Principal Safety Engineer — Road Safety Leadership

New Zealand Transport Agency; Nelson; On-site; NZD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Five weeks' annual leave

Insurance (life, income protection, CI

Flexible working

Job summary

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency seeks a Principal Safety Engineer to lead regional safety programmes and act as a technical authority on complex interventions. You will translate evidence into clear priorities, balancing safety, network performance and value for money across planning, investment, delivery and operation of the state highway network.

You will influence national guidelines and collaborate with regional teams while mentoring engineers to lift safety outcomes across Aotearoa.

Qualifications

• Extensive road safety engineering experience.
• Expertise in safety treatments, crash analysis and effective interventions.
• Knowledge of CAS, RAMM, high-speed data and KiwiRAP.
• Experience delivering integrated, value-for-money transport solutions.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills.
• Clear written and verbal communication.
• Experience working across multidisciplinary teams.
• Knowledge of New Zealand’s land transport system and legislation.
• Experience coaching and mentoring technical professionals.
• A relevant tertiary qualification in transport, civil or highway engineering.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate regional safety programmes, connecting regional risks with national priorities and delivery programmes.
• Act as a technical authority on complex safety interventions and system risks.
• Shape multidisciplinary safety outcomes across planning, investment, project development, delivery and operations.
• Translate evidence into clear, balanced, actionable recommendations for decision-makers.
• Lead or support national and regional safety programmes, including low-cost, high-value safety improvements.
• Review proposed safety and traffic engineering improvements.
• Provide client-side review of safety audits and manage departure processes.
• Collaborate with Principal Engineers nationally to strengthen consistency and share regional insight.

Skills

Road safety engineering

Safety treatments

Crash analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Mentoring engineers

Education

Relevant tertiary qualification in transport, civil or highway engineering

Tools

CAS

RAMM

KiwiRAP

High-speed data

Job description

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency seeks a Principal Safety Engineer to lead regional safety programmes and act as a technical authority on complex interventions. You will translate evidence into clear priorities, balancing safety, network performance and value for money across planning, investment, delivery and operation of the state highway network.

You will influence national guidelines and collaborate with regional teams while mentoring engineers to lift safety outcomes across Aotearoa.