Project Principal - Rail Planning

Location/s: Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Cardiff, London, Birmingham, Glasgow, or Edinburgh
Relocation supported: Not supported
Recruiter contact: Madeleine Knight

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices. 

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual. 

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

About the Business Unit

At Mott MacDonald, we are dedicated to conceiving, driving, and implementing transport solutions that transform cities, regions, and asset owners/operators around the globe. From preparing business cases and advising on revenue, procurement, and environmental legislation, to delivering completed infrastructure and ensuring its maintenance, our planning, engineering, environmental, and management skills cover the entire project cycle. We play a pivotal role in developing and delivering the Global Transport Sector Strategy, making a tangible impact on communities worldwide.

Overview of the Role

Rail Planning and Economic Appraisal is a cornerstone of Mott MacDonald’s substantial transportation business. Our transport portfolio includes some of the largest, most high-profile, and fascinating projects in the UK and beyond, such as HS2, Manchester Piccadilly station, Bristol Temple Meads, and Crossrail, alongside smaller-scale infrastructure and development planning projects across the wider United Kingdom.

As a senior member of our Transport Planning Team, based in Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Cardiff, London, Birmingham, Glasgow, or Edinburgh, you will oversee our rail planning workload. In this Projects Principal role, you will drive forward a range of rail planning and transport planning projects, contributing to the development of Mott MacDonald’s rail planning across the UK and supporting national and international projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership and Growth: Facilitate rail planning services for the TMS Division, growing the business across the UK and developing the office’s client portfolio.
• Client Engagement: Work with a diverse range of rail industry and public sector clients, contributing to the development of new rail markets focused on planning and economics for emerging rail services and new rail infrastructure.
• Project Contribution: Contribute to the company’s wider portfolio of UK rail and international projects, including opportunities around other modes such as metro, light rail, and bus.

Candidate Specification

• Degree in a related discipline (or equivalent)
• MSc or further qualifications related to transport planning or transport economics are of benefit but not essential
• Successful candidate will be a member of a relevant professional organisation (such as CIHT, CILT, TPS or ICE) ideally a chartered professional or TPP. 
• Technically excellent professional with expertise in specialist field of activity around rail economics, planning and demand modelling/forecasting
• Experienced in a commercial environment, business focused, and will be seeking to enhance career in a varied, dynamic and interesting role growing the rail planning business in the UK
• Success in business development activities, with an ability to demonstrate successfully winning new work
• Demonstrable senior skills in rail economics, rail planning, demand modelling/forecasting, rail operations, transport business cases, wider transport economics, transport policy & strategy
• Experience of PDFH, GRIP/PACE, TAG, and other industry standard processes
• Professional, strong communication skills with both clients and colleagues, and good report writing abilities.

Why Join Us?

At Mott MacDonald, we celebrate achievements and promote teamwork, valuing diversity and building trust. We uphold integrity, prioritise wellbeing, and emphasise societal impact. We are actively recruiting a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We recognise that differences in ability, skills, and experience are strengths and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds.

Join us in making a difference and driving impactful transport solutions that shape the future.

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion 

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

Agile working  

We are happy to talk openly about flexible working and how we can support your responsibilities beyond the workplace. 

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

 Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.