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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Urban Transport Project Supervisor

💰 $ - $

TransportationProject ManagementInfrastructure

🎯 Role Definition

The Urban Transport Project Supervisor is a hands‑on project delivery leader responsible for supervising the planning, design, construction and commissioning of urban transport infrastructure and services. This role ensures projects meet scope, budget, schedule, technical standards, safety, environmental and social safeguard requirements while coordinating contractors, consultants, municipal agencies and public stakeholders. The Supervisor acts as the primary on‑site technical manager for roadworks, bus priority schemes, signal upgrades, pedestrian and cycling facilities, and multi‑modal integration initiatives, ensuring high quality project outcomes and compliance with donor and regulatory frameworks.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Transport Planner or Traffic Engineer with field experience
  • Civil/Highways Engineer or Construction Supervisor experienced in urban works
  • Public Transport Coordinator or Road Safety Officer
  • Consultant or specialist in traffic modeling and ITS deployment

Advancement To:

  • Senior Project Manager — Transport Infrastructure
  • Program/Portfolio Manager — Urban Mobility
  • Head of Transport Delivery / Director of Urban Transport Projects
  • Technical Lead — Transport Planning & Infrastructure

Lateral Moves:

  • Traffic Operations Manager (city/municipality)
  • Public Transport Service Delivery Manager
  • Road Safety and Compliance Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead day‑to‑day supervision and technical management of urban transport project works (roads, intersections, bus lanes, tram/streetcar stops, cycleways, pedestrian improvements), ensuring construction is executed per approved designs, specifications and contract conditions.
  • Coordinate and manage multidisciplinary teams of consultants, contractors, sub‑consultants and municipal engineers to deliver project milestones on time and within budget, including running regular site meetings, issuing technical directives and resolving construction queries.
  • Prepare, review and approve contractor work programs, method statements, shop drawings and as‑built documentation; ensure submissions meet technical standards and programme integration requirements.
  • Manage project budgets and financial controls at site level — track expenditures, evaluate variation orders, validate contractor invoices, recommend cost‑effective alternatives and contribute to monthly financial reporting.
  • Oversee procurement and contract administration activities for site works: assist with tender evaluation, prepare scope of works addenda, manage claims and change orders, and ensure contract compliance in accordance with procurement rules (public/donor).
  • Implement and enforce health, safety, and environmental protection plans on site; carry out regular safety audits, incident investigations and corrective actions to achieve zero‑harm outcomes and compliance with local laws and donor safeguards (ESHS).
  • Lead stakeholder engagement and public consultation activities at the local level — liaise with municipal departments, utility providers, businesses, residents and public transport operators to coordinate works, manage traffic impacts and communicate timelines and mitigation measures.
  • Supervise traffic management and temporary traffic control during construction, including preparation and implementation of traffic diversion plans, signage, enforcement coordination and minimization of disruption to public transport services.
  • Ensure quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) processes for construction materials and workmanship: monitor testing regimes (compaction, materials, concrete), review test reports, and implement non‑conformance management.
  • Monitor project performance using KPIs and progress dashboards; prepare regular technical and progress reports for project managers, donors and municipal stakeholders, including photographic records and compliance evidence.
  • Conduct risk identification and mitigation at the project level: maintain risk registers, escalate critical risks, implement contingency measures and adjust programme sequencing to avoid delays.
  • Coordinate utilities relocation, underground works and utility coordination meetings with service providers to prevent service interruptions and ensure timely clearance for civil works.
  • Supervise installation and commissioning of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), signal upgrades, CCTV, traffic counters and passenger information systems; coordinate with systems integrators to validate functionality and interoperability.
  • Review and validate traffic impact assessments, microsimulation models and demand forecasts submitted by consultants; ensure implemented designs align with network performance objectives and standards.
  • Manage land access, temporary occupation permits and site handover processes in coordination with property owners and municipal authorities; ensure all legal and environmental clearances are obtained and documented before commencing works.
  • Provide technical supervision for ancillary works including drainage, street lighting, landscaping, signage and pavement marking to ensure integrated, safe and accessible urban environments.
  • Facilitate testing, trial operations and commissioning plans for new infrastructure and services (e.g., bus priority lanes, signal timing plans), coordinate with operators for trial runs and gather operational feedback for fine‑tuning.
  • Maintain accurate as‑built and asset register documentation for final handover; prepare operation and maintenance manuals and train municipal maintenance teams on asset care and performance monitoring.
  • Support project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities — collect baseline and post‑implementation data, measure impacts on traffic flow, travel time, ridership, road safety and report outcomes to funders and municipalities.
  • Ensure compliance with environmental and social safeguard requirements, including implementing mitigation measures, supervising resettlement/compensation processes where applicable, and maintaining grievance redress logs.
  • Provide direct supervision, mentoring and performance management for site engineers and technical staff; assign tasks, review deliverables and foster continuous professional development.
  • Coordinate with finance and donor relations teams to prepare disbursement requests, financial forecasts and documentation required for grants/loans and ensure timely procurement and contract execution in line with funder conditions.
  • Drive continuous improvement by identifying lessons learned, preparing technical memoranda, and contributing to knowledge transfer initiatives that improve future urban transport project delivery.
  • Manage claims, disputes and contract close‑out activities; prepare substantiated technical reports, support negotiation of settlements and ensure successful project completion and final acceptance.

