Senior or Principal Transport Planner

As a Senior or Principal Transport Planner, you will have the opportunity to contribute to high-profile transport programmes, including some of Ireland’s largest and most complex infrastructure projects. Working across transport modelling, appraisal and business case development, you will combine technical expertise with project leadership and client engagement to help shape better-connected communities and more sustainable transport systems.

As part of the Transport Planning and Appraisal team, you will support the delivery of high-quality transport planning services for major public sector projects across Ireland, the UK and beyond. Reporting to the Senior Associate – Transport and Appraisal Lead, you will lead the delivery of small- to medium-sized transport planning tasks and workstreams, while supporting larger, high-profile and multi-disciplinary transport infrastructure projects. You will develop transport models, appraisals, business cases and associated technical reports, applying relevant UK and Irish guidance, including UK Treasury Guidance, Transport Appraisal Guidance (TAG) and Irish appraisal requirements. The role will involve working closely with project managers, clients, stakeholders and colleagues to understand requirements and deliver effective solutions, coordinating inputs across the team to ensure outputs are technically robust, delivered on time and within budget. You will also support business development activities, contribute to the future direction of the transport planning and appraisal team, provide technical guidance and mentoring to junior colleagues, and manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously while prioritising work appropriately.

In this role, you will help clients make informed investment decisions about major transport schemes and infrastructure programmes. Your analysis, technical advice and reporting will contribute to the development of deliverable, evidence-based transport solutions aligned with public sector priorities. You will have the opportunity to influence the development and appraisal of significant transport infrastructure projects, produce high-quality modelling, appraisal and business case outputs to support funding and investment decisions, and become a trusted technical adviser and key point of contact for clients and stakeholders. Your work may help shape transport networks, connectivity and economic development across Ireland and the UK, while also strengthening the wider team through coaching and developing junior colleagues. You will play a leading role in shaping the growth, technical direction and market profile of the transport planning and appraisal service, while building your project management, commercial and client relationship skills alongside experienced professionals. Success in this role will be demonstrated through the consistent delivery of accurate, practical and “right first time” outputs, effective leadership of project tasks and the development of strong relationships with clients and colleagues.

You will bring strong technical knowledge and practical experience in transport planning and business case development within the UK and/or Irish markets, with experience in at least three of the following areas: developing business cases for transport schemes in line with UK Treasury Guidance and/or Irish appraisal requirements; applying transport appraisal principles and tools such as TUBA and COBALT; supporting rail scheme development; preparing Traffic and Transport Assessments, including UK TAs and/or Irish TTAs; using transport modelling tools such as CUBE, SATURN, VISUM, VISSIM, Junctions or LinSig; and keeping up to date with current industry trends, emerging practices and relevant technical standards. You will be able to apply your expertise to complex problems and provide sound technical advice to project teams and clients.

You will be able to scope and deliver small projects, or tasks within larger ones, coordinating contributions from across the team to meet agreed deadlines and budgets. You will develop practical and bespoke solutions to new or challenging problems, demonstrate strong numerical, analytical and report-writing skills, and produce clear, accurate and well-structured technical deliverables. You will be expected to self-check your work, review the work of others, manage technical inputs effectively across multiple workstreams, and support the training and professional development of junior staff.

You will have experience managing transport planning activities and leading small- to medium-sized tasks with limited supervision. This will include the ability to plan and organise work to meet project requirements, coordinate technical inputs from colleagues and other disciplines, manage multiple projects and tasks simultaneously, prioritise effectively when deadlines or requirements change, monitor progress and communicate issues at an early stage, and apply sound project management principles to public sector and major infrastructure projects. A formal project management qualification, such as APMP, would be advantageous.

You will understand the commercial expectations associated with consultancy delivery and be able to work effectively within agreed timescales and budget constraints. You will be expected to manage your own tasks and deliverables efficiently, work within project budgets, including five-figure task budgets where applicable, and understand the relationship between quality, scope, time and cost. You will also be able to identify potential scope, programme or budget risks, raise them appropriately, and deliver work that meets both client expectations and internal commercial requirements.

You will understand the expectations of public sector clients and be able to build constructive working relationships with clients, stakeholders, project managers and colleagues. You will demonstrate strong written and verbal communication skills, the ability to understand client requirements and translate them into effective technical outputs, and confidence when attending meetings and discussing technical matters with clients. You will have a track record of producing accurate, clear and “right first time” deliverables, alongside a collaborative and professional approach to team working. Strong interpersonal skills will also enable you to support business development activities and develop long-term client relationships.

The role can be based at any UK or Ireland office, subject to business requirements, with flexibility around the base location and hybrid or flexible working arrangements considered in line with team and project needs. Regular travel will be required for client and stakeholder meetings, with travel to Dublin typically expected approximately once a month, alongside spending a few days at the team’s main office in Cork approximately once a month. Additional travel may be required to support project delivery, team collaboration and client requirements, so candidates should consider the practicality of travelling to Cork and Dublin, including available flight and rail connections, before applying. You will work collaboratively with a geographically dispersed team, project managers, clients and other technical disciplines. The role is primarily focused on technical delivery and project leadership rather than formal line management, although there may be scope for formal management responsibilities to develop over time.