Senior Consultant (Strategy, Funding, Appraisal)

Around the world, SYSTRA’s specialists plan, design, integrate, test, commission, project manage and deliver mass transit and mobility solutions that are relied on by more than 50 million people every day.

For more than 60 years, the Group has been committed to helping cities and regions contribute to their development by creating, improving and modernising their transport infrastructure with sustainability, accessibility and innovation at the heart of our designs. With over 10,300 colleagues globally and around 1000 in the UK & Ireland we are growing significantly and seeking out the very best talent to join the SYSTRA signature team and be part of leading the way in infrastructure design.

Context

The Senior Consultant will support the Strategy Funding and Appraisal (SFA) Team within SYSTRA's Consultancy Business in Scotland.

This role will play a key part in shaping our business by leading and contributing to high-profile projects across strategy, business case development, funding and appraisal. You will combine strong technical expertise with project leadership, client engagement and business development, helping to deliver high-quality outcomes for clients while supporting the growth of our people and our business.

This role offers the opportunity to work on complex and meaningful transport projects, collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, and make a visible contribution to innovative and sustainable transport solutions.

Missions/Main Duties

• • Proactively support the successful delivery of projects of varying scale, primarily for the Strategy Funding and Appraisal team in Scotland, while also contributing to work for other SYSTRA teams and clients where needed. Manage a range of work packages and projects, ensuring strong client satisfaction, effective financial performance and achievement of project targets. 

  • Build your project and commercial experience by taking ownership of the delivery of small to medium value proposals, ensuring clear scope, acceptance criteria and invoicing milestones. You will also contribute to large proposals and, where appropriate, oversee them. Alongside this, you will ensure that complex technical tasks are delivered to a high standard, on time and within budget.

  • Contribute to the growth of the team and the business. A key part of the role will involve guiding and mentoring junior colleagues, supporting both their technical and professional development.

  • Take responsibility for substantial elements of SYSTRA reports and present technical and project information clearly to clients and colleagues to support project delivery, learning and business growth.

  • Develop your technical expertise across the SFA portfolio by contributing to transport strategies, business cases and option appraisals. This may include end-to-end development of Strategic and Socio-Economic cases, STAG appraisals and strategic business case development, including corridor and town-centre strategies. Help identify transport problems and opportunities, set transport planning objectives, develop and appraise options, and prepare Case for Change, Preliminary Options and Detailed Options reports, as appropriate. Apply relevant guidance, including STAG, DPTAG, HMT Green Book, DfT TAG and applicable local requirements.

  • Help define appraisal strategies, select the appropriate tools and models, and establish assurance approaches. This may include overseeing demand, revenue and benefits modelling, cost estimation, risk and optimism bias, distributional and environmental appraisal, and value-for-money assessments, as well as supporting assurance reviews and peer reviews.

  • Work closely with internal multidisciplinary teams, including transport modelling, design and consultation specialists, to deliver high-quality feasibility studies.

  • Contribute to public-transport strategy and appraisal work, which may include bus-network and service strategy, service standards, behavioural change and quality improvement interventions, and delivery and funding models. Experience in this area would be useful but is not essential to the role.

  • Build client, stakeholder and leadership experience by maintaining strong client relationships across government departments, Regional Transport Partnerships, local authorities, transport operators and developers. Identify and initiate sales opportunities within Strategy Funding and Appraisal market areas, share market insight with colleagues, and contribute to SYSTRA’s profile through thought leadership activities such as articles, conference presentations and policy insight.

  • Manage day-to-day relationships with clients and, where relevant, third-party contractors and other stakeholders, helping to ensure smooth and successful project delivery. Keep line managers, project managers and project directors appropriately informed on project matters and your own activities, while maintaining effective communication with clients on specific tasks and deliverables.

  • As a project manager, collaborate proactively with the wider project team, project director and client to drive progress, manage issues and deliver successful outcomes. 

  • Develop your commercial skills by taking ownership of financial responsibilities across projects and assignments, supporting the delivery of gross revenue, net revenue and gross margin targets for the projects and work packages you manage. 

  • Develop your professional skills, maintaining an up-to-date record of your skills and experience in the SYSTRA CV system, continuing your professional development and maintaining membership of relevant professional institutions. You’ll have access to relevant learning resources, colleague support groups and agreed time for CPD and other professional-development activities.

  • Demonstrate behaviours aligned with SYSTRA’s behavioural framework by actively fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, respect, and empowerment, contributing to an environment where all colleagues can thrive, achieve, and grow together.

Profile/Skills

• • We are looking for candidates who are strong team players, confident communicators and capable of building credibility with both clients and colleagues.

  • You will bring excellent presentation, written and numerical skills, along with the ability to manage your own time effectively and support others in doing the same.

  • Knowledge of the Scottish transport context, including STAG, DPTAG, the National Transport Strategy and NPF4, would be advantageous. An understanding of appraisal tools such as TUBA, COBALT and AMAT.

  • You will have a strong track record in contributing to transport strategies, business cases, feasibility studies or appraisals. The ability to identify problems, bring together objectives and assess options, work with evidence, coordinate specialist inputs and communicate clear recommendations is important.

  • Experience in public-transport strategy or appraisal, including bus networks and services, would be useful but is not essential. Candidates with relevant transferable strategy, appraisal or project-delivery skills are encouraged to apply.

  • Experience of working with Regional Transport Partnerships, local authorities or Transport Scotland would be useful. We also welcome candidates with transferable experience working with other public-sector and third-sector clients and stakeholders.

  • Candidates should also have project management experience in a client-facing environment and hold a degree in a relevant subject. 

  • We welcome applicants who hold, or are working towards, Chartered Transport Planning Professional (CTPP) status or another relevant chartership. SYSTRA supports colleagues pursuing professional accreditation through established processes, access to relevant resources and peer support groups, agreed time for CPD and accreditation activities, and financial incentives.

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Workplace Type

Hybrid

Why SYSTRA?