Traffic Signal Operations Engineer - Signal Timing

Parsons; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 156,000 - 234,000; Full time

Job summary

Parsons is hiring a hands-on Traffic Signal Operations Engineer to optimize signal timing and improve corridor progression in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The role focuses on live operations, timing adjustments, and data-driven intersection management within a central system environment.

You will review phasing, offsets, splits, and controller parameters, implement changes, and monitor results to ensure improved delay, queues, and throughput while avoiding secondary impacts at adjacent intersections.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering, or Traffic Engineering.
• Minimum 3 years of hands-on experience in traffic signal timing, operations, or Traffic Control Center support.
• Strong written and verbal English communication skills.
• Experience with live signal timing changes in real environments.
• Familiarity with central signal systems and ATMS platforms.

Responsibilities

• Monitor signalized intersections and corridors using central signal systems and field observations.
• Review phasing, cycle lengths, offsets, splits, and controller parameters.
• Identify operational problems affecting capacity, progression, or reliability.
• Develop and implement approved timing adjustments for intersections and arterial corridors.
• Conduct before-and-after evaluations of timing changes and assess impact on delay and queues.
• Coordinate with maintenance teams on faults and system issues.
• Support adaptive signal control and priority treatments (e.g., transit, emergency).
• Maintain records of timing changes and performance measures for transparency.

Skills

Traffic Signal Operations

Traffic Signal Timing

Traffic Engineering

Corridor Coordination

ATMS platforms

English communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Traffic Engineering

Tools

TransSuite

McCain

Econolite

Siemens-Yunex

SCATS

SCOOT

Synchro

SimTraffic

Job description

Traffic Signal Operations Engineer - Signal Timing

Role: Traffic Signal Operations Engineer - Signal Timing

Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Industry: Civil Engineering

Function: Civil & Structural Engineering

Experience: Minimum 3 years of relevant traffic signal operations or traffic engineering experience

Job Type: Full-time

Traffic Signal Operations Engineer - Signal Timing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is a Civil Engineering opportunity focused on live traffic signal operations, timing optimization, corridor coordination, controller performance, and data-driven intersection management. Parsons is hiring a hands-on traffic engineer to support Riyadh's signalized road network by identifying operational deficiencies, implementing approved timing improvements, monitoring results, and helping shift traffic management toward continuous performance optimization.

Country: Saudi Arabia

City: Riyadh

Industry: Civil Engineering

Function: Civil & Structural Engineering

Salary: 14000-21000 Estimated salary range based on similar jobs in the job city; please confirm the final offer with the employer.

Gender: Any

Candidate Nationality: Any

Job Type: Full-time

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor signalized intersections and coordinated corridors using central signal systems, CCTV, detector information, dashboards, and field observations.
• Review phasing sequences, splits, cycle lengths, offsets, clearance intervals, recalls, detector settings, and controller parameters.
• Identify operational problems affecting intersection capacity, progression, queue performance, or traffic reliability.
• Develop approved signal timing adjustments for isolated intersections and coordinated arterial corridors.
• Implement signal timing changes through established system and change-control procedures.
• Conduct before-and-after evaluations to determine whether implemented changes improve delay, queues, throughput, travel time, and progression.
• Confirm that timing adjustments do not create unacceptable secondary impacts at adjacent intersections or movements.
• Support green-wave and corridor progression optimization by reviewing offsets, travel times, platoon movement, and coordination plans.
• Identify split failures, excessive queues, wasted green time, poor progression, recurring congestion, and inefficient phase utilization.
• Distinguish signal timing problems from detector failures, communication faults, controller issues, geometric constraints, or abnormal traffic demand.
• Use Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures where available to evaluate arrivals on green, arrivals on red, split performance, phase utilization, and detector activity.
• Analyze high-resolution controller data to support more detailed assessment of signal performance.
• Coordinate with field maintenance teams when detector faults, cabinet problems, communication failures, or controller defects affect operations.
• Support adaptive signal control by checking input data, controller status, detection performance, and abnormal system behavior.
• Escalate adaptive control issues requiring specialist intervention.
• Assist with implementation and monitoring of emergency vehicle preemption strategies.
• Support transit signal priority and other approved priority treatments.
• Assist with signal timing plans for major events, incidents, construction activities, and unusual traffic conditions.
• Monitor queue-management strategies and recommend operational adjustments where recurrent congestion is identified.
• Maintain accurate records of signal timing changes, operational observations, approvals, intervention reasons, and measured results.
• Prepare shift handover information so traffic operations decisions remain transparent and traceable.
• Conduct field observations during peak traffic periods to validate central system findings.
• Identify field conditions that may not be apparent through CCTV or central monitoring systems.
• Support development of traffic signal operating procedures, standard timing practices, corridor playbooks, and performance thresholds.
• Help improve TCC documentation covering signal operations, intervention procedures, and recurring problem locations.
• Provide technical guidance to TCC operators regarding basic controller behavior and traffic signal operations.
• Share operational knowledge with junior traffic engineers and project personnel.
• Participate in regular traffic signal performance reviews.
• Recommend intersections and corridors requiring detailed engineering study, geometric modification, or specialist analysis.
• Track recurring congestion and operational deficiencies to identify long-term improvement priorities.
• Coordinate with senior engineers on timing strategies requiring broader corridor or network-level analysis.
• Support technical reporting on signal performance, timing interventions, congestion trends, and operational outcomes.
• Maintain disciplined change records to ensure signal adjustments can be reviewed, validated, or reversed when necessary.
• Promote data-driven decision-making within day-to-day traffic signal operations.
• Support continuous improvement of Riyadh's signalized intersection network through structured monitoring and measurable performance evaluation.

