Principal Transport Planner

Transport Planning Society; West Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Career development opportunities

Volunteering days

AECOM University training

Job summary

AECOM is recruiting a Principal Transport Planner in Birmingham to lead a diverse portfolio within the regional transport planning practice. You will guide project delivery, engage with clients and stakeholders, and mentor junior staff while expanding opportunities across national frameworks.

The role emphasizes strategic growth, advanced analysis and leadership across multi-disciplinary projects, with a strong track record in business case development and policy-driven outcomes.

Qualifications

• Senior professional with extensive experience in transport planning and appraisal.
• Experience delivering business cases and scheme evaluation in multi-disciplinary teams.
• Chartered status or membership of a relevant professional body desirable.
• Strong client engagement, leadership and bid development capabilities.
• Ability to mentor others and contribute to regional business growth.

Responsibilities

• 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 delivery to standards, on schedule and within budget.
• Act as a trusted adviser to regional and national clients, shaping strategy and technical direction.
• Represent the business at client meetings, consultations and workshops, building relationships.
• Support work-winning activity in the region and lead bids when required.
• Collaborate with other AECOM teams to secure multi-disciplinary commissions.
• Contribute to staff development, resourcing and succession planning within Birmingham office.

Skills

Transport planning

Project leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Mentoring junior staff

Business development

Analytical skills

Education

Degree in Transport Planning

Geography

Civil Engineering

Economics

Job description

AECOM

Contact: [e-mail] Region: England - West Midlands Location: Birmingham Category: Transport planning Closes: 18 Dec 2026 Salary: Unspecified

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.

You Will Work Within a Large And Collaborative Team To Support The Delivery Of a Diverse Range Of Transport Planning Work Within Our Regional And National Portfolio Including

• 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 multiyear, multimillion-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? Here's What We're Looking For

• 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.

At AECOM, we value everyone's unique contributions and perspectives.