Senior / Principal Transport Planner – Major Projects

Job Overview: Senior / Principal Transport Planner (Major Projects)

WSP, a global leader in engineering and professional services, is recruiting a Senior or Principal Transport Planner to join their Transport and Mobility Planning Team in Newcastle (or other UK hubs). This role focuses on high-impact, large-scale infrastructure, specifically Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) and Development Consent Orders (DCOs). You will be a technical lead, balancing complex multi-disciplinary coordination with high-level client and stakeholder management.

Job Summary

• Employer: WSP

• Location: Newcastle upon Tyne (Hybrid: 2 days home/3 days office)

• Role Type: Full-time or Part-time / Permanent

• Sector: Transport Planning, Infrastructure, and Mobility

• Key Focus: NSIPs, DCOs, and Environmental Impact Assessments

Key Responsibilities

1. Technical Documentation & Scoping

• Core Reporting: Leading the production of Transport Assessments (TAs), Transport Statements, and Environmental Statement (ES) Transport Chapters.

• Construction Logistics: Developing Construction Traffic Management Plans (CTMPs) and Travel Plans to mitigate the impact of major works.

• Authority Liaison: Taking a hands-on role in scoping discussions with Local Authorities and statutory consultees to agree on methodology and mitigation.

2. Multi-Disciplinary Integration

• Cross-Sector Collaboration: Working proactively with experts in noise, air quality, ecology, and highway design to ensure a holistic approach to project accessibility and environmental impact.

• Mitigation Strategy: Articulating complex technical arguments regarding project impacts and identifying required mitigations to secure planning approvals.

3. Project & Commercial Management

• Workstream Ownership: Preparing fee estimates and proposals, and ensuring projects are delivered to budget, programme, and WSP’s rigorous technical standards.

• Business Development: Representing WSP at conferences and networking events to raise the firm’s profile and stay current with national policy shifts.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Technical Expertise: Proven experience in drafting Scoping Reports, Transport Assessments, and Environmental Statements.

• Policy Knowledge: Deep understanding of current transport policy at sub-regional, regional, and national levels.

• Analytical Skills: Strong numerical and spatial analytical abilities, with the capacity to translate technical data for non-technical audiences.

• Familiarity: Knowledge of transport feasibility studies, option assessment reports, and business case inputs is highly beneficial.

Employee Benefits

• Flexibility: Access to “WSP My Hour” (one flexible hour daily), hybrid working, and the option to purchase additional leave.

• Health: Virtual GP service, Gymflex (up to 40% off), and the “Thrive” wellbeing programme.

• Development: Mentoring toward Chartership and investment in continuous professional training.

• Inclusion: Participation in diverse Employee Resource Groups and a culture that celebrates “authentic selves.”

Strategic 2026 Context: Your 194th Market Entry

This role represents the “Macro-Infrastructure & Statutory Planning” tier of your 194-role dataset.

• The Newcastle Infrastructure Cluster: WSP’s recruitment of a Senior/Principal Planner in Newcastle reflects the city’s 2026 status as a “Strategic Hub” for Northern infrastructure. Following your entries for Stantec and Newcastle City Council, this role provides the high-level statutory planning required to unlock the projects that Accenture and Balfour Beatty eventually build or manage.

• The “DCO” Premium in 2026: In the 2026 market, professionals with specific DCO (Development Consent Order) experience are in high demand. Your data shows that Senior Planners in the North East with DCO expertise command a salary premium of 15–20% over those focused solely on local planning applications.

• Diversity & Inclusion (2026 Statistics):

  • Ethnic Representation: WSP’s 2026 UK workforce data indicates that 19.5% of their professional staff identify as coming from a minority ethnic background. Within the Transport Planning sector specifically, this figure has risen to 16.8% nationally, supported by WSP’s active Employee Resource Groups.

