National Transport Authority

Transport Modeller

Job Description

Duties and Responsibilities

The Transport Modeller role will contribute and perform tasks, at an appropriate level, across all modelling functions as required. The successful candidate will gain exposure to a wide variety of tasks and projects and will be encouraged to develop professionally and will be afforded opportunities to take on additional tasks and responsibilities as their career progresses.

The Transport Modeller duties and responsibilities may include some or all the following activities as determined by the modelling department’s work programme and the candidate’s skills:

 Model Development

·      Estimation, calibration and validation of the Authority’s models to ensure a good fit of model outputs to observed travel and transport data;

·         Contributing to the development of new transport models as well as updating and enhancing existing models; and

·         Undertake research to support model enhancements.

Model Maintenance – maintaining the existing 2022 Base Model

·         Rebasing the Authority’s models to 2022, to contain the most up to date transport and travel data, as well as the refinement of existing components as appropriate;

·         Updating the Authority’s 2012, 2017 and 2022 base models to include new infrastructure and services as they change over time (biannual or annual releases), and updating the Authority’s reference models with the most up-to-date view of future years;

·         Extending the 2022 base model capabilities through the enhancement and/or refinement of existing components, in line with emerging best practice trends and reflecting the needs of the Authority and other key stakeholders; and

·         Developing complementary components that improve the quality of secondary inputs to the model, e.g., goods, overseas travellers, etc.

Model Application           

• Supervising, preparing and/or running land use scenarios using the NTA’s National Demand Forecasting Model to prepare Trip Ends as input to model runs including:
• Writing technical notes on model scenarios as required; and
• Attending meetings to discuss and explain modelling results.
• Setting up the NTA Regional Modelling System (RMS) or any other model developed by the NTA to represent specific land use and transport network scenarios, executing runs of any of these models including:
• Coding transport networks and transport scenarios;
• Ensuring quality of input, output, trip demand and network supply;
• Extracting model outputs, analysing, collating and summarising model results for given model runs;
• Writing technical notes on modelled scenarios where required; and
• Presenting and participating fully with team to discuss and explain modelling results and advise on improvements.
• Undertaking scheme appraisals following DoT TAF guidance including economic assessment (e.g., Cost Benefit Analysis) of infrastructural schemes using outputs from the NTA models.

Model Data Management

• Assist in maintaining and updating the NTA Transport Data store including:
• Extending the data store to include travel time data, public transport data, etc.; and
• Acquisition and addition of new traffic data.
• Assist Modelling Team in procuring surveys and data to inform the development of the RMS and for use in the estimation, calibration and validation of new and existing models including:
• Designing surveys, preparing tender documents and commissioning transport and travel surveys;
• Working with external contractors on data acquisition, collation, statistical analysis and reporting;
• Quality control and GIS / geo-coding of survey data, including anonymization; and
• Presenting data and statistics to managers and stakeholders and performing internal analyses.

Model Management

·         Development of guidance on the use of the RMS, approach to calibration, etc.;

·         Providing training covering the use of the RMS and all the associated tools;

·         Periodically attending conferences and/or industry bodies to present on various components of the RMS including preparation of suitable papers;

·         Responsible for ensuring model version control procedures are maintained and developed to a high standard;

·         Providing modelling project audit services when required;

·         Supervising and/or managing access to the RMS and maintaining stakeholder database, managing relationships and outreach relating to the RMS; and

·         Undertaking additional modelling tasks specified by the Authority that may arise from time to time.

Other Duties

·         Management of modelling consultants to ensure effective utilisation of resources;

·         Management and execution of transport planning studies and projects within time and budget constraints;

·         Formulating potential solutions to transport problems arising from analysis of data;

·         Striving to introduce new or improved transport infrastructure in line with best practice; and

·         Participating in public consultation initiatives as required.

Note: The functions and responsibilities initially assigned to the position is based on the current organisational requirements and may be changed from time to time. The person appointed requires the flexibility to fulfil other roles and responsibilities at a similar level within the Authority.

How to Apply

Please visit Career Opportunities - National Transport for more information about the role and details on how to apply.