Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Urban Transport Project Engineer

🎯 Role Definition

As an Urban Transport Project Engineer you will plan, design, deliver and monitor complex urban mobility projects — including bus rapid transit (BRT), tram/light rail, metro interfaces, active transport (cycle/pedestrian) schemes and intersection/traffic flow improvements. You will combine transport engineering technical excellence (traffic modelling, signal timing, road safety audits, geometric design) with project delivery skills (scope, schedule, cost control, procurement, contract administration) and strong stakeholder engagement to deliver sustainable, safe and inclusive urban transport outcomes.

Key SEO / LLM keywords: urban transport engineer, transport planning, traffic engineering, transport modelling (VISSIM, TransCAD, EMME), AutoCAD, MicroStation, GIS, ITS, BRT, light rail, pedestrian & cycling infrastructure, road safety audit (RSA), contract management, construction supervision.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Graduate Civil Engineer (transport or infrastructure stream)
Transport Planner or Traffic Engineer (junior)
Highway Design or GIS Analyst

Advancement To:

Senior Urban Transport Project Engineer
Transport Project Manager / Delivery Manager
Principal Transport Engineer / Technical Lead
Program Manager – Urban Mobility
Head of Transport Planning & Infrastructure

Lateral Moves:

Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Specialist
Transit Operations Planner
Road Safety Auditor / Traffic Operations Engineer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead and deliver end-to-end transport projects including feasibility studies, concept design, detailed design, tender documentation, construction support and post-construction performance evaluation for urban transport schemes (BRT, tram/light rail, metro interfaces, major intersections, cycleways and pedestrian upgrades).
Prepare and manage project scopes, detailed work programmes, budgets, cashflows and resource plans; monitor cost-to-complete, manage change requests and report on earned value to internal and external stakeholders.
Conduct and author technical feasibility studies and multi-criteria option assessments that assess capital and lifecycle costs, operational impacts, patronage forecasts and deliverable risk profiles.
Develop and run transport demand and microsimulation models (VISSIM, Aimsun, SYNCHRO, TransCAD, EMME or VISUM) to evaluate network performance, intersection capacity, queueing and delay, and to validate corridor design and signal timing changes.
Produce geometric and intersection design drawings, cross-sections, longitudinal profiles and plan sets using AutoCAD / Civil 3D or Bentley MicroStation and adhere to local road design standards and national guidelines.
Lead traffic signal optimisation projects including detailed signal phasing, coordination plans, SCOOT/UTC interface and development of timing plans to improve corridor throughput and pedestrian safety.
Undertake Road Safety Audits (RSAs) and develop design mitigation measures, inclusive access solutions and universal design features to ensure projects meet or exceed safety and accessibility standards (ADA, local accessibility codes).
Prepare accurate cost estimates, bills of quantities and contract schedules for procurement; evaluate tender submissions and lead negotiation and award processes in conjunction with procurement teams.
Manage consultant/contractor teams, review technical submissions, ensure compliance with specifications, drive quality assurance and schedule adherence during both design and construction phases.
Coordinate utilities, property and statutory approvals, environmental assessments and consultation with statutory agencies to secure permits and clearances required for project delivery.
Integrate Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) components—CCTV, vehicle detection, dynamic signage, passenger information systems and fare collection interfaces—into corridor and interchange designs.
Develop and maintain stakeholder engagement strategies; lead community consultation, public information sessions, technical briefings for elected officials and cross-agency coordination meetings.
Produce and present high-quality technical reports, concept reports, business cases, funding submissions and board-level presentations that clearly articulate benefits, deliverability and commercial viability.
Carry out environmental and social impact assessments and implement mitigation measures, including stormwater management, noise and vibration controls and heritage and biodiversity protection during construction.
Lead trial and pilot deployments (temporary bus lanes, pop-up cycleways, tactical urbanism interventions), design monitoring frameworks and produce post-trial evaluations and recommendations for permanent implementation.
Implement quality assurance and risk management frameworks for projects; identify critical path activities, manage project risk registers and define contingency plans for complex urban works.
Provide construction-phase engineering support including site inspections, construction supervision, design clarifications, variation assessment and supervision of testing and commissioning activities.
Coordinate multidisciplinary inputs (structural, electrical, geotechnical, drainage, environmental) to ensure integrated and constructable transport infrastructure solutions.
Monitor post-implementation performance using KPIs and travel time, ridership and safety metrics; prepare lessons-learned reports and continuous improvement recommendations for future project delivery.
Liaise with transit operators and commercial partners to align infrastructure design with operations planning, service frequency, vehicle dimensions and depot/turnback requirements.
Advise on procurement strategy and contract structures (design-bid-build, design & construct, alliance) and support commercial close-out activities including practical completion and defects liability processes.
Support grant and funding applications, prepare robust economic appraisals (BCR, NPV), whole-of-life cost analyses and demonstrate alignment with regional transport strategies and climate/active-transport targets.
Mentor junior engineers and technical staff, review engineering deliverables, provide technical direction and support professional development and competency building within the team.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of transport policy, standards and emerging technologies (micromobility, electric buses, connected & autonomous vehicles) and translate relevant innovations into project recommendations.

