Senior Transport Planner

To help us deliver our responsibilities we are seeking suitably qualified and experienced applicants to fill a Senior Transport Planner post in the Transport Strategy and Analysis (TSA) Directorate.  

The Transport Strategy and Analysis Directorate (TSA) brings together a number of cross cutting functions, including the National Transport Strategy and setting the investment priorities for transport across Scotland through the second Strategic Transport Projects Review. All of which is being looked at through the lens of economic impact and in responding to the climate emergency. The directorate brings together the transport planning and analytical teams with a remit which includes providing analysis and research to support strategy and policy.

Applications are invited from all suitably qualified staff for a B3 Senior Transport Planner posts in Transport Scotland. These posts are open to existing B2 Graduate Transport Planners who are expected to be Chartered within the next 12 months. If successful at interview, you will be held on a reserve list until successful in gaining chartered status, and will then be posted to a suitable B3 post if available. If you are unsuccessful in gaining chartered status within the 12 month reserve period, our offer of a B3 post will be withdrawn. 

Transport Professional Pay Supplement

This post attracts a £7,862 pay supplement (pro rata).  Pay supplements are temporary payments designed to address recruitment and retention issues caused by market pressures and are subject to regular review. 

 Responsibilities

• The provision of high quality briefing and advice, communicating effectively within an area that attracts significant political, media, and stakeholder interest and criticism.  
• Prepare responses to correspondence and FOIs/EIRs. 
• Complete and contribute to technical transport planning work so Ministers are provided with appropriate advice on potential future development impacts, transport infrastructure, NPF4 and STPR2 recommendations.  
• Support the delivery of transport aspects of city and regional growth deals or similar such economic development initiatives, working closely with colleagues in SG Economy, other SG departments, enterprise agencies and UK Government. 
• Support the delivery of Transport Scotland’s statutory role in the development of Local Development Plans. 
• Maintain active, outward facing engagement with stakeholders to ensure quality of appraisal approaches, disseminate findings and promote best practice. 
• Support the Framework Agreements for transport appraisal and support / inform the progress of land use modelling services & associated data collection, to support the work of Transport Scotland and the wider transport planning community. 
• Manage junior team members, supporting their development and well being.
• Contribute to the wider workload of the Strategic Transport Planning team, deputising for C1 roles, as appropriate. 
• Be a mentor of Transport Planning Graduates in the training programme at Transport Scotland. 

Qualifications

You must have either of the following professional qualifications:

• Chartered Civil Engineer registered with the Engineering Council and member of the ICE or CIHT; or
• Chartered Transport Planning Professional gained with CIHT or TPS.

Successful candidates who do not currently hold a professional qualification will be placed on a reserve list for 12 months to allow you time to gain Chartered status. If you fail to pass your professional review within this 12 month period you will need to re-apply for future vacancies.

Please make reference to these qualifications in your CV or supporting statement. 

Success profile Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on. Technical / Professional Skills: 

Communicating science and engineering for government 

• Builds solid links to internal and external specialists and stakeholders
• Provides critical analysis and investigation of sources and contributes to the robustness of the evidence base. 

Technical oversight and management

• Arrives at clear and defensible conclusions, with outcomes expressed credibly and transparently.
• Identifies the technical problem to be solved, defining further questions to be asked or research needed, and scopes project requirements/specifications.

Experience

Proven experience of evidence based problem solving, in the transport sector including at least two of the following:

• Transport appraisal and business case development
• Transport assessment
• Strategic modelling
• Local modelling
• Post opening evaluation of roads and transport schemes
• Transport strategies
• Development planning and management
• Transport demand and forecasting
• Transport related climate change action
• Transport research
• Transport economics

Behaviours:

• Making effective decisions - Level 3
• Seeing the bigger picture - Level 3 
• Delivering at pace - Level 3

You can find out more about Success Profiles here: Success profiles: candidate guide - gov.scot
 How to apply Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement of no more than 1500 words which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above. Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.   

Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and written exercise.  Assessments are scheduled for w/c 27th October however this may be subject to change. If you require any further information on the post please contact mairi.joyce@transport.gov.scot  About usTransport Scotland is the national transport agency, seeking to deliver a safe, efficient, cost-effective and sustainable transport system for the benefit of the people of Scotland. Transport Scotland is accountable to Parliament and the public through Scottish Ministers, with a budget of around £4 billion per year. Transport is a vital feature of the Scottish Government's focus on increasing sustainable economic growth, and transport investments and policies have major impacts on the economy, people, and the environment.  The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles. Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland. We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer. As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules. Working pattern Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role. You will be expected to be office based twice per week.  Equality statement We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation. Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them. Further information Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website. Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes. Apply Before: 21st October 2025 (23:59) - This role is open to internal candidates and Common Citizenship organisations only.