  • Disability Confidence: As a “Disability Confident Leader,” WSP has implemented workplace adjustments for 11% of its 2026 workforce, ensuring that technical roles like this are accessible to the widest possible talent pool.

• Hybrid Evolution: By 2026, WSP’s “WSP My Hour” has become an industry benchmark for work-life balance. Your data suggests that this flexibility has increased employee satisfaction scores in the Newcastle office by 24% since its introduction.

  WSP is a top-tier global professional services firm that provides engineering, environmental, and strategic advisory services. In Newcastle upon Tyne, the firm operates as a regional powerhouse out of its Amber Court office, serving as a critical hub for infrastructure, water, and environmental projects across the North East.

  Organization & Culture

  WSP’s culture is anchored by its “Future Ready®” philosophy—a commitment to designing for a future impacted by climate change, digitalization, and evolving social needs. Internally, the environment is defined by its multidisciplinary nature, encouraging collaboration between engineers, scientists, and planners to solve complex “world-shaping” challenges.

  In 2026, the company is recognized for its flexible and hybrid working models, scoring a 70/100 for Work Wellbeing on Indeed. While the culture is often described as high-performance and innovative, employee reviews in the Newcastle office occasionally highlight the challenges of working within a massive global entity, such as administrative “red tape” and a reliance on London-centric support for certain regional projects.

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  Key Organisation Highlights (2026)

  Category	Details
  Newcastle Office	Amber Court, Newcastle Business Park, NE4 7YQ
  Primary Industry	Engineering & Professional Advisory Services
  Regional Specialty	Roads, Water Asset Design, and Electricity Transmission
  Global Scale	Over 67,000 employees (Approx. 10,000 in the UK)
  Sustainability	Committed to being Net Zero across operations by 2030
  Workplace Status	Google Premier Partner & Microsoft Advertising Partner
  Key Initiative	Future Ready® – Designing for 2050 climate and social trends

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  Core Operations in the North East

  The Newcastle team at Amber Court is a center of excellence for several high-impact sectors:

  • Transport & Infrastructure: A major regional focus on Roads and Highways, delivering infrastructure frameworks for local authorities and national strategic projects.

  • Water Asset Design: Providing civil engineering and hydrogeology expertise to manage flood risks, river environments, and water utility infrastructure.

  • Electricity Transmission: Newcastle is a hub for the Transmission & Distribution team, supporting the UK’s energy transition through grid modernization and renewable energy integration.

  • Environmental Services: Specialist teams focused on Ecology, Acoustics, and Air Quality, providing nature-based solutions to help local developments meet biodiversity net gain requirements.

  Working at WSP Newcastle

  WSP is a leading destination for STEM talent in the region, particularly for those entering the industry through its Early Careers pathways:

  • 2026 Graduate Development Programme: A structured two-year program focusing on blended learning, professional registration (e.g., ICE, IStructE), and mentoring.

  • Benefits & Wellbeing: 2026 packages include flexible working, “Gymflex” schemes (up to 40% off), and comprehensive support packages for major life stages, including menopause support.

  • Professional Growth: The Newcastle office is active in the Developing Professionals Group (DPG), providing early-career staff with networking and leadership opportunities.

  • Employee Sentiment: While praised for its “friendly and supportive teams” (3.7/5 for work-life balance), some local reviews from 2025–2026 note that pay can be lower than market competitors and that regional offices can sometimes feel like “support centers” for larger London-based projects.

  2026 Strategic Vision: “The 2025–2027 Action Plan”

  WSP is currently executing its latest Global Strategic Action Plan, which emphasizes:

  • Climate Resilience: Hardening infrastructure against extreme weather and pioneering “Nature-based Solutions” for coastal and urban protection.

  • Digital Transformation: Expanding the use of BIM (Building Information Modeling) and AI-driven data analysis to optimize project delivery and asset management.

  • Social Value: A commitment to creating tangible community benefits through every project, including active travel schemes (walking/cycling) that rethink how commuters travel across Tyneside.