Job Description
Do you have what it takes to transform society together?
Do you enjoy being part of a dynamic and inclusive team where respect for people is a priority? Then Sweco is the place to be. We are currently looking for a Technical Manager / Technical Director to help grow and shape our Transport Planning team in Birmingham.
About the team and your role
You will be stepping into a busy, established department with a strong pipeline of secured work with public sector clients across the Midlands and north of England. Joining our Transport Planning England team, you will be part of a group that possesses a rich blend of skills, experience, projects, and clients.
We are looking for somebody who is ambitious and dynamic to help grow our offer. You will be given the autonomy to shape your role, influence our strategic direction, and actively drive the future of our team and the wider department.
Our Transport Planning team is made up of highly skilled professionals delivering a wide range of transport planning services across both the public and private sectors. We are looking for an experienced professional with a solid technical foundation and a public sector focus. Bringing technical leadership, thought leadership, and strategic vision, you will help us evolve and grow by driving smarter, more efficient ways of working and delivering innovation.
You will act as a senior technical authority. You will be accountable for client outcomes, project quality, and commercial awareness, dedicating your time to technical excellence, mentoring colleagues, growing relationships and acting as a trusted transport planning practitioner.
What does the role look like?
You will be taking on an active portfolio of work. Day-to-day responsibilities will see you taking the lead on:
- Technical Leadership: Acting as the technical lead, subject matter expert, or senior reviewer on transport planning projects such as transport strategies, business cases, appraisal studies, and multi-modal transport assessments.
- Project Work: Developing robust Business Cases and Funding Bids (https://www.sweco.co.uk/services/transportation-infrastructure/advisory-planning/business-case/) for major public sector transport schemes, preparing comprehensive Transport Assessments and Travel Plans, and supporting planning applications (https://www.sweco.co.uk/services/transportation-infrastructure/advisory-planning/development-planning/).
- Shaping Real-World Outcomes: You will have the opportunity to work on highly impactful schemes similar to our recent work in Bradford City Centre (https://www.sweco.co.uk/projects/bradford-regeneration/), Stoke-on-Trent (https://www.sweco.co.uk/blog/very-light-rail-in-stoke-on-trent/), and Manchester City Centre (https://www.manchester.gov.uk/consultations-and-surveys/oldham-road-a62-improvements-survey2). You will also be working with larger public sector bodies like National Highways on projects like the A47 (https://www.sweco.co.uk/blog/a47/).
- Thought Leadership & Mentorship: Guiding and mentoring colleagues across the department, elevating the team's technical capabilities, and driving best practices and innovation within our transport planning offering.
- Project Commercials: Ensuring the commercial success of your portfolio by overseeing project budgets, deliverables, and quality standards, maintaining a strong commercial awareness throughout the project lifecycle.
- Work Winning: Embedding a culture of work winning by providing high-level technical input to regional campaigns and maximising bid opportunities, particularly supporting bids and frameworks for local authority and wider public sector clients.
- Client Relationships: Developing and maintaining relationships with key clients through active engagement, expert technical knowledge, and an understanding of local government pressures, funding, and policy priorities.
To be successful in the role you will have:
- Extensive experience in Transport Planning with a thorough understanding of delivery, work winning with public/private sector customers, and evidence of managing strong client relationships.
- A proven ability to provide technical and thought leadership, with a passion for mentoring and developing the technical skills of others (without the requirement of formal line management).
- Demonstrable experience leading the technical delivery of transport planning work, including transport strategy, business case development, and policy-led studies across multiple modes.
- Strong project management skills, with a proven track record of steering complex transport planning projects from inception to completion, effectively managing budgets, resources, and timelines.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to adapt your style to suit different audiences, including producing and senior-reviewing high-quality technical reports.
- Proven decision-making skills with the ability to influence strategic outcomes and make commercial project decisions within defined parameters.
- A transport planning/engineering professional chartership (CTPP or equivalent).
