At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team to develop impactful business cases for transport investments.
- Company: Join Arcadis, a global leader in sustainable design and consultancy.
- Benefits: Empowering work culture, career growth, and commitment to diversity and inclusion.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities to shape the future of transport investment.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in transport planning and economic appraisal.
- Qualifications: Degree in transport planning or related field; experience in business case development.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 € per year.
Arcadis is the world's leading company delivering sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets. We are more than 34,000 people, in over 30 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life. Everyone has an important role to play. With the power of many curious minds, together we can solve the world’s most complex challenges and deliver more impact together.
We are recruiting a Technical Director specialising in Business Case Development and Economic Appraisal to help clients secure funding and approvals for complex transport investment. The role will lead a small team that shapes robust, evidence‑led infrastructure business cases and appraisal that stand up to scrutiny, build stakeholder confidence, and accelerate decision‑making.
You will support clients through the full investment lifecycle—from strategic case for change and option development through to appraisal, assurance, and approvals—on high profile, complex and technically demanding programmes. Our work spans National Highways, local and combined authorities, sub‑regional transport bodies and developers, alongside a growing international portfolio—supporting decisions on investment prioritisation, funding submissions, consent and programme delivery.
You will work closely with our wider placemaking offer (including business transformation, buildings, environment and local government) to bring integrated advice—linking transport, place, sustainability and deliverability into a single, coherent case for investment.
Role accountabilities:
- Business case advice and drafting that meets client governance and assurance requirements
- Support to secure funding and approvals, building stakeholder confidence in the evidence
- Scheme appraisal to quantify impacts and value for money
- Create an environment and expectations for consistent high quality service delivery with a focus on exceeding client expectations and leads to repeat business.
- Optimise use of Global Excellence Centres (GEC), based outside of the UK&I, and develop other methods of improving project margins and increasing efficiency of delivery
The team operates across the United Kingdom, with offices in the South East, Midlands, North and South West of England, as well as Wales and Scotland. You will provide direction to delivery teams and work with clients on existing and upcoming commissions. This is a strong opportunity to grow a client portfolio and help shape the wider Arcadis placemaking offer—working across internal specialist teams to bring the right capability to each client challenge.
You should be experienced in helping clients (public and private sector) to secure funding and approvals for complex transport investment—providing clear, evidence‑led business cases and economic appraisal that stand up to scrutiny. You will lead client engagements end‑to‑end: shaping the case for change, defining options, assuring appraisal, and guiding stakeholders through governance and assurance gates.
Educated to degree level (or above), preferably in transport planning or traffic engineering, with experience leading or working within a relevant business function within a multinational engineering or professional services firm or public sector organisation. You will be confident presenting to clients and stakeholders and able to communicate complex evidence clearly and concisely. You will bring a rounded transport planning skill set, together with strong experience in business case development and the practical application of economic appraisal tools and guidance.
Qualifications & Experience:
- Proven experience shaping business case and economic appraisal strategies that meet governance and assurance expectations
- Ability to build trusted client relationships and act as a senior point of contact
- Experience leading delivery teams and managing programmes to time, cost and quality
- Strong technical assurance capability—reviewing and signing off key client deliverables
- Commitment to coaching and developing teams to deliver consistently high‑quality work
- Excellent report writing and communication skills, with the ability to tailor messages to different audiences
- Strong organisation and prioritisation skills across multiple client commissions and bids
Optional Role Accountabilities:
- Pedestrian modelling and urban space advice to support safe, efficient place outcomes
- Scheme concept development and feasibility to identify the right options early
- Masterplanning input that integrates transport, land use and deliverability
- Sustainable travel planning (including walking and cycling) to support mode shift and health outcomes
- Planning application support to secure consent, with clear evidence and audit trails
- Public consultation support and expert witness services where required
- Local Plan evidence and advice to support sound, deliverable growth strategies
- Local operational modelling and access design to solve constraints and improve performance
- Clear multimodal transport strategies that align investment with policy and outcomes
- Future mobility strategies that are deliverable, affordable and evidence‑led
We can only achieve our goals when everyone is empowered to be their best. We believe everyone's contribution matters. It’s why we are pioneering a skills-based approach, where you can harness your unique experience and expertise to carve your career path and maximize the impact we can make together. You’ll do meaningful work, and no matter what role, you’ll be helping to deliver sustainable solutions for a more prosperous planet. Make your mark, on your career, your colleagues, your clients, your life and the world around you. Together, we can create a lasting legacy. Join Arcadis. Create a Legacy.
Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging: We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day which is why we take equality and inclusion seriously and hold ourselves to account for our actions. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people. We believe that by working together diverse people with different experiences develop the most innovative ideas. Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the heart of how we improve quality of life and we work closely with our people across six ED&I Workstreams: Age, Disability, Faith, Gender, LGBT+ and Race. A diverse and skilled workforce is essential to our success.
Technical Director - Business Case and Economic Appraisal in Birmingham employer: Arcadis
Arcadis is an exceptional employer that champions a culture of collaboration and innovation, empowering employees to make a meaningful impact on sustainable design and engineering solutions. With a commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, Arcadis fosters an environment where every voice is valued, offering ample opportunities for professional growth and development across its extensive network in the UK and beyond. Join us to not only advance your career but also contribute to projects that enhance quality of life and create a lasting legacy.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Technical Director - Business Case and Economic Appraisal in Birmingham
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy to reach out on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its projects. Understand their values and how they align with your skills. Practice common interview questions and think about how you can showcase your experience in business case development and economic appraisal.
✨Tip Number 3
Follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way in showing your enthusiasm for the role. Mention something specific from the interview to remind them of your conversation and reinforce your interest.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team at Arcadis and making a difference together.
We think you need these skills to ace Technical Director - Business Case and Economic Appraisal in Birmingham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in business case development and economic appraisal. We want to see how your skills align with the role, so don’t hold back on showcasing your relevant achievements!
Showcase Your Communication Skills:Since you'll be presenting complex evidence to clients and stakeholders, it’s crucial to demonstrate your communication prowess. Use clear and concise language in your application to reflect how you can convey intricate ideas effectively.
Highlight Team Leadership Experience:As a Technical Director, leading a team is key. Share examples of how you've successfully managed teams and projects in the past. We love to see candidates who can inspire and guide others towards delivering high-quality work.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website for a smoother process. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity at Arcadis!
How to prepare for a job interview at Arcadis
✨Know Your Business Case Inside Out
Make sure you thoroughly understand the principles of business case development and economic appraisal. Be prepared to discuss specific examples from your past experience where you've successfully shaped evidence-led business cases that met governance requirements.
✨Showcase Your Stakeholder Engagement Skills
Since this role involves building stakeholder confidence, be ready to share how you've effectively communicated complex information to different audiences. Highlight any experiences where you've navigated challenging stakeholder relationships or secured approvals for projects.
✨Demonstrate Leadership and Team Management
As a Technical Director, you'll lead a team, so it's crucial to convey your leadership style. Share examples of how you've coached and developed teams to deliver high-quality work, and discuss how you manage programmes to meet time, cost, and quality expectations.
✨Prepare for Technical Questions
Expect to face technical questions related to transport planning and economic appraisal tools. Brush up on relevant methodologies and be ready to explain how you've applied them in real-world scenarios. This will show your depth of knowledge and practical experience.