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.
Provide input to corporate sustainability targets and carbon reduction initiatives related to transport projects.
Represent the organization on technical working groups, standards committees and industry forums to influence policy and share best practice.
Provide expert witness or technical input for regulatory hearings and appeals related to transport infrastructure projects.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Transport planning and traffic engineering expertise — corridor planning, intersection design, parking studies, and public transport infrastructure design.
Traffic modelling and microsimulation proficiency — VISSIM, Aimsun, SYNCHRO, TransCAD, EMME, VISUM or equivalent.
Design and drafting skills — AutoCAD/Civil 3D and/or Bentley MicroStation; ability to produce construction-ready drawings and plan sets.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) — ArcGIS, QGIS for spatial analysis, route planning and environmental overlays.
Road safety assessment experience — RSA facilitation, crash data analysis and design mitigation measures.
Project management and delivery — scope control, schedule (MS Project or Primavera), budget management and earned value reporting.
Contract and procurement knowledge — drafting specs, evaluating tenders, administering construction contracts and managing claims/variations.
Cost estimation and quantity surveying fundamentals — preparation of bills of quantities and cost schedules.
Data analysis and scripting — Python, R, SQL or advanced Excel for demand forecasting, KPI monitoring and sensitivity analysis.
ITS and traffic control systems familiarity — signal controllers, SCATS/SCOOT, VMS, passenger information systems and CCTV integration.
Environmental and social impact assessment competency — planning approvals, mitigation measures and compliance reporting.
Public transport operations knowledge — route planning, timetabling impacts, vehicle dimensions and operational interface requirements.
Construction management and site supervision — inspections, quality control, commissioning and handover processes.
Familiarity with accessibility and universal design standards (ADA, local equivalents) and inclusive transport design principles.

Soft Skills

Strong stakeholder engagement and public consultation skills; able to negotiate and influence at technical and executive levels.
Clear, concise technical writing and presentation skills for preparing reports, funding submissions and board briefings.
Problem-solving mindset with the ability to synthesise complex technical, commercial and social inputs into pragmatic design solutions.
Leadership and team mentoring capability; experience supervising multidisciplinary teams and developing junior staff.
Time management and prioritisation skills to manage multiple concurrent projects and deliverables under tight deadlines.
Adaptability and commercial awareness; able to balance client needs, budget constraints and regulatory requirements.
Collaborative approach with strong interpersonal skills to work across agencies, utilities, contractors and community groups.
Attention to detail and high standards for quality assurance and documentation control.
Analytical mindset with ability to use data to drive decisions and measure post-implementation outcomes.
Resilient and politically savvy; comfortable presenting in public forums and handling stakeholder scrutiny.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Urban Planning, or equivalent.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in Transport Planning, Transport Engineering, Urban Mobility or related discipline.
Professional accreditation (PE/Chartered Engineer) or PMP/Prince2 certification preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Transport Engineering
Civil Engineering (with transport specialization)
Urban Planning / Sustainable Transport
Traffic Systems & ITS

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3 – 8 years of progressively responsible experience in urban transport and traffic engineering roles.

Preferred:

5+ years delivering design and construction of transport infrastructure projects (BRT, tram, metro interfaces, major roadworks, active transport corridors).
Demonstrated experience with transport modelling tools, preparing business cases and leading multi-stakeholder consultations.
Proven track record in procurement, contract administration and construction supervision in urban environments.