Ideal Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Traffic Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Minimum 3 years of hands-on experience in traffic signal timing, traffic operations, traffic engineering, or Traffic Control Center support.
• Practical understanding of signal phasing, timing plans, cycle lengths, offsets, splits, clearance intervals, recalls, and detector operation.
• Experience implementing or monitoring signal timing changes in live traffic environments.
• Good knowledge of coordinated arterial signal operations and corridor progression.
• Ability to interpret traffic counts, queues, travel times, CCTV observations, detector information, and controller status data.
• Experience using traffic signal central systems, ATMS platforms, or controller software.
• Strong troubleshooting skills for separating timing deficiencies from equipment, communications, geometry, or demand-related issues.
• Comfortable working in a Traffic Control Center environment and conducting field observations during busy operating periods.
• Experience with TransSuite, McCain, Econolite, Siemens-Yunex, SCATS, SCOOT, or comparable signal control systems is advantageous.
• Familiarity with Synchro or SimTraffic would strengthen the candidate profile.
• Experience with ATSPM, high-resolution controller data, or adaptive signal systems is desirable.
• Previous signal operations experience in Saudi Arabia, the GCC, or another large metropolitan network would be valuable.
• Exposure to emergency vehicle preemption, transit priority, incident response, special-event timing, or queue-management strategies is beneficial.
• PTOE, PTP, or an equivalent professional certification is an advantage.
• Arabic language skills are desirable but not required.
• Strong written and verbal English communication skills.
• Disciplined approach to recording operational changes and technical decisions.

Skills Set

• Traffic Signal Operations
• Traffic Signal Timing
• Traffic Engineering
• Signal Phasing
• Cycle Length Optimization
• Split Optimization
• Offset Optimization
• Corridor Coordination
• Green-Wave Optimization
• Signal Progression
• Traffic Control Center Operations
• TCC
• ATMS
• Traffic Signal Controllers
• Controller Parameters
• Detector Operations
• Traffic Detection Systems
• Clearance Intervals
• Signal Recalls
• Queue Management
• Congestion Management
• Traffic Flow Analysis
• Before-and-After Analysis
• Travel Time Analysis
• CCTV Traffic Monitoring
• Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures
• ATSPM
• High-Resolution Controller Data
• Signal Performance Dashboards
• Adaptive Signal Control
• Transit Signal Priority
• Emergency Vehicle Preemption
• Special-Event Timing
• Incident Response Timing
• Corridor Performance Monitoring
• TransSuite
• McCain Controllers
• Econolite
• Siemens-Yunex
• SCATS
• SCOOT
• Synchro
• SimTraffic
• Controller Troubleshooting
• Detector Fault Diagnosis
• Communication Fault Identification
• Traffic Data Analysis
• Operational Reporting
• Timing Change Documentation
• Signal Performance Review

Why Join Us

This role provides direct involvement in the daily performance of Riyadh's traffic signal network, where engineering decisions can produce measurable improvements in congestion, travel reliability, and corridor progression. The position combines live operations, traffic engineering, signal timing, field verification, performance analytics, and Traffic Control Center experience. It offers a strong development path for traffic engineers seeking deeper expertise in signal optimization, adaptive control, ATMS operations, and intelligent urban mobility.

About the Company

Parsons Corporation delivers engineering, transportation, infrastructure, program management, and technology solutions for major projects worldwide. In Saudi Arabia, Parsons supports complex urban mobility, transportation, infrastructure, and intelligent traffic management programs through traffic engineering, ITS, systems integration, operations support, and multidisciplinary project delivery.