Lead Roads Engineer

Why this role

We’re growing our transport infrastructure capability in New Zealand and are seeking an experienced roads engineer to lead design delivery across complex rural and urban infrastructure projects.

What the role feels like

This is a hands-on technical leadership role spanning major roading and transport projects—from feasibility and investment case development, through concept design for route protection and consenting, to detailed design for costing and construction, and into construction support.

You’ll be balancing design quality, client expectations, and multidisciplinary coordination, while driving value engineering and ensuring practical buildability across live, constrained infrastructure environments.

What you’ll do

• Lead geometric road and civil design delivery across the full project lifecycle - spanning feasibility and investment case development, concept design for route protection and consenting, detailed design for costing, procurement and construction, and ongoing construction support across complex rural and urban infrastructure projects.
• Provide technical leadership, guidance, and mentoring to engineers and designers within the team.
• Collaborate and coordinate with a range of disciplines, including transport planning, drainage, utilities, structures, lighting, pavements, rail, geotechnical, environmental planning, traffic, and construction teams, to enable cohesive, integrated design outcomes.
• Deliver and review high quality design packages, drawings, specifications and technical reports in line with project brief, client expectations and local authority standards.
• Lead Safety in Design, constructability, and project risk discussions.
• Identify and manage change across projects, including scope, programme, financials, deliverables, and risk documentation, while ensuring design assurance, commercial discipline, and high-quality delivery.
• Develop practical engineering solutions, championing a pragmatic, “no-frills” approach.
• Build and maintain trusted client relationships with transport agencies, local authorities, and key project stakeholders.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of the roads practice, including standardisation, technical eminence, and digital initiatives.

What you’ll bring

• Strong experience delivering multidisciplinary transport or civil infrastructure projects in a consulting environment, across complex rural and urban corridors.
• Proven capability in geometric road design, design review, and technical leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and mentor teams, while working effectively across disciplines to achieve integrated outcomes.
• Experience working with NZTA / Waka Kotahi, Auckland Transport, or other local authority standards.
• Proficiency in Civil 3D, OpenRoads, or 12d, or experience leading teams using these tools.
• Sound understanding of Safety in Design, constructability, and project risk management, with strong commercial awareness.
• Ability to build trusted client relationships and contribute to successful project outcomes.
• Chartered status (or working towards Chartership) with a relevant Civil Engineering qualification