Principal Consultant - Transportation

About the role

We are seeking a commercially sharp, strategically minded Principal Consultant to join and strengthen our Transportation practice. Equivalent to a Director, this role sits at the intersection of client engagement, business development, and delivery excellence helping public and private transportation clients navigate their most complex operational, financial, and strategic challenges.

Responsibilities

• Client Engagement
• Build and sustain trusted relationships across transit authorities, toll agencies, DOTs, and mobility operators, helping clients navigate complex stakeholder environments and define strategic priorities.
• Financial & Commercial Advisory
• Contribute to engagements spanning business cases, funding strategy, fare revenue modeling, P3 structuring, and capital program financial management for major infrastructure clients.
• Operating Model Design
• Advises clients on organizational restructuring, governance design, operating model transformation, and workforce strategy across complex multi-modal transport systems.
• Business Development
• Support and drive pipeline growth by contributing to pursuit strategy, authoring proposals, and representing the firm at industry forums, conferences, and with strategic partners.
• Team & Practice Development
• Coach and support consultants and managers, contribute to a high-performing team culture, and participate in practice capability building, hiring, and thought leadership.
• Strategic & Policy Insight
• Translate federal and state policy trends, funding mechanisms (IIJA, FTA, FHWA), and market dynamics into actionable strategies for clients and internal planning.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in management consulting, public sector advisory, or a substantive role within a transportation authority or agency
• Experience building and managing client relationships at a senior level, including engagement with executive directors, C-suite, or senior public sector officials
• Experience contributing to and managing complex engagements with multidisciplinary teams — from project initiation through final deliverable Involvement in business development activities, including contributing to proposals, responding to RFPs, and supporting go-to-market efforts
• Financial acumen: experience with business case development, budget oversight, cost-benefit analysis, and value-for-money assessments
• Solid understanding of transportation operating models, including multimodal service delivery, fare systems, fleet management, and capital project governance
• Familiarity with public sector economics: funding structures, deficit management, ridership demand modelling, and public finance instruments
• Experience with organizational design, operating model transformation, or performance improvement in a transportation or infrastructure context

Skills & Subject Matter Expertise

• Financial modelling, scenario analysis, and investment appraisal for public infrastructure programs
• Operating model design: governance structures, organizational charts, RACI frameworks, workforce planning, and change management
• Transportation economics: demand forecasting, revenue optimization, subsidy analysis, and cost allocation methodologies
• Public-private partnership (P3) advisory, including procurement structure, risk allocation, and contract management
• Program management for capital delivery: schedule risk, funding management, and contractor oversight frameworks
• Data-driven decision-making: comfort with performance metrics, KPIs, dashboards, and translating analysis into executive narratives
• Executive communication: ability to produce board-level briefings, strategy documents, and compelling presentations

Preferred Qualifications

• An advanced degree in business administration, public policy, finance, engineering, or a related field; an MBA is highly valued
• Prior experience within a transit authority, state DOT, or transportation agency, whether in an advisory, operational, or project role
• Active network within the US transportation industry with transit authorities, toll agencies, federal agencies (FTA, FHWA), or industry bodies (APTA, IBTTA)
• Familiarity with technology-enabled transportation transformation: MaaS platforms, contactless fare collection, GTFS/data standards, or intelligent transportation systems
• Experience working in coalition or teaming arrangements with engineering, construction, or technology partners

Benefits

Hybrid working - our approach is to be in the office or on client site a minimum of 2 days per week. However, the actual time you spend and where you spend it will vary by role or assignment.

Pay

Salary Range: Low: $159,200 - High: $212,300.