Principal / Senior Consultant EU Transport & Mobility (Project Delivery & Excellence)

Panteia | Transport & Mobility | EU Policy & Research

About Panteia

Panteia is one of the Netherlands’ leading research and consultancy firms in the fields of transport, mobility and public policy. Headquartered in Zoetermeer, Panteia employs around 70 professionals and works for national governments, the European Commission, EU agencies  (CoR, CINEA), international institutions (e.g. EIB, World Bank, etc) and branch organisations.  Panteia is part of the PanMuc group, together with Revnext (digitalisation, cybersecurity, technology and innovation). Together, they form a growing European consultancy ecosystem operating at the intersection of transport, sustainability, economics and policy. Panteia also collaborates closely with partner consultancies across all 27 EU Member States.

Within the Transport & Mobility (T&M) unit, Panteia has built a strong and trusted position in EU projects, including policy studies, corridor studies, market studies, evaluations and impact assessments.

As Panteia’s EU transport and mobility portfolio continues to grow in scale and complexity, this role is created to anchor delivery quality and long-term excellence.

The role

To further strengthen delivery quality and execution excellence, Panteia is looking for a Principal Consultant EU – Project Delivery & Excellence.

This is a senior leadership role focused on the co-ordination, execution and quality assurance of complex EU-funded transport and mobility projects (research and consultancy). The role is designed for an experienced EU consultant who excels in structuring delivery, steering teams, managing risk, and ensuring that projects meet the highest professional  standards. A job for a policy-driven expert who wants impact and autonomy.

The Principal Consultant EU transport and mobility holds end-responsibility for delivery performance across a portfolio of EU projects and acts as a senior point of contact for clients and consortium partners.

Key responsibilities

Project delivery & leadership

• Lead and oversee the execution of EU transport and mobility projects, including corridor studies, evaluations, impact assessments and policy research.

• Ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope and budget, and in line with contractual and quality requirements.

• Act as senior escalation point for delivery issues, client questions and consortium coordination.

• Maintain strong working relationships with the European Commission, EU agencies and international partners.

Team & quality leadership

• Steer and coach multidisciplinary project teams (internal consultants and external partners).

• Safeguard consistency, methodological soundness and professional quality across deliverables.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of internal workflows, delivery standards and quality assurance processes.

Role in acquisition & transition

The Principal Consultant plays a key strategic role in shaping delivery approaches during tenders and proposals:

• Shaping delivery concepts, work plans and governance structures in EU proposals.

• Identifying delivery risks and mitigation strategies at proposal stage.

• Ensuring a smooth and effective handover from acquisition to project execution.

Position in the organisation

• Reports to: Team manager.

• Team: Works closely with an international EU team of approx. 10–15 consultants, plus external consortium partners.

• Leadership role: Senior delivery lead across multiple EU-funded projects, with high autonomy and responsibility.

Practicalities

• Location: Zoetermeer (NL), hybrid model
  – Regular presence at HQ expected (approx. 3 days/week)
  – Occasional travel to Brussels and other EU locations.

• Languages: English required; additional EU languages are an asset.

• Start date: As soon as possible.

• Package: Competitive salary, aligned with Dutch consultancy benchmarks.

Why join Panteia?

• Work at the forefront of EU transport and mobility policy – from social aspects of transport, to transport infrastructure resilience.

• Combine analytical depth with real policy impact.

• Focus on delivery excellence rather than sales targets.

• Work in a compact, expert-driven team.

• Enjoy autonomy to shape how EU projects are delivered.

• Join a respected, collaborative team with strong EU credentials.

• Be part of a growing European consultancy ecosystem within PanMuc.

What Panteia is looking for:

• 10+ years of experience managing EU-funded projects in transport, sustainability or policy consulting.

• Proven track record in complex project execution within a multi-stakeholder environment.

• Experience with policy studies, corridor studies, impact evaluations, stakeholder consultation, and socio-economic analysis.

• Excellent team leadership and co-ordination skills.

• Familiarity with DG MOVE, DG CLIMA or similar EU institutions and processes.

• Strong communicator in English (spoken and written). Dutch or any additional EU language is a plus.

• MSc or PhD in Transport Economics, Civil Engineering, Spatial Planning, Public Policy or related field.

• Willingness to travel to Brussels and other EU locations when needed.