Senior Transport Modeller & Automation Lead (m/f/d)

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PTV MENA Region DMCC

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Fulltime

PTV Group. Empowering mobility as part of Umovity.

At PTV, we work together to make a real difference — every single day.

You can share your ideas, take on responsibility, and work with passionate colleagues to develop pioneering solutions that make tomorrow’s mobility safer, smarter, and more sustainable. Our culture is built on trust, creativity, and teamwork — because we believe that the best ideas emerge when people feel empowered to share and grow.

Technology and expertise are the foundations of our success — but it’s our team spirit and the way we value one another that truly set us apart.

PTV Professional Services – MENA delivers complex transport-modelling, mobility-planning and decision-support projects across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the wider region.

We are looking for a Senior Transport Modeller & Automation Lead (m/f/d) to join our Dubai-based team and lead the hands-on delivery of strategic, multimodal and operational modelling workstreams.

The role combines strong transport modelling capability with Python, GIS, data processing and workflow automation. The successful candidate will independently deliver complex technical tasks, coordinate the work of analysts and develop controlled, repeatable processes for model preparation, scenario execution, quality assurance and reporting.

This is an opportunity to work within a small, agile team on major transport strategies, demand models, public transport plans, freight studies, regulatory assessments and digital mobility solutions. The role will also help connect established modelling practice with PTV’s emerging platform, API and AI-enabled capabilities.

What you move with us

1. Transport-modelling delivery

• Develop and apply strategic, multimodal and operational transport models.
• Lead model-network, demand, assignment and scenario-development activities.
• Undertake model calibration, validation, sensitivity testing and diagnostics.
• Investigate unexpected results and resolve technical and model-quality issues.
• Apply modelling outputs to transport strategies, infrastructure assessments, service planning and policy evaluation.

1. Technical workstream leadership

• Lead substantial modelling and analytical work packages with limited supervision
• Define task inputs, outputs, dependencies and technical review requirements.
• Coordinate and review work completed by analysts and junior team members.
• Monitor technical progress and identify emerging delivery, data or quality risks.

1. Automation and reproducibility

• Develop Python scripts and reusable tools for model preparation, execution, checking and output extraction.
• Automate scenario generation, batch modelling, KPI calculation and reporting processes.
• Reduce reliance on manual and uncontrolled procedures and modelling processes where possible.
• Support the development of automated QA and consistency checks.
• Apply appropriate version-control, documentation and model-management practices.

1. Data, GIS and systems integration

• Process and validate transport surveys, networks, demand matrices, traffic counts, public transport and operational datasets.
• Integrate modelling applications with GIS, databases and external data sources.
• Support model workflows using Python, SQL, APIs and structured data formats.
• Work with PTV product, engineering and specialist teams on platform-enabled solutions.
• Identify data limitations and assess their potential impact on model validity and project outcomes.

1. Quality assurance and technical readiness

• Review model inputs, procedures, changes and outputs before final technical assurance.
• Confirm compliance with agreed calibration, validation and acceptance requirements.
• Maintain assumptions, issues, model changes, and run records.
• Check consistency across scenarios, time periods and forecast years.
• Clearly document unresolved risks, limitations and deviations from the approved method.

1. Analysis and communication

• Interpret modelling results and explain the factors driving observed changes.
• Prepare clear technical findings, maps, visualisations, tables and reports.
• Present findings to client working teams and respond to technical questions.
• Communicate complex technical issues clearly to modelling and non-modelling audiences.

1. Team and business contribution

• Provide day-to-day technical guidance and constructive reviews to junior team members.
• Support client workshops, demonstrations and proof-of-concept activities.

What you bring to the team

Required Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in transport planning, civil or transportation engineering, mathematics, data science, geography, computer science or a related discipline. A relevant postgraduate degree is advantageous.
• Typically seven or more years of relevant professional experience in transport modelling, transport planning or mobility analytics.
• Demonstrated ability to independently deliver complex modelling work packages.
• Strong practical experience in model development, calibration, validation, forecasting and scenario testing.
• Advanced capability in PTV Visum or a comparable strategic transport-modelling platform.
• Experience supervising, coordinating or reviewing work completed by junior colleagues.

Strong analytical, problem-solving and technical-documentation skills.

• Ability to interpret modelling results and communicate their implications clearly.
• Experience working with Python for transport analysis, modelling automation or data processing.

Competence in GIS and spatial-data processing.

Equivalent experience and demonstrated technical capability may be considered where a candidate does not precisely match the indicative number of years.

Technical Capabilities and Desirable Skills

The successful candidate should demonstrate strong capability across several of the following areas:

• Strategic and multimodal transport demand modelling.
• Network and demand-model development.
• Calibration, validation and realism testing of transport models.
• Python, including structured and reusable analytical scripts.
• Pandas or comparable data-processing libraries.
• ArcGIS, QGIS or comparable GIS platforms.
• SQL and structured databases.
• Model automation and batch processing.
• API and JSON concepts.
• Automated QA and model-consistency checks.
• Processing transport surveys, count, speed, GPS, mobile, AVL, smart-card or other mobility datasets.
• Preparation of technical reports, dashboards and visual outputs.

Similarly, experience in one or more of the following would be beneficial:

• Transport-modelling projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia or the wider GCC.
• PTV Vissim, PTV Vistro, PTV Hub or PTV Flows.
• Public transport network and service planning.
• Freight, logistics or commercial-vehicle modelling.
• Tour-based, activity-based or behavioural-demand models.
• Traffic operations, roadworks or congestion-management assessments.
• GTFS, AVL, smart-card or real-time mobility data.
• Model migration, API integration or cloud-enabled modelling.
• Predictive analytics, anomaly detection or applied machine-learning techniques.
• Automated calibration, parameter optimisation or scenario-generation processes.
• Regulatory or audit-ready transport submissions.

Software-enabled consulting or product implementation.

The role does not require a full-stack software developer or dedicated machine-learning engineer. It does require the ability to automate transport-modelling processes, assess automatically generated outputs and collaborate effectively with software and data specialists.

Personal attributes

We are looking for someone who:

• Combines strong modelling fundamentals with an interest in automation and emerging technology.
• Takes ownership of technical work and follows issues through to resolution.
• Works in a structured, accurate and transparent manner.
• Is comfortable moving between detailed modelling, data processing and client communication.
• Challenges results rather than accepting software outputs without investigation.
• Can manage competing tasks within a small and agile delivery team.
• Provides clear guidance and constructive feedback to junior colleagues.
• Shares knowledge and develops reusable approaches rather than relying on individual manual processes.
• Balances technical quality with programme and delivery requirements.

What’s waiting for you

• A unique opportunity to combine transport consultancy with business development.
• Extensive training in PTV software, mobility solutions and commercial skills.
• Flexible working hours.
• Attractive remuneration package and benefits.
• Excellent opportunities for personal and professional growth.
• The opportunity to work with some of the most innovative transport organisations.

What else you should know

• Company: PTV MENA REGION FZCO
• Contract type: Permanent contract with a 40-hour working week
• Location: UAE, Dubai

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Steffen Göckel

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Senior HR Business Partner

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+49 721 9651-0