Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Urban Transport Project Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The Urban Transport Project Coordinator is responsible for planning, coordinating and delivering urban mobility and transport infrastructure initiatives. This role combines technical transport planning knowledge, project and contract management, stakeholder engagement, and monitoring & evaluation to ensure timely, cost-effective delivery of public transport, traffic management and non-motorized transport interventions. The Coordinator acts as the primary liaison between municipal authorities, consultants, contractors, donors and community stakeholders to translate strategic transport objectives into implemented works and measurable outcomes.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Transport Planner or Traffic Engineer (Junior/Mid-level)
Project Officer or Assistant Project Manager in infrastructure or urban development
Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) specialist in transport or public works programs

Advancement To:

Senior Transport Project Manager
Urban Mobility Program Manager / Head of Sustainable Transport
Infrastructure Delivery Manager or City Transport Director

Lateral Moves:

Transport Policy Advisor
Donor-Funded Program Manager (World Bank / ADB / EU)
Urban Planning or Smart Mobility Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead day-to-day coordination of multi-stakeholder urban transport projects, including preparing and maintaining detailed project schedules, tracking milestones, identifying critical path activities, and reporting monthly progress to the project steering committee and donors.
Manage procurement and contract administration for consultants, contractors and suppliers by preparing TORs, evaluating bids, negotiating scopes, ensuring compliance with donor procurement rules (World Bank, ADB, EU), and administering contract variations and claims.
Serve as the primary point of contact between municipal authorities, transport agencies, community groups and funding partners; facilitate regular coordination meetings, prepare agendas and follow up on action items to ensure alignment and timely decision-making.
Oversee technical design reviews for transport interventions (BRT corridors, bus stops, cycle lanes, pedestrian works, traffic signal upgrades), coordinating with design teams to ensure feasibility, constructability and compliance with engineering and safety standards.
Lead field supervision and quality assurance activities during construction and pilot implementations, including site inspections, progress photography, defect tracking, and verification that works meet technical specifications and environmental/social safeguards.
Develop and maintain integrated project budgets, monitor expenditures against approved budgets, prepare financial forecasts, and coordinate with finance teams to ensure timely disbursement and transparent use of funds; support external audit requests and financial reporting to donors.
Prepare high-quality deliverables for donors and city clients: quarterly reports, inception reports, technical memoranda, progress reports, completion reports and performance-based indicators aligned with the Results Framework.
Implement robust monitoring & evaluation (M&E) systems for transport projects: define indicators, collect baseline data, manage surveys (travel behavior, passenger counts), analyze results and use evidence to guide adaptive management and impact assessments.
Coordinate traffic modelling and data analysis efforts (ridership forecasts, microsimulation, demand modeling) and translate technical outputs into clear recommendations for design optimization and policy decisions.
Drive stakeholder engagement and community consultation processes: prepare consultation plans, conduct public workshops, manage grievance redress mechanisms, and ensure social inclusion considerations (gender, accessibility) are integrated into transport solutions.
Ensure environmental and social safeguard compliance by coordinating Environmental & Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) recommendations, monitoring mitigation measures on site, and preparing environmental compliance reports for regulators and donors.
Support institutional strengthening and capacity building initiatives for local transport agencies through training curricula, on-the-job mentoring, standard operating procedures, and development of technical guidelines for sustainable urban transport operations.
Coordinate pilot projects and phased rollouts for new mobility solutions (e.g., pilot BRT lanes, intelligent transport systems, on-demand services, modal integration pilots), including pilot design, KPIs, data collection and scale-up planning.
Oversee traffic operations integration activities: signal timing optimization, corridor management, bus priority measures, ITS deployment coordination, and interface with traffic control centers for operational readiness.
Manage risks and issues logs for the project: identify risks, maintain a risk register, recommend mitigation measures, escalate critical issues in a timely manner and report residual risk status to governance bodies.
Prepare and facilitate technical and policy workshops for city leadership and transport stakeholders, synthesizing complex technical material into accessible briefs and presenting evidence-based recommendations for policy and investment decisions.
Coordinate land acquisition, wayleave and utility relocation processes with municipal departments and utility providers to avoid construction delays and manage associated compensation and coordination requirements.
Ensure data governance and data quality standards for transport data sets (GPS, ATC counts, farebox data), establish data sharing protocols with operators, and coordinate integration into central transport management platforms or urban dashboards.
Support development and review of operational plans for new services (timetables, route rationalization, fare structures, operator contracts), including interface with public transport operators and regulatory bodies for sustainable service delivery.
Lead project close-out and handover activities: compile as-built documentation, complete snag lists, support commissioning and handover to operating agencies, document lessons learned and prepare post-implementation evaluation plans.
Coordinate communications and outreach campaigns that promote modal shift, active transport and public transport uptake, including producing content for websites, press releases, and social media as well as coordinating with city communications teams.
Maintain compliance with health and safety requirements on project sites and ensure contractors implement site safety plans, toolbox talks, and incident reporting procedures.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Assist procurement and contract close-out documentation as required.
Provide technical input into grant proposals, funding applications, and project concept notes.
Support preparation for donor supervision missions, technical audits and external evaluations.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Project management and delivery: demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-component transport infrastructure projects including scheduling, budgeting, procurement and reporting.
Transport planning and traffic engineering: knowledge of BRT design, public transport operations, corridor planning, intersection design and traffic signal systems.
Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E): ability to design indicators, baseline studies, surveys, passenger counts and analyze transport impact metrics.
Donor procedures and compliance: practical experience with World Bank, ADB, EU or bilateral donor procurement, safeguards and financial reporting requirements.
Contract management and procurement: skills in preparing TORs, bid evaluations, contract negotiation, variations, claims management and contract close-out.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analysis: proficiency in mapping, route analysis and integrating spatial data into planning decisions.
Data analysis and modeling tools: experience with transport models (transit assignment, microsimulation), Excel (advanced), R/Python, SPSS or transport-specific packages.
Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and traffic control: familiarity with traffic signal coordination, bus priority, traveler information systems and integration challenges.
Environmental and social safeguards: ability to manage ESIA/ESMP requirements, GRM processes and social inclusion measures.
Technical report writing: produce clear, audience-appropriate technical reports, TORs, memos and presentations for senior stakeholders.
Financial management basics: budget monitoring, cost tracking, forecasting and support for financial audits.
Familiarity with construction supervision: understanding of site inspection practices, QA/QC processes and as-built documentation.
Familiarity with transportation policy and regulatory frameworks relevant to urban mobility.

