Principal Traffic Engineer
Principal Traffic Engineer
San Diego County, CA | Leadership Track | Ownership Potential
Are you a proven Traffic Engineering leader looking for more influence, greater autonomy, and a clear path toward ownership?
An established, employee-focused engineering consulting firm is seeking a Principal Traffic Engineer to lead complex transportation projects throughout Southern California. This is an opportunity to join a highly respected multidisciplinary organization known for delivering impactful infrastructure, transportation, and community development projects across the region.
You'll work alongside industry experts, mentor technical staff, expand client relationships, and play a key role in shaping both project delivery and the future growth of the practice.
What You'll Be Doing
- Lead and manage traffic engineering and transportation planning projects throughout Southern California
- Oversee traffic engineers, planners, CAD technicians, and design staff
- Manage project schedules, budgets, scopes, and client expectations
- Prepare contracts, fee proposals, and scopes of work
- Serve as a trusted advisor to public agencies, municipalities, and private-sector clients
- Direct the preparation of:
- Traffic Signal Plans
- Traffic Control Plans
- Signing and Striping Plans
- Traffic Impact Analyses
- Transportation Studies and Technical Reports
- Provide municipal traffic engineering services and support ongoing agency relationships
- Mentor and develop junior engineering staff while fostering a collaborative team environment
- Support business development efforts and help drive long-term market growth
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering
- California Professional Engineer (PE) or Traffic Engineer (TE) registration
- Minimum 7 years of traffic engineering or transportation planning experience, or equivalent industry experience
- Minimum 5 years of leadership and staff management experience
- Strong background managing multidisciplinary traffic engineering projects
- Demonstrated success supervising engineering, planning, and CAD teams
- Experience managing project budgets, schedules, and client relationships
- Excellent communication and leadership skills
- Ability to work independently and make sound engineering decisions
Preferred Experience
- Recent Southern California traffic engineering experience, preferably within the San Diego market
- Municipal traffic engineering consulting experience
- Expertise in traffic operations, signal design, traffic control, and transportation studies
- Experience with:
- Synchro
- Vistro
- HCS
- Other traffic analysis and modeling software
- Strong understanding of:
- California Vehicle Code (CVC)
- MUTCD
- Highway Capacity Manual (HCM)
- Transit planning and design experience is a plus
Why Join?
- Opportunity to work on high-profile transportation and infrastructure projects
- Collaborative, multidisciplinary environment
- Strong leadership team and technical mentorship
- Clear career advancement opportunities
- Potential pathway to ownership for high-performing professionals
- Long-term stability with a respected Southern California consulting practice
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive compensation package
- Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- 401(k) with company contributions
- Profit Sharing Program
- Life and Disability Insurance
- Generous Paid Time Off and Personal Leave
- Professional development and career growth opportunities
If you're looking for a leadership role where you can make a lasting impact on Southern California's transportation network while building toward future ownership, we'd love to connect.
FAQs
Congratulations, we understand that taking the time to apply is a big step. When you apply, your details go directly to the consultant who is sourcing talent. Due to demand, we may not get back to all applicants that have applied. However, we always keep your resume and details on file so when we see similar roles or see skillsets that drive growth in organizations, we will always reach out to discuss opportunities.
Yes. Even if this role isn’t a perfect match, applying allows us to understand your expertise and ambitions, ensuring you're on our radar for the right opportunity when it arises.
We also work in several ways, firstly we advertise our roles available on our site, however, often due to confidentiality we may not post all. We also work with clients who are more focused on skills and understanding what is required to future-proof their business.
That's why we recommend registering your resume so you can be considered for roles that have yet to be created.
Yes, we help with resume and interview preparation. From customized support on how to optimize your resume to interview preparation and compensation negotiations, we advocate for you throughout your next career move.