning, transport impact studies, or development planning.
• Strong Middle East experience is required, preferably with a solid track record in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
• Demonstrated experience leading mobility or transport planning inputs for large-scale multidisciplinary master planning projects, including concept master plans, detailed master plans, TMPs, TISs, and authority submissions.
• Experience across mixed-use, TOD, residential, civic, tourism, island, stadium/event, public realm, and government-led developments would be highly desirable.
• Strong background in sustainable mobility, active mobility, public transport integration, parking policy, accessibility planning, transport demand management, and development-led transport planning.
• Experience developing TOD strategies, transit-oriented policies, autonomous mobility concepts, electric mobility strategies, or sustainable fleet planning would be an advantage.
• Strong understanding of regional planning frameworks, transport policies, development regulations, authority approval processes, and transport master plan requirements.
• Proven ability to manage complex projects, multidisciplinary design interfaces, client expectations, authority requirements, commercial inputs, and delivery risks.
• Knowledge of TMPs, TISs, parking studies, access strategies, traffic mitigation measures, Sidra/junction assessment outputs, and master planning integration.
• Ability to analyse land use, transport, phasing, parking, accessibility, and development data and translate findings into clear, practical recommendations.
• Strong report writing, presentation, communication, and client-facing skills, including the ability to prepare executive-level presentations and concise technical narratives.

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 80,000 employees, working together to make a difference in communities both close to home and around the world. With us, you can.