Senior Traffic Engineer

A career in transportation is more than moving people and goods. It is about improving safety, mobility, and quality of life within the communities we serve. At Stantec, we plan, design, and deliver transportation solutions that make our communities safer, more resilient, and better connected.

Our South Carolina Transportation team is seeking a highly experienced Senior Traffic Engineer to join our growing practice in Columbia, South Carolina. This leadership role will focus on traffic engineering design and analysis services for the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), local agencies, municipalities, and private clients throughout South Carolina.

The successful candidate will bring extensive experience in traffic engineering, a thorough understanding of SCDOT policies, procedures, and design requirements, and a proven track record of delivering complex transportation projects. This position will serve as a technical leader, project manager, mentor, and client representative while supporting strategic growth initiatives across the state.

Your Opportunity

Stantec's South Carolina transportation practice is seeking a Senior Traffic Engineer with a minimum of 20 years of experience in traffic engineering. The ideal candidate will possess advanced expertise in the development and oversight of:

• Traffic Control Plans (TCPs)
• Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) Plans
• Traffic Impact Studies
• Traffic Operations and Safety Studies
• Signing Plans
• Pavement Marking Plans
• Work Zone Traffic Control
• Intersection and Corridor Analysis
• Traffic Signal Coordination and Operations
• SCDOT Plan Development and Review

The position will be based in Columbia, South Carolina, and will support transportation projects throughout the state.

Your Key Responsibilities Technical Leadership

• Serve as technical lead for traffic engineering projects across South Carolina.
• Lead the preparation, review, and approval of Traffic Control Plans, Signing Plans, and Pavement Marking Plans.
• Provide technical oversight for traffic studies, safety studies, operational analyses, and traffic impact assessments.
• Ensure project deliverables comply with current SCDOT policies, manuals, standards, specifications, and design requirements.
• Maintain expertise in the MUTCD, SCDOT Traffic Engineering Directives, Roadway Design Guidelines, and work zone traffic control requirements.
• Develop innovative solutions to address traffic operations, mobility, and safety challenges.

Project Management

• Serve as Project Manager for complex traffic engineering projects.
• Manage project scope, schedule, budget, quality, and client expectations.
• Coordinate activities among multidisciplinary design teams, subconsultants, and project stakeholders.
• Lead QA/QC reviews and maintain high standards of technical excellence.
• Identify project risks and implement mitigation strategies throughout project delivery.
• Support the successful delivery of large transportation and roadway improvement projects.

Client Development and Business Growth

• Serve as a trusted advisor to SCDOT, local government agencies, and transportation clients.
• Develop and maintain strong client relationships throughout South Carolina.
• Identify upcoming opportunities and strategic teaming relationships.
• Lead or support proposal development, scope preparation, fee negotiations, and interviews.
• Collaborate with business development and marketing teams to expand Stantec's transportation presence in South Carolina.
• Participate in professional organizations such as ITE, ACEC, and related industry groups.

Staff Development

• Mentor and develop traffic engineering staff.
• Provide technical guidance and training to engineers and designers.
• Support succession planning and professional growth initiatives within the transportation practice.
• Foster a culture of safety, collaboration, accountability, and technical excellence.

Qualifications Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering or closely related field required.
• Master's Degree in Transportation Engineering or related discipline preferred.

Experience

• 20 or more years of directly relevant traffic engineering experience required.
• Extensive experience delivering transportation projects for SCDOT.
• Demonstrated expertise in Traffic Control Plans, Signing Plans, Pavement Marking Plans, and traffic studies.
• Strong understanding of South Carolina transportation project development processes.
• Experience serving as Project Manager and technical lead on major transportation assignments.
• Proven ability to develop and maintain client relationships.

Professional Registration

• Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
• PE registration in South Carolina preferred, or ability to obtain South Carolina licensure within six months of hire.

Preferred Qualifications

• Recognized expertise in South Carolina traffic engineering practices.
• Strong knowledge of SCDOT manuals, standard drawings, specifications, and traffic engineering procedures.
• Experience supporting design-build and alternative delivery transportation projects.
• Active participation in transportation industry organizations.
• Strong communication, leadership, and client management skills.

This position offers an opportunity to serve as one of Stantec's senior traffic engineering leaders in South Carolina, providing technical direction on some of the state's most important transportation projects while helping grow and strengthen our traffic engineering practice.

This description is not a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that may be required of the employee and other duties, responsibilities and activities may be assigned or may be changed at any time with or without notice. 

About Stantec

Stantec is a global leader in sustainable engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting. The diverse perspectives of our partners and interested parties drive us to think beyond what’s previously been done on critical issues like climate change, digital transformation, and future-proofing our cities and infrastructure. We innovate at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships to advance communities everywhere, so that together we can redefine what’s possible.