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.
  • Prepare tender documents, scopes of work and technical specifications for site packages in collaboration with procurement teams.
  • Assist in compliance audits and donor supervision missions by preparing documentation and facilitating site visits.
  • Maintain asset registers, GIS mapping layers and technical drawing libraries for municipal handover and future maintenance planning.
  • Assist in preparing training materials and deliver capacity building sessions for municipal staff, operators and local contractors.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Project management for infrastructure delivery (schedule control, resource allocation, earned value management)
  • Interpreting and producing civil/transport engineering drawings and as‑built documentation (AutoCAD, MicroStation familiarity)
  • Traffic engineering and transport planning knowledge, including signal timing, intersection design and bus priority measures
  • Experience with traffic modelling and microsimulation tools (VISSIM, Aimsun, SIDRA or equivalent) and using model outputs to inform construction/operations decisions
  • Construction contract administration and procurement processes (FIDIC/public procurement frameworks; tender evaluation and variation management)
  • Budgeting, cost estimation and financial reporting at the project/site level; ability to validate contractor claims and invoices
  • Health, safety and environmental (HSE) management systems and implementation of ESHS safeguards for urban projects
  • Quality assurance / quality control practices and testing oversight (materials, compaction, concrete, pavement)
  • ITS and traffic control systems commissioning knowledge (signal controllers, detectors, CCTV, passenger information systems)
  • GIS and mapping skills for asset registers and utility coordination; familiarity with spatial data management
  • Data collection and monitoring skills — traffic counts, travel time surveys, ridership monitoring and KPI dashboards (Excel, Power BI or similar)
  • Contractual claims management and dispute resolution skills

Soft Skills

  • Strong stakeholder management and public consultation capability, including effective liaison with municipal teams, utility firms and community groups
  • Clear written and verbal communication skills — report writing, presentation and negotiation with contractors and funders
  • Leadership and people management — mentoring junior engineers, managing multidisciplinary on‑site teams and contractors
  • Problem solving and quick decision‑making under operational pressure with a pragmatic, safety‑first mindset
  • Attention to detail and process orientation to ensure compliance with technical standards and donor conditions
  • Time management and prioritization for multiple concurrent workstreams and emergency site interventions
  • Adaptability and resilience working in complex urban environments with political, social and environmental sensitivities
  • Collaborative approach that supports cross‑functional coordination with planning, operations, procurement and finance teams
  • Cultural sensitivity and community engagement skills for stakeholder outreach and grievance resolution
  • Ethical judgement and integrity in procurement, contractor oversight and financial controls

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Transport/Traffic Engineering, Urban Planning, or a closely related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master's degree in Transportation Engineering, Urban Mobility, Infrastructure Project Management or equivalent.
  • Professional certifications such as PMP, Prince2, or specialized transport certifications (e.g., CIHT, ITE) are desirable.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Civil Engineering
  • Transport / Traffic Engineering
  • Urban Planning and Development
  • Construction Management
  • Environmental Engineering / Infrastructure Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5–12 years of progressive experience in urban transport project delivery, including on‑site supervision roles.

Preferred: 8+ years managing construction and commissioning of urban transport works with demonstrated experience supervising contractors, administering contracts, driving stakeholder engagement, and delivering projects funded by public agencies or international donors (e.g., World Bank, ADB, EU). Prior experience with ITS deployments, traffic modeling and multimodal integration is strongly preferred.

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