Soft Skills

Stakeholder engagement and diplomacy: proven ability to build consensus across government, private operators, civil society and donor partners.
Communication & presentation: concise written and oral communication tailored to technical and non-technical audiences.
Problem-solving and analytical thinking: structured approach to identify root causes and develop pragmatic solutions under uncertainty.
Leadership and team coordination: ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, mentor junior staff and coordinate external consultants.
Time management and prioritization: manage multiple work streams, meet tight deadlines and re-prioritize tasks dynamically.
Negotiation and conflict resolution: manage contractual and stakeholder disputes constructively to preserve project timelines.
Adaptability and resilience: operate effectively in fast-changing urban environments and during field-based delivery challenges.
Cultural sensitivity and community orientation: engage ethically with diverse communities, ensuring inclusive project processes.
Attention to detail: ensure high-quality deliverables and robust documentation for audits and donor reviews.
Facilitation and workshop design: run participatory workshops, training sessions and stakeholder consultations effectively.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Transport Planning, Urban Planning, Environmental Engineering, Public Policy, or a closely related field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Transport Engineering, Urban Planning, Sustainable Mobility, Infrastructure Management, or related disciplines.
Professional certification such as PMP, Prince2, AICP or equivalent is an advantage.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Civil Engineering (transportation emphasis)
Transport Planning / Traffic Engineering
Urban Planning / Sustainable Cities
Environmental Engineering / Environmental Management
Public Policy / Public Administration
Project Management / Infrastructure Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3 to 8 years of progressive experience in urban transport projects, infrastructure programs or related roles.

Preferred:

5+ years managing or coordinating urban transport projects, preferably with experience in donor-funded programs (World Bank, ADB, EU, GIZ).
Demonstrated experience in BRT, bus operations, ITS integration, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, or public transport reform.
Prior field supervision and construction monitoring experience, plus hands-on exposure to procurement and contract management.
Experience leading stakeholder consultations, community engagement and managing environmental/social safeguards.