Principal Transport Planner

AECOM; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working model

Career development opportunities

AECOM University

Volunteering days

Job summary

AECOM is seeking a Senior Transport Planner to lead a diverse portfolio of transport planning projects. You will guide strategy, appraisal and business case development, while mentoring junior team members and shaping regional practice growth.

The role combines senior technical delivery with client engagement and potential for cross-disciplinary collaboration across the West Midlands and beyond.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in transport planning.
• Degree in Transport Planning, Geography, Civil Engineering, Economics, or a related subject.
• Chartered status or membership of a relevant professional body (e.g. CIHT, TPS, ICE).
• Strong track record of working within multi-disciplinary projects and delivering to DfT and Treasury guidance.
• Sound commercial awareness and ability to demonstrate proven management techniques including project and resource management.
• Adaptability to work on a wide range of transport planning projects, including Development Planning and Management / Spatial Planning projects.
• Experience in applying advanced analytical techniques and industry-standard tools to assess network performance and test scenarios.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to present confidently at senior level.
• Evidence of client relationship management.

Responsibilities

• Project and Technical Leadership: Direct the preparation of transport strategies, scheme appraisal and/or business case development; supervise work ensuring technical standard, on programme and within budget.
• Client and Stakeholder Engagement: Act as trusted adviser to regional and national clients; represent the business at meetings and workshops; build relationships across regions.
• Business Development: Support work-winning activity, identify opportunities and lead bids; collaborate with other teams to secure multi-disciplinary commissions.
• Team Development: Mentor colleagues, contribute to staff development, resourcing and succession planning within Birmingham office and wider business.

Skills

Transport planning

Leadership

Client engagement

Project management

Education

Degree in Transport Planning/Geography/Civil Engineering/Economics

Chartered status or professional body membership

Job description

Company Description

At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.

There has never been a better time to be at AECOM. With accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of over 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world.

We're one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.

Work with Us. Change the World.

At AECOM, we are committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy recruitment process and take any fraudulent hiring activity seriously. To support this commitment, all newly hired employees are required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment.

Job Description

Are you ready to challenge the boundaries of what's possible? AECOM offers a dynamic and collaborative environment where you can lead impactful projects and work alongside industry experts. We are seeking a Principal Transport Planner to join our industry leading Transport Planning team to help deliver a diverse range of projects. You would become an integral part of a respected team, with the role providing excellent career prospects and every opportunity for you to make your mark and influence the continuing sustainable growth of the regional transport planning team and wider AECOM business.

About You

This is a senior role for someone with extensive experience, bringing expertise in the appraisal of transport schemes, evaluation, and preparation of business cases. The role combines advanced analytical capability with project leadership, client engagement and business development. It also involves mentoring junior team members and contributing to the strategic growth of the transport planning practice.

Our team has an established track record of successfully delivering transport planning projects and works closely with other disciplines from Highways, Infrastructure, Buildings & Places and Environment Sectors. The team workload covers the full range of policy, strategy and appraisal, and evaluation. This includes the development of associated business cases and transport studies.

Transport Planning Work Portfolio

• National Highways Monitoring and Evaluation Framework
• National Highways Spatial Planning Contract Framework
• Birmingham City Council Professional Services Framework
• Transport for West Midlands Transport Planning & Modelling Frameworks
• Midlands Highway Alliance PSP4
• Transport for Wales (TfW) Framework
• Black County Transport
• West of England Combined Authority Framework
• Department for Transport Evaluation Scoping and Implementation

Here’s What You’ll Do

Project and Technical Leadership

• Provide support to Associate and Technical Directors on technical, managerial and financial matters.
• Direct the preparation of transport strategies, scheme appraisal and/or business case development.
• Supervise work carried out by other members of the team, ensuring that it is delivered to the appropriate technical standard, on programme and within budget.

Client and Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as a trusted adviser to regional and national clients, helping shape strategy and technical direction.
• Represent the business at client meetings, consultations and workshops.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships across the West Midlands and beyond.

Business Development

• Support work-winning activity in the region, identifying opportunities and leading bids.
• Collaborate with other AECOM teams to secure and deliver multi-disciplinary commissions.
• Contribute to innovation and thought leadership, helping to grow AECOM’s presence in the regional transport market.

Team Development

• Mentor and support colleagues at all levels, fostering technical excellence and knowledge sharing.
• Contribute to staff development, resourcing and succession planning within the Birmingham office and wider business.

Come Grow with Us

We develop projects from concept through to operation providing engineering and construction services for multi-year, multi-million-dollar projects for major rail and transit agencies. Our specialists provide analytical and strategic expertise for every stage of a project.

And let's not forget about the perks at AECOM. You'll enjoy a range of core and personalised benefits designed to support your future and well-being, customized to fit your lifestyle. Take advantage of career development opportunities, our flexible hybrid working model to ensure a work-life balance that suits your lifestyle, technical practice networks, AECOM University, and volunteering days.

Qualifications

Ready to push the limits of what’s possible?

• Previous experience in transport planning
• Degree in Transport Planning, Geography, Civil Engineering, Economics, or a related subject.
• Chartered status or membership of a relevant professional body (e.g. CIHT, TPS, ICE.
• Strong track record of working within a multi-disciplinary projects and delivering to DfT and Treasury guidance.
• Sound commercial awareness and an ability to demonstrate proven management techniques including project and resource management.
• Adaptability to work on a wide range of transport planning projects, including Development Planning and Management / Spatial Planning projects.
• Experience in applying advanced analytical techniques and industry-standard tools to assess network performance and test scenarios.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to present confidently at senior level.
• Evidence of client relationship management.

We celebrate diversity, including neurodiversity, and believe it enriches our team. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and abilities. If you are an applicant with a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to complete the application process, please contact us at [e-mail]

We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to applicants who have a disability or long-term condition, who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role.

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public‑and‑private‑sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.