- Desirable but not essential: Experience in multi-modal transport appraisal and economics, and an advanced Master's degree in a related subject.
Why Sweco?
At Sweco, we empower our people. We combine discipline-specific expertise with a collaboratively multi-disciplinary approach. By joining us, you aren't just taking a job; you are joining a network of experts dedicated to creating sustainable urban development and transforming society.
Let's transform society together at Sweco!
We know that a competitive and transparent package is important. Sweco offers a competitive salary band alongside a market-leading benefits package designed to support your health, wellbeing, and financial security:
Employee Benefits
- Flexible and hybrid working (Flexworks Policy)
- Competitive pension contribution
- Life Assurance
- Private Medical Insurance (including family cover)
- Company car or car allowance
- Discretionary Annual Bonus Scheme
- Payment of two relevant professional subscriptions
- 25 days holiday plus bank holidays (with the option to purchase up to 5 additional days per year)
- Cycle2Work Scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme (wellbeing, mental health, financial and work advice)
- Employee discounts via Sweco Benefit Select (Faircare)
- Salary Sacrifice Electric Vehicle Scheme
- We plant a tree for all new starters!
About Us
Transforming society together, we're planning and designing sustainable communities and cities of the future.
Solving the great societal challenges of our time is more relevant, demanding and inspiring than ever before. At Sweco, we bring together experts with different perspectives and skills to develop solutions that address the challenges of urbanisation, harness the positive power of digitalisation and make societies more sustainable.
We offer our clients a combination of global expertise and local presence, adapted to their business and reality. Our ambition is to be our clients’ most relevant partner, working together to help them solve their challenges, today and into the future.
Sweco is committed to enabling all its colleagues to achieve a great balance between work and their other priorities, such as caring responsibilities, leisure activities, further learning or other interests. We offer flexible start and finish times, part time and hybrid working options so that you can flex your hours around your day to day needs.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
It’s important to us that that all our colleagues thrive at work - we strive to have a friendly and inclusive culture which respects the contribution individuals can bring to Sweco. We aim to promote equality, inclusivity and diversity for everyone.
Here at Sweco we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity.
We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant to ensure those who serve or have served, and their families, are treated fairly. To find out more The Armed Forces Covenant - Our Commitments | Sweco UK.
We are an accredited Real Living Wage Employer which reflects our commitment to fair pay and support for all colleagues.
We are also proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer, and will interview applicants covered by the Equality Act 2010 that opt into the guaranteed interview scheme on the application form and meet the minimum criteria for the role.
If I have a disability, can I get help (e.g. “reasonable adjustments”) with the application process?
If you’re an applicant with a disability that requires a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or are limited in the ability or unable to use the online application system and need an alternative method for applying, please contact GB_Function-HR-Resourcing@sweco.co.uk for assistance.
In order to address your request the following information is needed:
• Name
• The best method for contacting you (Phone or email)
• The position title
• Requisition/vacancy number
Upon receipt of this information, we’ll respond to you promptly to obtain more information about your request.
Please note: we reserve the right to close vacancies before the advertised closing date.
Sweco UK&I have an internal resourcing team who are responsible for all recruiting activity. We have a Preferred Supplier List of trusted agencies who we work with on those “hard to fill” roles.
We have defined processes for recruitment applications and it is company policy not to accept speculative CVs. Any speculative CVs received into the business (whether to a manager or member of the resourcing team) will become the property of Sweco and the agency will not be eligible for an introductory fee.
Our Preferred Supplier List was reviewed in November 2025 and we are not looking to add any additional agencies. We’ll be reviewing the PSL again at the end of 2026 and non-compliance with the above statements could be detrimental to you having the opportunity to be included.
Our Talent Community for experienced professionals is a great way to keep up to date with our latest news, insights, future vacancies, as well as gaining access to exclusive events hosted by our experts.
To learn more Join Our Talent Community - Sweco United Kingdom