Senior / Principal Engineer - Urban Rapid Transit

Mott Macdonald

Senior / Principal Engineer - Urban Rapid Transit

Salary Not Specified

Mott Macdonald, Adamsdown, Caerdydd - Cardiff

  • Full time
  • Permanent
  • Onsite working

Posted 2 weeks ago, 3 May | Get your application in now before you miss out!

Closing date: Closing date not specified

job Ref: 5e212597d9ff4f1b816dd5e544f45965

Full Job Description

Do you want to transform how people move around our urban areas, towns and cities? We are looking for people passionate about providing sustainable mass rapid transport and better provision for active travel modes alongside the need to provide appropriate highway solutions to support essential road journeys. We are looking for proactive driven people to join our team to lead design teams in delivering the next generation of urban transport and highway schemes across the UK based on solving social, environmental, and economic challenges to decarbonise transport and create sustainable communities.
We are seeking a Senior or Principal Engineer with multi-disciplinary design experience who will work predominantly from our brand new office in Livery Street to help lead the delivery of sustainable infrastructure projects for a diverse range of local authority clients, regional transport bodies and contractors around the UK. We have a wide ranging portfolio of schemes including; new relief roads to support new housing, jobs and remove main road traffic that pass through the heart of communities, air quality improvement schemes to reduce congestion and vehicle emission, active travel improvements and a range of exciting and innovative mass rapid transit projects.
If this resonates and you are interested in exploring a new challenge with opportunities for career progression then we want to hear from you to hear about how you think you can help grow and develop our highly skilled and customer-focused team.
Here are just a few examples of the recent successes of our team:

  • Reintroducing trams to the streets of Birmingham providing access to job and connecting the mainline train stations with an accessible public transport line for the first time.

  • The UK's first modern catenary free tramway eliminating the aesthetic impact and reducing the capital cost of erecting support poles and overhead electric catenary.

  • Delivering the Transport & Works Act Order for the Birmingham Eastside Extension of West Midlands Metro connecting HS2 and the Coach Station to the wider region

  • Creation of an award-winning tool to ensure that positive social outcomes are designed into rapid transit scheme at the earliest stage (poverty, health inequalities and climate etc) strengthening the business case for schemes which serve communities now and in the future.

  • Supporting industry body 'UK Tram' including helping advise new scheme promoters through it's 'Centre of Excellence' initiative.

  • Developing Digital Strategies for the next generation of very light rail projects.

  • Innovative projects looking at the concepts for fully autonomous zero carbon public transport allowing road space within our streets to be reallocated for community and commercial use.

  • Delivering highway improvements to improve air quality in Coventry by reducing the environmental impacts of traffic congestion on air quality and local communities.


  • What you will contribute:
    Reporting to a Project Principal the role carries a high degree of autonomy. As a Senior or Principal Engineer, you will be responsible for managing discrete design packages and multi-disciplinary design teams, undertaking design reviews, assuring designs, creating and controlling task budgets and assisting senior management on the delivery of our projects. Opening opportunities and winning new work, Line Management, motivation, development and performance of other direct reports and junior staff are also integral parts of this role.
    Our team
    We are truly the market leading consultancy for Light Rapid Transit with an unprecedented success record in delivering projects and are the most successful consultancy at the Global Light Rail Awards and we are the reigning Supplier of the Year. Below is a selection of quotes from our clients that have supported our award wins:
    "Our winner is a company whose expertise and influence covers just about every discipline. They also have some of the cleverest people and best teams in the world when it comes to light rail planning, design, modelling and engineering".
    "Mott MacDonald has consistently proposed efficient and deliverable solutions which has made decision making as a client easy. The fact they have delivered everything we've asked for on-time, and on-budget is testament to their skill, experience and approach."
    "The All Blacks of light rail consultancy" (a reference to the then all-conquering rugby world champions)
    We have an agile working policy which allows staff to agree flexibility of working location and time with their line manger considering the needs of this role and to maintain excellent project delivery and team development.
    Candidate Specification, 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
    Happy to talk 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.

    The successful candidate should be Chartered with an appropriate engineering institution (ICE, CIHT, PWI etc) and have demonstrable highways experience. Candidates should also be able to demonstrate some experience of leading or having a key project role in delivering multi-disciplinary transport projects and mentoring team members.

  • We are looking for candidates with a range of capabilities which could include:
  • Design Management

  • Understanding of key design stages of projects

  • Ability to lead an infrastructure scheme (feasibility, concept design, detailed design, construction, commissioning, operations etc.)

  • Commercial Awareness (Procurement methods, NEC Scope, Project Requirements, Risk etc).

  • Ability to manage CDM Duties and adhere to Health & Safety Legislation including how it is applied to the design process.

  • Lead multiple disciplinary design teams.

  • Confidence in client facing roles.

  • Independently check and approve the work of others.

  • Sufficient knowledge to adhere to and guide others on key design standards and guidance.

  • Use of Digital Design Tools for production of deliverables including BIM.

  • Ability to manage a team of direct reports.


  • The following would be seen as beneficial but are not essential to the role:
  • Technical Excellence (someone experienced in coaching, mentoring and developing people & teams)

  • Previous experience of working on UK public sector rapid transit, rail or highway infrastructure projects.

  • Experience of Transport & Works Act Order development.

  • Knowledge of contract preparation, procurement and risk management.

  • Appreciation of the operational and maintenance impacts of our design solutions.

  • Experience of developing new work opportunities and winning work.

  • Availability to travel for short assignments when required to other UK offices and possibly overseas.

    We're a global engineering, management, and development consultancy.

  • Our purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything we do, relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, transforming our clients' businesses, our communities and employee opportunities.
    A fundamental part of this is respecting each person's differences and striving to meet their needs.
    We are proud to be a one of Glassdoor's top employers to work for in the UK, as well as being recognised as a Top Inclusive Company in the UK.
    Our values: Progress, Respect, Integrity, Drive, Excellence.
    About the business unit:
    The Buildings and Cities Unit (BNC) has a major presence in Mott MacDonald's regional offices throughout the UK and mainland Europe, providing a wide range of diverse and transferable cross-sector skills across five key Sectors; Advisory, Built Environment, Energy, Transportation and Water. We also provide local services to customers and technical leadership to the rest of the Group in these sectors.

  • 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.