Principal Road and Highways Engineer

Zutari Co-creating an Engineered Impact

Zutari is a well-established management-owned engineering consultancy with nearly 90 years of experience across Africa and the Middle East. As human-centred engineers and advisors we are trusted by clients business partners governments and communities to deliver transformative infrastructure solutions with lasting impact.

We co-create engineering solutions that improve lives and support sustainable development. Zutari values diversity collaboration and excellenceand we believe success is built on people working together toward a shared vision.

About the role:

We are seeking a Professionally Registered Civil Engineer with significant experience in roads and highways geometric design to join our high-performing Transport & Infrastructure team in Dubai. You will contribute to major infrastructure projects across the UAE and the wider Middle East regionincluding Saudi Arabia and Qatarby delivering high-quality design and mentorship in a digital collaborative environment.

What We Look For

At Zutari we hire talented professionals who:

• Demonstrate technical excellence and passion for solving real-world problems.
• Bring a positive mindset integrity and a sense of urgency.
• Are collaborative proactive and dedicated to making a meaningful impact.
• Embrace innovation continuous improvement and cultural fit within a multidisciplinary team.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead mentor and manage a team of road and highway engineers (line management performance reviews workload balancing technical upskilling).
• Deliver high-quality geometric road and highway designs in 3D (Level of Detail 300) using tools such as OpenRoads Designer Civil 3D AutoCAD Navisworks QGIS and Google Earth.
• Perform advanced design analysis including:
  • Vehicle tracking and turning paths
  • Sight distance assessments
  • Operational speed modelling
  • Aquaplaning and safety assessments
  • Geometry-based vehicle performance evaluations.
• Apply Safe Systems design principles to ensure innovative safe and sustainable transport solutions.
• Lead the preparation and review of design deliverables and ensure compliance with UAE Qatar and Saudi Arabia roadway design standards.
• Support BIM workflows and contribute to digital transformation initiatives.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across the Middle East to deliver integrated infrastructure solutions.
• Help grow the teams design capability through coaching and hands-on guidance.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelors degree in civil engineering.
• Professional registration with a recognized engineering council (e.g. UAE Society of Engineers PE CEng or equivalent). ECSA registration is accepted for South African nationals.
• Minimum of 12 years experience in road/highway geometric design and infrastructure development.
• Strong command of OpenRoads Designer Civil 3D and/or other leading 3D modelling software.
• Experience working with GCC highway design standards (UAE Qatar KSA) is highly desirable.
• Excellent problem-solving project coordination and client engagement skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication with high professional standards.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams foster collaboration and deliver under pressure.
• RTA approval status is preferred.

We believe that a diverse work force is key to our business success. We seek the best people for our jobs based on their skills qualifications and experience. We embrace the principle of equal opportunity in employment and we work towards eliminating all forms of unlawful discrimination in our employment support of diversity and the equal opportunity principle preference will be given to individuals from designated groups.