Transport Specialist at MECS (Pty) Ltd

About the job

• My client is seeking a Research Group Leader. The incumbent will provide leadership by increasing the impact of the research group through science, engineering and technology (SET) excellence in areas that include public transport service design, transport economics, transport safety, decision support through improved transport modelling techniques and mobility foresight research.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• A doctorate in Transport Engineering, Operations Research, applied Mathematics, Transport Economics, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or equivalent, with at least 10 years’ relevant working experience in transport systems and operations.
• Should preferably be at a principal researcher level or at least a senior researcher on the research career path (with publication history).
• Registered professional scientist or engineer would be an added advantage.
• Good understanding of transport operations and the built environment domains in South Africa.
• Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills.
• Ability to work in a methodical manner is essential.
• Ability to carry out strategic stakeholder interactions at all levels.
• Excellent business management skills (i.e., budgeting, establishing networks, excellent people skills, etc.).
• Ability to present ideas, concepts, plan and procedures.
• Excellent people management skills (i.e., mentorship, coaching diversity and diversity management).

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the research group to deliver on the impact area strategic plan.
• Continuously build the research group to be responsive to current and future transport challenges in South Africa and partner countries.
• Establish the research group as a national leader in passenger transport applied research, with international recognition.
• Propose, plan and implement Parliamentary Grant (PG) and other grant-funded projects and programmes, in consultation with the Impact Area Manager (IAM) to enhance the technical strength of the research group.
• Manage projects and programmes through robust and integrated planning.
• Coordinate deliverables to fulfil project requirements.
• Conceptualise innovate solutions to fulfil project and programme requirements.
• Responsible for project coordination and planning, often with multidisciplinary teams, to ensure projects are delivered on brief, budget and time.
• Develop the business.
• Manage the quality of the outputs (i.e., proposals, reports, client presentations, etc.) to ensure they are responsive.
• Build and maintain client responsive teams.