Principal Planner
Toole Design Group in Oakland, CA is looking to hire an experienced and talented full-time Principal Planner.
Do you have a strong planning background with a successful track record managing multimodal transportation projects? Do you enjoy solving complex problems, pursuing and winning work, and exceeding client expectations? Are you passionate about sustainability, equity, and the opportunity to work on innovative multimodal projects that make communities more livable? Are you looking to collaborate with some of the industry’s most thoughtful and innovative transportation professionals? If so, please consider joining our accomplished and energetic Oakland team.
This Principal Planner position, with a focus on active and multimodal transportation, earns a competitive salary and great benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, a health savings account (HSA), a flexible spending account (FSA), and all staff start with at least 24 days PTO. We practice what we preach and ensure that our employees also have access to transportation by providing them with financial incentives to bike, walk, or use transit for a better quality of life.
About Toole Design
Toole Design is the leading engineering, planning, and landscape architecture firm specializing in multimodal transportation and sustainable places. Since our start in 2003 as a single office in Maryland, we have expanded throughout the United States including in California. Our talented team of planners, engineers, landscape architects, and urban designers are committed to delivering quality work that meets the needs of all people, regardless of age, ability, race or gender. We are an Engineering News-Record top 500 design firm, have been named a "best firm to work for," and have one of the lowest staff turnover rates in the industry.
Every project our employees deliver directly and positively affects our communities. We are industry-leading experts, and we work hard to encourage a collaborative and team-oriented environment.
A Day in the Life of a Principal Planner
As a Principal Planner, you will develop and nurture client relationships, mentor colleagues, and lead exciting, fun, and challenging projects throughout the region and California—while also supporting efforts across the country. You will lead teams from a variety of disciplines on complex and impactful work, pursue and win work, and reinforce our firm’s reputation as trusted experts and advisors. You will engage with and integrate input from a broad range of stakeholders to create impactful plans that build momentum towards positive change in communities.
At Toole Design, we focus on projects that align with our values. We work on projects that encompass research, policy, planning, design guidance, program development, inclusive engagement, implementation, and evaluation and these occur at all different scales (national, state, regional, and local). As a Principal Planner, you may lead multimodal corridor studies, Vision Zero, Safe Routes to Schools, Pedestrian and Bicycle Plans, New Mobility and Curbside Management, Trails and Greenways, Complete Streets, and/or Transit Access projects. In addition to project work, you will participate in business development and pursuits with a focus in Oakland / Northern California. And through it all, you will work with a close-knit team that is passionate about the communities we serve.
We are targeting a range of $130,000-$170,000, based on experience. Placement within this range will vary by technical experience, and qualifications. Candidates invited to interview are welcome to inquire where they may fall within the range, as we value transparency.
Qualifications of a Principal Planner:
- Extensive knowledge of multimodal transportation planning practices and techniques
- At least 15 years of experience working on transportation projects, preferably in Oakland / Northern California
- At least eight (8) years of project management experience and demonstrated success in independently managing projects at a range of scales
- A bachelor’s or master’s degree in planning or a related field (or additional work experience in the field in lieu of a degree)
- Outstanding written, verbal, and public speaking communication skills
- The ability to deliver high-quality work on-time and on-budget
- The motivation to win work, including forming and managing client relationships, identifying potential opportunities, and developing proposals and interview materials
- A willingness to develop new techniques, lead projects in new practice areas, or oversee the use of new tools
- The ability to facilitate training for other employees, clients, agency staff, and/or professional organizations
- Fluency or a working knowledge of the Spanish language, a plus
- Strong graphic communication skills and working knowledge of GIS software (ArcGIS or QGIS) and the Adobe Creative Suite, a plus
You’ll be great here if:
- You’re passionate about contributing to Northern California’s future as a more accessible, sustainable, and equitable region
- You have a strong working knowledge of the Bay Area’s geography, public agencies, and political landscape
- You understand equity and the role that systems of oppression have played in shaping access to public spaces, transportation resources, and opportunities
- You’ve led complex projects that involve coordinating collaborative work between staff teams, consultant partners, and public sector or nonprofit partners; and managing schedules and budgets
- You can build relationships, bring enthusiasm to exciting projects, and are detail-oriented with strong problem-solving skills
Work Schedule for a Principal Planner
This full-time position typically works a flexible schedule of 40 hours a week. We also provide employees with the flexibility and necessary equipment to work from home up to 2 days per week. The Oakland office of Toole Design is conveniently located in downtown Oakland, just blocks from Lake Merritt and the 19th Street BART Stations. The office is easily accessed on foot, by bicycle, and via transit.
About our Oakland Team
We are an incredibly talented and creative, entrepreneurial, hard-working group. We have engineers, urban designers, and planners that bring the full range of services Toole Design offers, from innovative design and engineering, to best practices in urban planning, to cutting edge research and analysis. We are a tight-knit team that has fun together and supports each other. Our projects range from countywide plans to street transformations in dense urban communities. We have active projects in San Francisco, Alameda, Redwood City, San Jose, Sacramento, Santa Cruz, Fresno, and many other places.
Ready to Join our Oakland Team?
We understand your time is valuable, so we have a quick and easy application process. If you feel that you would be right for this Principal Planner position, please visit our website to apply: https://tooledesign.com/careers/
At Toole Design, we have a collaborative culture where people of all backgrounds come together to share ideas and build better, more inclusive communities. We encourage everyone, including those from underrepresented communities - women, people of color, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, first-generation college students/graduates, those with disabilities and people at all the intersections in between - to apply. Even if you don't think your current skill set checks every box below, but this role seems to align with your strengths, we want to hear from you.
We're proud that about half of our managers are women and are committed to achieving diversity in our leadership to better represent the communities where we work, as well. Toole Design is a woman-owned business and an equal opportunity employer (EO/AA/VEV/Disabled employer).
Individuals may request accommodations or assistance with the application process by contacting 301-927-1900 and asking for Human Resources or emailing [email protected].
For more information about Toole Design, visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
