Principal Transportation Engineer - Urban Planning & Design

Placements24; Pretoria; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully remote work arrangement

Professional development opportunities

Leadership training

Competitive salary and benefits

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a Principal Transportation Engineer to lead transportation planning and design across municipalities. Based remotely, you will guide master plans, traffic studies, and public transport strategies while mentoring junior staff.

You will collaborate with clients and government agencies, ensuring compliance with South African legislation and standards, and steer multidisciplinary teams to deliver safe, sustainable urban mobility solutions.

Qualifications

• Professional registration with ECSA as a Professional Engineer (Pr Eng).
• Master's degree in Transportation Engineering, Civil Engineering, or Urban Planning.
• 12-15 years of progressive experience in transportation engineering and planning.
• Proven expertise in traffic modeling software (VISSIM, SIDRA, TransCAD) and CAD/GIS platforms.
• Proven track record of leading significant transportation projects and managing multidisciplinary teams.
• In-depth knowledge of South African transportation planning principles, design standards, and legislation.
• Excellent strategic thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder engagement skills, essential for remote collaboration.
• Ability to work autonomously and manage multiple projects concurrently in a remote setting.
• Valid driver's license.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, design, and implementation of diverse transportation projects, including road networks, intersections, public transport facilities, and active transport infrastructure.
• Conduct comprehensive traffic impact assessments, capacity analyses, and network modeling.
• Develop transportation master plans, mobility strategies, and feasibility studies for urban and regional areas.
• Oversee the production of detailed design drawings, specifications, and reports.
• Manage project teams, ensuring technical quality, adherence to budgets, and timely delivery of project milestones.
• Engage with clients, government agencies, stakeholders, and the public to understand needs and present solutions.
• Ensure all designs and plans comply with relevant South African legislation, standards (e.g., SANS codes), and best practices.
• Mentor and develop junior transportation engineers and planners.
• Stay updated on emerging transportation technologies, trends, and policy changes.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Remote collaboration

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic thinking

Education

Master's degree in Transportation Engineering / Civil Engineering / Urban Planning

Tools

VISSIM

SIDRA

TransCAD

CAD/GIS

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a distinguished engineering and planning consultancy with a national footprint, is seeking a highly accomplished Principal Transportation Engineer to lead critical transportation planning and design initiatives. Based remotely, this role offers the opportunity to shape urban mobility solutions across various municipalities. The Principal Engineer will be responsible for overseeing the development of transportation master plans, traffic engineering studies, road network designs, and public transport strategies. This leadership position requires a strategic thinker with exceptional analytical skills, a deep understanding of traffic dynamics, and proven experience in managing complex transportation projects from conception to implementation. You will play a key role in advising clients and guiding multidisciplinary teams in creating efficient, safe, and sustainable transportation systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, design, and implementation of diverse transportation projects, including road networks, intersections, public transport facilities, and active transport infrastructure.
• Conduct comprehensive traffic impact assessments, capacity analyses, and network modeling.
• Develop transportation master plans, mobility strategies, and feasibility studies for urban and regional areas.
• Oversee the production of detailed design drawings, specifications, and reports.
• Manage project teams, ensuring technical quality, adherence to budgets, and timely delivery of project milestones.
• Engage with clients, government agencies, stakeholders, and the public to understand needs and present solutions.
• Ensure all designs and plans comply with relevant South African legislation, standards (e.g., SANS codes), and best practices.
• Mentor and develop junior transportation engineers and planners.
• Stay updated on emerging transportation technologies, trends, and policy changes.

Requirements

• Professional registration with ECSA (Engineering Council of South Africa) as a Professional Engineer (Pr Eng).
• Master's degree in Transportation Engineering, Civil Engineering, or Urban Planning.
• Minimum of 12-15 years of progressive experience in transportation engineering and planning.
• Demonstrated expertise in traffic modeling software (e.g., VISSIM, SIDRA INTERSECTION, TransCAD) and CAD/GIS platforms.
• Proven track record of leading significant transportation projects and managing multidisciplinary teams.
• In-depth knowledge of South African transportation planning principles, design standards, and legislation.
• Excellent strategic thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder engagement skills, essential for remote collaboration.
• Ability to work autonomously and manage multiple projects concurrently in a remote setting.
• Valid driver's license.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and bonus structure, commensurate with experience and leadership.
• Fully remote working arrangement offering exceptional flexibility and work-life balance.
• Opportunity to influence the future of urban mobility and infrastructure design.
• Comprehensive medical and retirement benefits.
• Opportunities for professional development, conference attendance, and leadership training.