Senior Planner

Wasael Property Management; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 240,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

Wasael Property Management in Abu Dhabi is seeking a Senior Planner to lead strategic, urban, infrastructure, and transportation planning efforts within the Municipality & Transportation sector. The role focuses on sustainable networks, mobility strategies, and long-term growth alignment with municipal objectives.

The incumbent evaluates proposals, conducts technical analyses, and develops planning studies while ensuring adherence to regulations and government policies.

Qualifications

• Degree in urban/transportation planning or related field.
• 8–12 years of relevant experience in urban or municipal planning.
• Experience with government or municipal planning processes is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic, urban, infrastructure, and transportation planning activities.
• Develop short-, medium-, and long-term planning frameworks and master plans.
• Coordinate with departments, consultants, developers, and agencies.
• Review planning submissions and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Analyze data and prepare planning reports and dashboards.
• Engage stakeholders through public consultations and working groups.
• Support smart city, sustainability, and digital transformation initiatives.

Skills

Strategic Planning

Transportation Planning

Project Coordination

Stakeholder Engagement

Regulatory Compliance

GIS

Data Analysis

Mobility Planning

Urban Planning

Infrastructure Planning

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Urban Planning

Master's Degree preferred

Professional certification (advantage)

Tools

GIS

Planning Software

Transportation Modeling Tools

MS Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

• The Senior Planner is responsible for leading and coordinating strategic, urban, infrastructure, and transportation planning activities within the Municipality & Transportation sector. The role supports the development and implementation of sustainable transportation networks, infrastructure programs, mobility strategies, and urban development initiatives aligned with municipal objectives and long-term growth plans. The Senior Planner evaluates planning proposals, conducts technical analyses, develops planning studies, and provides expert recommendations to support informed decision-making while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, planning standards, and government policies.

Job Purpose

• The Senior Planner is responsible for leading and coordinating strategic, urban, infrastructure, and transportation planning activities within the Municipality & Transportation sector. The role supports the development and implementation of sustainable transportation networks, infrastructure programs, mobility strategies, and urban development initiatives aligned with municipal objectives and long-term growth plans. The Senior Planner evaluates planning proposals, conducts technical analyses, develops planning studies, and provides expert recommendations to support informed decision-making while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, planning standards, and government policies.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Development

• Lead the preparation, review, and implementation of transportation, infrastructure, and urban planning strategies.
• Develop short-term, medium-term, and long-term planning frameworks aligned with municipal objectives.
• Support the development of master plans, mobility plans, infrastructure strategies, and capital improvement programs.
• Identify future development requirements and assess their impact on transportation and municipal infrastructure.

Transportation & Infrastructure Planning

• Conduct transportation planning studies, traffic assessments, and mobility analyses.
• Evaluate transportation demand, network performance, and infrastructure capacity requirements.
• Support planning initiatives related to roads, public transportation, active mobility, and smart city projects.
• Assess the impact of development projects on transportation and municipal infrastructure systems.
• Recommend solutions to address current and future transportation challenges.

Project Planning & Coordination

• Coordinate planning activities with internal departments, consultants, developers, and government entities.
• Monitor planning-related projects and ensure alignment with strategic objectives.
• Review consultant deliverables, technical studies, and planning reports.
• Provide planning guidance and technical support during project development and implementation phases.
• Participate in multidisciplinary project teams and stakeholder working groups.

Planning Review & Regulatory Compliance

• Review planning submissions, development applications, and infrastructure proposals.
• Ensure compliance with municipal regulations, planning standards, policies, and relevant legislation.
• Evaluate land use proposals and their implications on transportation and infrastructure networks.
• Provide recommendations and technical comments on planning applications and government initiatives.

Data Analysis & Reporting

• Collect, analyze, and interpret planning, transportation, demographic, and development data.
• Develop planning reports, dashboards, technical studies, and recommendations.
• Monitor planning KPIs and sector performance indicators.
• Prepare executive presentations, planning briefs, and strategic reports for management.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Engage with government agencies, municipalities, developers, consultants, and external stakeholders.
• Participate in public consultations, workshops, and planning committees.
• Present planning findings and recommendations to management and key stakeholders.
• Facilitate coordination between planning, transportation, infrastructure, and development departments.

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• Identify opportunities to enhance planning methodologies and processes.
• Support the adoption of innovative transportation and urban planning solutions.
• Contribute to smart city initiatives, sustainability programs, and digital transformation projects.
• Stay updated on industry trends, technologies, regulations, and best practices.

Qualifications & Experience

Educational Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Urban Planning, Transportation Planning, Civil Engineering, Infrastructure Planning, Geography, or a related field.
• Master's Degree in Urban Planning, Transportation Planning, Engineering, or a related discipline is preferred.
• Professional certification from recognized planning or engineering institutions is an advantage.

Experience

• 8-12 years of relevant experience in urban planning, transportation planning, infrastructure planning, or municipal planning.
• Experience within government, municipality, transportation, or infrastructure sectors is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in preparing planning studies, mobility strategies, and infrastructure development plans.
• Experience managing consultants, technical studies, and stakeholder engagement initiatives.

Technical Competencies

• Knowledge of transportation planning principles, urban development, and infrastructure planning.
• Understanding of municipal regulations, planning standards, and development requirements.
• Proficiency in GIS, planning software, transportation modeling tools, and data analysis applications.
• Strong analytical, reporting, and project coordination skills.
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.

KPIs

Strategic Planning

• Percentage of planning initiatives delivered according to approved timelines.
• Achievement of strategic planning objectives and development milestones.
• Number of approved planning studies and strategic recommendations adopted.

Project Delivery

• Percentage of planning projects completed within schedule and scope.
• Timeliness of technical reviews and planning assessments.
• Consultant deliverable compliance rate.

Transportation & Infrastructure Planning

• Accuracy and effectiveness of transportation and infrastructure forecasts.
• Number of transportation planning solutions successfully implemented.
• Improvement in transportation network planning performance indicators.

Regulatory Compliance

• Percentage of planning submissions reviewed within service-level targets.
• Compliance rate with municipal planning standards and regulations.
• Number of planning-related audit findings or non-compliance issues.

Stakeholder Management

• Stakeholder satisfaction rating.
• Timeliness and effectiveness of stakeholder coordination activities.
• Number of stakeholder engagement initiatives successfully completed.

Reporting & Analysis

• Accuracy and timeliness of planning reports and technical studies.
• Data quality and reporting compliance rate.
• Percentage of management reports submitted within deadlines.

Continuous Improvement

• Number of process improvement initiatives implemented.
• Contributions to innovation, sustainability, and smart city initiatives.
• Efficiency improvements achieved in planning processes.

Job Challenges

• Balancing long-term strategic planning objectives with immediate operational and development requirements.
• Managing competing stakeholder priorities and expectations.
• Coordinating complex planning projects involving multiple government entities and departments.
• Addressing evolving transportation, mobility, and infrastructure demands.
• Ensuring planning recommendations remain aligned with regulatory changes and municipal strategies.
• Managing large volumes of technical data and complex analyses.
• Responding to rapid urban growth and development pressures.
• Maintaining project timelines while managing multiple concurrent planning initiatives.
• Integrating sustainability, resilience, and smart city objectives into planning frameworks.
• Navigating uncertainty in population growth, development forecasts, and transportation demand trends.