Associate Director - Highways

An excellent opportunity has arisen for an experienced Associate Director to join a well-established, employee-owned international engineering and consultancy business in its London office. This role sits within a UK-based integrated transport planning and engineering team that works at the forefront of sustainable mobility, active travel, public realm and highway engineering, supporting clients who are driving meaningful change in the built environment. You will join a purpose-led consultancy that combines engineering, design, consultancy, technology and software expertise to deliver positive societal impact. The organisation offers a genuinely collaborative culture, drawing on both UK and international expertise, and provides an environment where senior professionals can lead, innovate and continue to develop.

The Role

As Associate Director, you will take a senior leadership role in managing and overseeing the delivery of a varied portfolio of traffic, active travel, public realm and highway engineering projects across London and the wider UK. You will provide technical leadership, project direction and commercial oversight, while developing strong client relationships and supporting the growth of the team and wider business. Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading the delivery of traffic, active travel, public realm and highway/infrastructure engineering projects from concept through to detailed design
• Acting as Project Director and Project Manager, with responsibility for financial performance, programmes and KPIs
• Reviewing and approving technical designs, drawings and reports, ensuring compliance with project briefs and relevant UK and regional standards
• Providing leadership, mentoring and technical guidance to engineers and designers, supporting skills development and professional progression
• Driving innovation and continuous improvement, staying informed on best practice, emerging technologies and design approaches
• Building, maintaining and expanding strong client relationships, identifying and securing new commercial opportunities
• Preparing and reviewing fee proposals, client briefs and bids, and contributing to wider business development activity
• Collaborating closely with other transport, engineering and advisory teams across the wider business
• Representing the consultancy through professional bodies, industry forums and thought leadership activities

About You

You will be a senior transport or highway engineering professional with a strong consultancy background and demonstrable experience delivering complex urban projects, particularly within London. You should be able to demonstrate:

• Proven experience delivering highway design projects within the City of London and Westminster
• Strong understanding of local authority requirements, urban constraints and stakeholder coordination
• Experience preparing and managing Section 278 and Section 38 highway approvals
• Public realm design experience, including streetscape enhancements and urban design integration
• Excellent knowledge of highway design standards and relevant software (e.g. AutoCAD, Civil 3D), with awareness of BIM and 3D modelling processes
• A track record of successfully leading teams and delivering projects on time and within budget
• Strong client-facing, communication and stakeholder management skills
• A degree in Civil Engineering or a related discipline
• Chartered Engineer status (CEng or equivalent) is highly desirable
• An established and growing professional network with positive client references

Why Join?

You will be part of a flexible, friendly and collaborative consultancy that places real value on its people and the impact of its work. The role offers exposure to high-profile, meaningful projects, the opportunity to influence strategy and design outcomes, and the chance to work within a genuinely supportive and forward-thinking environment. The package includes a competitive salary, flexible and hybrid working options (including part-time arrangements), salary sacrifice schemes and a comprehensive benefits offering, alongside long-term career progression within an employee-owned organisation.

Interested?

If you are looking for an Associate Director role where you can combine technical leadership, client influence and purpose-driven work, this is an opportunity worth exploring.