Urban Planner III

AECOM; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 220,000 - 294,000; Full time

Job summary

A global engineering firm in Abu Dhabi seeks a Senior Urban Planner to develop sustainable planning solutions. The role includes managing teams, guiding project outcomes, and collaborating with diverse professionals. Candidates should have a relevant degree, 6+ years experience in planning, and skills in tools like ArcGIS and Adobe Suite. This position offers benefits including health insurance and flexible work options.

Benefits

Health insurance

Flexible work options

Paid leave

Qualifications

• Minimum 6 years’ experience in planning or environmental planning.
• Experience in both private and government sectors preferred.
• Professional membership (e.g., RTPI, AICP) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Guide project outcomes and manage teams.
• Coordinate teams to prepare project deliverables.
• Initiate innovative approaches to project delivery.

Skills

Excellent written and oral communication skills

Experience across a range of urban planning projects

Ability to work on multidisciplinary projects

Strong analytical skills

Effective teamwork and independent work skills

Proficiency in Adobe Suite and ArcGIS

Education

Bachelor’s degree in planning or equivalent

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Adobe Suite (InDesign, Illustrator)

ArcGIS

MS PowerPoint

Job description

Job Description

AECOM is hiring a Senior Urban Planner for its Abu Dhabi office to develop innovative, sustainable, and context-driven planning solutions. The role involves large-scale strategic, spatial, and master planning, as well as urban design projects.

Within the Urbanism + Planning team, the planner will collaborate with multidisciplinary groups—including designers, architects, economists, and environmental specialists—and coordinate with teams across AECOM to deliver integrated planning services.

The ideal candidate is proactive, adaptable, and capable of delivering high-quality work independently or within teams, often under tight deadlines.

Job Duties

1. Guide project outcomes, manage teams and resources, contribute to proposals, and support client engagement. Projects include regional master plans, mixed-use developments, resorts, entertainment districts, and residential communities.
2. Manage, coordinate, and lead smaller, less complex projects independently with less oversight. May lead smaller client meetings and take ownership of report structure and content.
3. Coordinate teams to prepare project deliverables and meet planning authorities’ requirements, integrating technical input from various disciplines.
4. Work with client planning teams, managing and negotiating project expectations and deliverables independently, with support for more complex projects.
5. Initiate and drive innovative approaches to efficient project delivery, such as improved site analysis, due diligence, and high-level developer assessments.
6. Understand various scales of planning projects, communicate differences and requirements effectively.
7. Carry out baseline assessments, analyze data, and develop criteria for master plan assessments.
8. Develop implementation and phasing plans.
9. Understand planning/environmental governance and policy, communicate these effectively, and make relevant recommendations to clients.
10. Write strong, clear reports and communicate planning/environmental solutions concisely.
11. Prepare/review datasets, correlating population projections with market demands and supply.
12. Prepare methodologies for small proposals and understand internal approval processes.
13. Lead specialty topics in urban planning, such as wellness planning or placemaking.
14. Stay up-to-date with industry trends, tools, and methods.
15. Provide mentorship and coaching to graduate planners.

Specific Skills Required

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Experience across a range of urban planning projects.
• Experience at different scales of planning, development, and design projects.
• Ability to work on multidisciplinary projects within budget and schedule.
• Proven capability to deliver high-quality planning input.
• Strong analytical skills and practical solution development.
• Ability to produce, refine, and deliver final reports.
• Effective teamwork and independent work skills with positive results.
• Proficiency in Adobe Suite (InDesign, Illustrator), ArcGIS, MS PowerPoint, and related packages.

Person Specification (Behavioral Attributes)

• Confidently work with diverse people and projects.
• Strong communication skills are essential.
• Positive, proactive, and flexible attitude.
• Self-starting and positive approach.
• Strong technical skills in environmental planning and sustainability.
• Responsive and adaptable.

Core values include:

• Safeguard: Operate ethically, prioritize safety and security.
• Decisiveness: Prioritize, advocate focus and accountability.
• Impact: Communicate clearly, drive results.
• Client-focus: Collaborate, innovate, and strategize.
• Role model: Lead by example, demand excellence, uphold safety and integrity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in planning, environment, urban policy, sustainable development, or equivalent.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Professional membership (e.g., RTPI, AICP, PIA, CIP, SIP) preferred.
• Minimum 6 years’ experience in planning and/or environmental planning; experience in both private and government sectors preferred.

Additional Information

About AECOM

AECOM offers comprehensive benefits including health, dental, vision, life insurance, paid leave, flexible work options, well-being resources, and retirement plans. We are committed to delivering sustainable, resilient solutions worldwide and are a Fortune 500 company with revenue of $16.1 billion in FY2024. Learn more at aecom.com.

Why work at AECOM?

Join a global team that fosters growth, works on groundbreaking projects, and offers cutting-edge technology and expert collaboration. Our training programs support your career development in a respectful, collaborative environment. We value diversity and are an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to confidentiality and fairness.