Principal Traffic Engineer

Principal Traffic Engineer 
Location: San Diego, CA
Employment Type: Full-Time

 

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Principal Traffic Engineer to join our Traffic Division in San Diego, CA. This role is designed for a highly skilled transportation professional who can provide technical leadership, manage complex traffic engineering projects, and mentor engineering teams.

The successful candidate will lead traffic engineering initiatives, oversee project execution, manage client and public agency relationships, and support the delivery of transportation solutions throughout Southern California.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage traffic engineering design teams and transportation projects.
• Provide technical leadership for traffic engineering and planning initiatives.
• Manage project schedules, budgets, scopes of work, and deliverables.
• Prepare and review contracts, fee proposals, and project scopes.
• Coordinate directly with clients, public agencies, and internal stakeholders.
• Supervise traffic designers, planners, CAD drafters, and technical staff.
• Develop and maintain strong client relationships.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to engineering team members.
• Support business development activities and project pursuits.
• Ensure projects meet technical standards, quality expectations, and regulatory requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering (BSCE) required.
• Active California Professional Engineer (PE) Registration in Civil or Traffic Engineering required.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in traffic engineering/planning or equivalent 12 years of industry experience.
• Minimum 5 years of management experience supervising traffic engineering teams.
• Ability to independently manage complex engineering projects.
• Experience building relationships with:
  • Clients
  • Public agency representatives
  • Internal project teams
• Recent Southern California experience required, preferably within the San Diego County region.

Technical Experience Required

Candidates should have experience with:

• Municipal traffic engineering services.
• In-house traffic engineering support for public agencies.
• Traffic engineering plans.
• Traffic signal plans.
• Traffic control plans.
• Signing and striping plans.
• Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA).
• Traffic studies and engineering reports.
• Transportation planning and design projects.

Software & Technical Knowledge

Experience with:

• HCS
• Vistro
• Synchro
• Other traffic engineering software platforms

Knowledge of:

• California Vehicle Code (CVC)
• Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
• Highway Capacity Manual (HCM)

Employment Type: Full Time
Years Experience: 5 - 10 years
Salary: $130,000 - $165,000 Annual
Bonus/Commission: No