Transport Planning and Work-Winning Leader
Joining Arup
As part of Arup's strategic vision for 2025-2030, we seek a dynamic Transport Planning and Work-Winning Leader for the North-West. This pivotal role will drive innovation, deepen client relationships, and spearhead transformative projects that shape resilient, inclusive, and sustainable communities. The successful candidate will leverage Arup’s multidisciplinary expertise to deliver outstanding transport solutions, build partnerships, and nurture talent across the business.
Purpose
Transport is integral to Arup's Core Strength Businesses, as set out in our Global Strategy for 2025-2030. Arup is renowned for its leadership in infrastructure and regeneration projects, guiding them from strategic planning and scheme development, through to design and implementation worldwide, leveraging the diverse expertise we bring from across our organisation. To meet the ambitious targets set forth in our Strategy, we need to enhance our service offerings throughout the entire project and asset lifecycle. This will create more genuine opportunities for collaboration across Cities, Planning and Design (CPD), and all Arup sectors.
Arup experience and expertise in Urban Mass Transport reflects all aspects of the project lifecycle from early concept, strategy, planning, business case and business planning through to all design stages, and beyond into operation and asset management. Arup has established a strong and long-term set of clients across the relevant sectors, including key public agencies (e.g. Combined Authorities, Local Authorities and Transport Partnerships), major developers, asset owners and operators. There remains, however, an opportunity to grow greater market share by harnessing a more focused transport planning offer, spanning across Arup skills and disciplines to deliver positive outcomes for our clients across the full asset and project lifecycle. Arup can deliver excellent outcomes for people, places, and planet when we bring together a coordinated, integrated suite of skills and expertise for clients working across different scales, geographies, and levels of sophistication. Effective positioning of our multi-disciplinary offer with laser focus on solutions, will enable Arup to become the consultant of choice for our clients' most complex problems across the full asset and project lifecycle.
Market Context
In the UK, there is a renewed focus on urban regeneration and mass transit, with increased policy focus, public sector budget allocation and confidence in the investor market, with a specific spotlight on the connectivity within and between urban centres, e.g. urban mass transit or other large-scale infrastructure investment, revitalisation of public realm and/or strategic planning.
The North-West of England has seen significant change due to the role and influence of both established and emerging Combined Authorities. The devolution agenda, and regeneration initiatives aimed at boosting economic growth are coming together to stimulate activity and create development opportunities. Combined Authorities have enabled a cohesive approach to transport, infrastructure, and education, while devolution has granted more decision-making power to local governments. Regeneration efforts have focused on revitalising urban areas, attracting investments, and creating jobs. These strategies work together to foster a vibrant economy, promote innovation, and enhance the quality of life for residents. On-going opportunities include digital and infrastructure transformation, and urban development and regeneration projects, often with a major transport component acting as a catalyst.
The Opportunity
Given the level of opportunity in the UKIMEA and globally to create, win and deliver transport and multi-disciplinary projects in the built environment, a North-West-based. Transport Planning and Work-Winning Leader is required by CPD North to develop new, and nurture/leverage existing, client relationships and secure major project wins alongside working across our Transport Planning Service Line to drive innovation and embed a much deeper practice of collaboration. A core function will be to harness our collective potential and to focus this on the key, strategic transport and mass transit opportunities generated through the emerging devolution agenda – with a principle focus on the UK and North-West, building on relationships with combined authorities and their agencies (e.g. TfN, andTfGM), and supporting other activity across our UKIMEA (India, Middle East and Africa) Region.
The role will seek to use the breadth of Arup's Services offer to:
engage cross-sector client types including public bodies, as well as funders and investors seeking to progress rail and transit projects;
deliver work across the entire lifespan of existing clients’ strategies, policies and programmes;
Lead and grow our transport planning offer in the North-West, strengthening our go-to-market capabilities, and ability to support across the wider UKIMEA Region;
simplify our ways of working and ensure consistency of identifying and reporting market opportunities.
Focus Areas - clients
public-sector - combined authorities, sub-regional partnerships and local authorities with ambitions to strategic transport projects, regeneration and development;
public-sector – agencies and collaborations focused on the delivery of infrastructure (e.g. TfGM and Merseytravel);
development-sector – supporting companies with a focus on strategic land parcels, reclamation and/or development preparation, and associated strategic transport interventions.
Focus Areas - projects
complex infrastructure-, transport-, and regeneration-led schemes requiring multi-disciplinary, cross-Arup services focussed on solutions;
Focus Areas - markets
UK urban renewal and regeneration areas requiring significant transport infrastructure intervention;
Areas that support new settlements driven by devolution and/or changes to planning policy.
Is this role right for you?
The role holder will:
have a strong foundation in infrastructure/regeneration strategy;
be able to work with the existing portfolio leadership to set a clear vision and delivering high levels of income and profit;
be comfortable leading teams, and working across groups and portfolios without boundaries;
be a self-starter who can generate new client leads and nurture existing ones;
understand the public sector landscape, in particular in the North-West;
have a growth mentality, capable of working with a small team to identify and capture more strategic downstream opportunities.
The role will be based in CPD North (Manchester) with a focus on the North-West, but will also work cross-portfolio and cross-geography.
What We Offer you
At Arup, we care about each member’s success, so we can grow together.
Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognises the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.
We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup’s legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling members to share in the results of our collective efforts.
We also provide Private medical insurance, Life assurance, Accident insurance and Income protection cover. In addition, you’ll have access to flexible benefits to help you look after all aspects of your wellbeing and give you the freedom and flexibility to find the best solutions for you, your family, and your individual needs.
Different People, Shared Values
Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence.
Guided by our values and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we create and contribute to equitable spaces and systems, while cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture: from race, ethnicity and cross-cultural working to gender equity and LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion – we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference. Discover more about life at Arup at www.arup.com/careers/your-life-at-arup.
We are committed to making our recruitment process and workplaces accessible to all candidates. Please contact sarah-x.graham@arup.com to let us know if you need any assistance or reasonable adjustments throughout your application or interview process, and/or to perform the essential functions of the role. We will do everything we can to support you.
Our Application Process
To understand what to expect next, please visit https://www.arup.com/careers/recruitment-process/
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