Transportation Planning Manager

Role Summary: Transportation Planner / Mobility Lead

Location: Dubai, UAE

Reporting to: Executive Director Civil Infrastructure

Team Size: 45 direct reports (with capacity to expand)

Employment Type: Full-time, Senior Management

Overview

Senior Transportation Planner / Mobility Lead to head a growing Transport and Mobility division in Dubai. This role is both strategic and hands-on, aiming to shape the firm's transport planning capability into a core pillar of its integrated infrastructure offering. The position suits a leader who can bridge technical excellence with strategic foresight, capable of driving project delivery, team development, and service-line expansion in sustainable, smart, and multi-modal mobility planning.

Team and Structure

The Transport and Mobility team currently consists of 45 professionals, including transport planners and modellers. The role reports directly to the Executive Director Civil Infrastructure and works closely with in-house disciplines, including Roads and Highways, Hydrology, Utilities Infrastructure, Urban Planning, Smart City, and Sustainability. The successful candidate will manage and mentor the current team, with flexibility to scale in line with project demand.

Scope of Work

The team's workload spans master planning studies, city mobility frameworks, development approvals, and public transport planning across both public and private sector clients. The Mobility Lead will oversee projects from early concept through to design development and implementation. The position combines strategic leadership with technical oversight across transport demand modelling, network simulation, and traffic impact assessments.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the transport and mobility function, integrating multi-modal strategies into master plans and major developments.
• Direct and review transport demand modelling, traffic impact studies, and simulation outputs.
• Oversee project delivery from concept through implementation, ensuring technical quality and client satisfaction.
• Develop frameworks and policies that support sustainable, net-zero, and smart mobility objectives.
• Manage client relationships, public authority coordination, and multidisciplinary collaboration.
• Grow the team's capability and introduce new service lines such as smart mobility or autonomous transport planning.
• Prepare and review technical reports, proposals, and presentations for clients and senior management.
• Contribute to business development and strategic pursuits across the Gulf region.

Leadership and Strategic Mandate

The position offers autonomy to shape this client's transport and mobility offering, with a clear mandate to grow the discipline both technically and commercially. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in defining new service areas and developing long-term client relationships in alignment with company leadership.

Technical Profile

The role demands both strategic and technical depth. The Mobility Lead should bring a practical understanding of modelling software (e.g., VISUM, CUBE, EMME, AIMSUN, VISSIM), strong analytical and project management skills, and familiarity with integrated multi-modal systems. The ideal candidate will have broad experience across transport modes, rather than specialisation in one.

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor's or Master's in Transport Planning, Civil Engineering, or Urban Planning.
• Minimum 10 years experience in transport planning, modelling, and project delivery.
• Demonstrated experience in managing multidisciplinary transport studies.
• Strong technical background in transport modelling and planning software.
• Knowledge of sustainable mobility and demand management principles.
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to develop teams and lead business initiatives.
• Excellent communication and client-facing capabilities.
• Experience in the UAE or broader GCC region preferred.

Market Context and Opportunity

The transport and mobility team is in a strategic growth phase, with equal exposure to public and private sector projects. The firm's integrated infrastructure model and commitment to sustainability and smart city solutions create strong potential for the incoming Mobility Lead to define the next evolution of the business.

Work Environment

The role is primarily office-based in Dubai, with regular client meetings and occasional site visits. The project pipeline for 20252026 is robust, with multiple regional opportunities under discussion. This is a new strategic appointment aimed at long-term expansion rather than a replacement role.