Traffic Signal Systems Expert

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Job Description:

Parsons is looking for an amazingly talented Traffic Signal Systems Expert to join our team! In this role, you will provide senior technical leadership for the assessment, planning, design, optimization, integration, operation, and performance monitoring of advanced traffic signal systems supporting a major urban traffic management program. You will lead the technical evaluation of existing signal infrastructure, adaptive control strategies, controller configurations, detection systems, communications, priority and preemption functions, and central system interfaces, with a clear focus on measurable network performance.

You will be the central technical authority for traffic signal systems across the program — ensuring that signal operations are safe, coordinated, data-driven, and operationally realistic. You will work closely with traffic engineering, ITS, Traffic Control Center (TCC) operations, field maintenance, system vendors, and agency stakeholders to align traffic signal systems around a consistent, standards-based, and performance-driven operating model.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Lead technical assessments of existing traffic signal systems, including controller hardware, cabinet configurations, detection systems, communications, central-system interfaces, timing databases, and operational procedures.

• Provide expert direction on adaptive signal control strategies, including system configuration, operating parameters, corridor progression, congestion response, queue management, and performance monitoring.

• Review and optimize traffic signal timing plans, phasing sequences, cycle lengths, offsets, splits, clearance intervals, pedestrian timings, transit priority logic, and emergency vehicle preemption settings.

• Evaluate the performance of multiple signal control platforms and advise on the practical application, limitations, integration needs, and operational readiness of each platform within the agency environment.

• Lead the development of technical standards, guidelines, procedures, and checklists for traffic signal design, controller programming, detection placement, adaptive operations, signal maintenance, and field commissioning.

• Review traffic signal design packages, controller specifications, system architecture documents, testing plans, contractor submittals, and as-built documentation for technical completeness and operational suitability.

• Diagnose recurring signal operations issues, including split failures, detector failures, ineffective coordination, unnecessary recalls, poor progression, excessive queues, and inconsistent controller settings across corridors or districts.

• Define requirements for Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures (ATSPM), high-resolution controller data, dashboards, alerts, and reporting tools that support continuous signal operations improvement.

• Work with ITS and systems integration teams to confirm that traffic signal systems properly interface with ATMS platforms, detection systems, CCTV/video analytics, AVL systems, traveler information tools, and incident response workflows.

• Support the implementation and tuning of public transport signal priority, Bus Rapid Transit signal operations, freight corridor coordination, pedestrian priority, and emergency vehicle preemption in a way that balances priority movements with overall network performance.

• Establish practical field testing, commissioning, verification, and acceptance procedures for new or modified signal installations, adaptive control deployments, detection upgrades, and central-system integrations.

• Lead technical workshops with agency staff, vendors, contractors, designers, operators, and maintenance teams to resolve signal system issues, confirm standards, and build consistent operating practices.

• Mentor client staff and project team members on traffic signal operations, adaptive signal concepts, controller logic, troubleshooting methods, performance analytics, and day-to-day TCC use of signal management tools.

• Provide input to project plans, risk registers, implementation schedules, quality reviews, and performance frameworks to ensure traffic signal system activities are properly planned, tracked, and delivered.

• Contribute to monthly, quarterly, and final reports by summarizing signal system progress, operational findings, risks, decisions, performance results, and recommended next actions.

• Act as a visible champion for proactive signal operations, helping shift the agency from reactive maintenance toward active, KPI-based management of the traffic signal network.

What Required Skills You’ll Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a closely related field.

• 15+ years of specialized, progressive experience in traffic signal systems planning, design, implementation, operations, optimization, and performance management for transportation agencies or major transport owners/operators.

• Advanced knowledge of adaptive signal systems, including adaptive control principles, detector dependency, progression logic, queue management, real-time response, system calibration, and performance evaluation.

• Demonstrated experience working with multiple signal control platforms, central traffic signal systems, controller environments, and field device ecosystems, with the ability to compare platform strengths, limitations, and integration requirements.

• Strong hands-on experience with signal timing and operations, including actuated control, coordinated control, time-of-day plans, traffic-responsive plans, pedestrian timing, phase sequencing, recalls, detector assignments, and controller parameter settings.

• Demonstrated ability to diagnose and resolve traffic signal operational problems using field observations, controller logs, detector data, traffic counts, travel time data, video review, ATSPM dashboards, and before/after performance measures.

• Strong understanding of traffic signal controllers, cabinets, detection technologies, communications networks, central systems, firmware/configuration issues, fail-safe behavior, and field troubleshooting practices.

• Experience developing, reviewing, or implementing traffic signal standards, controller specifications, signal design criteria, programming guidelines, testing procedures, and operational SOPs.

• Working knowledge of ITS and ATMS integration principles, including interfaces between traffic signal systems and central platforms, detection systems, CCTV/video analytics, AVL/public transport systems, traveler information systems, and incident management tools.

• Experience supporting public transport signal priority, emergency vehicle preemption, pedestrian detection and timing, freight corridor signal coordination, and major event or construction traffic signal operations.

• Ability to lead technical reviews of contractor/vendor submissions, design packages, test plans, commissioning records, and operational readiness documentation.

• Excellent facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills, with experience leading technical workshops and resolving differing viewpoints across agencies, consultants, contractors, operators, and technology vendors.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English, with the ability to produce clear technical narratives, signal operations guidance, review comments, process flows, diagrams, and executive-level summaries.

• Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced, multi-project environment, managing competing technical priorities while maintaining quality, safety, and operational consistency.

What Desired Skills You’ll Bring:

• Prior experience supporting Gulf region transportation agencies or large metropolitan transport authorities on traffic signal systems, adaptive signal operations, TCC operations, or ITS/ATMS programs.

• Familiarity with international traffic signal and ITS best practices, standards, and guidance, including MUTCD-style signal principles, NTCIP concepts, ATC/controller environments, AASHTO/ITE guidance, and locally adopted agency standards.

• Practical experience with major adaptive or central signal platforms such as SCOOT, SCATS, TransSuite, KLD, Siemens/Yunex, Econolite, or comparable systems is highly desirable.

• Experience with ATSPM implementation, high-resolution event data, signal performance dashboards, data quality management, and automated alerts for signal failures or operational anomalies.

• Experience integrating traffic signal systems with AI/video analytics, connected vehicle data, probe data, AVL data, enforcement systems, ramp metering, or decision support systems.

• Experience developing or supporting traffic signal operations programs for large cities with 500+ signalized intersections, complex arterial corridors, public transport integration, and major-event operating demands.

• Experience with capacity building, technical mentoring, change management, and training related to traffic signal systems and TCC operations.

• Professional registration/certification such as PE, CEng, PTOE, RSP, PMP, or similar is an advantage.

• Arabic language skills are desirable but not required.

Security Clearance Requirement:

None

Parsons equally employs representation at all job levels no matter the race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability or genetic information.

We truly invest and care about our employee’s wellbeing and provide endless growth opportunities as the sky is the limit, so aim for the stars! Imagine next and join the Parsons quest—APPLY TODAY!

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