Principal, Urban Designer

Arcadis; Toronto; On-site; CAD 115,000 - 212,000; Full time

Job summary

Arcadis is seeking a Principal Urban Designer to lead their Placemaking practice in Toronto. The role requires extensive experience in urban design and planning, with responsibilities including project leadership, client relationship management, and team mentoring. This position offers the opportunity to work on diverse projects and collaborate with a talented team in a global firm dedicated to sustainable solutions.

Qualifications

• 20+ years of experience in Urban Design/Planning or related fields.
• Experience managing multi-disciplinary teams.
• Strong understanding of current planning and design issues.

Responsibilities

• Lead projects, teams, and business development initiatives.
• Develop and maintain key client relationships.
• Mentor junior team members and oversee project design.

Skills

Leadership

Project Management

Urban Design

Client Relationship Management

Communication

Education

University degree in Architecture, Urban Design, Landscape Architecture or Planning

Job description

Join to apply for the Principal, Urban Designer role at Arcadis

1 day ago Be among the first 25 applicants

Join to apply for the Principal, Urban Designer role at Arcadis

As an Arcadian, you already help us deliver world leading sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets. You are part of our global business comprising 36,000 people, in over 70 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life.

Everyone has an important role to play. With the power of many curious minds, together we can continue to solve the world’s most complex challenges and deliver more impact together.

Role description:

Arcadis is seeking a high-caliber, Principal, (Urban Design / Planning ) to grow our Placemaking practice in Montreal, Quebec. This is an outward facing, Principal level role for someone with existing client connections within Quebec / Ontario and other regions in Eastern Canada. You should have a minimum of 20 years' experience and be capable of leading projects, teams, and business development initiatives.

You will also work with senior leadership to grow the Placemaking practice in Quebec. As a leader and mentor to junior team members, you will be instrumental in the design and implementation of a diverse range of projects ranging from neighborhood master plans, smart cities, urban design, TOD, transit planning, streetscape design, parks, residential development, resorts amongst others for public and private sector clients. You will also collaborate with our Toronto team of Urban Designers, Landscape Architects, and Planning Professionals on local, North American and international projects of various scales.

Role accountabilities:

• Work with the Practice Group Manager, Placemaking to grow the practice in the region
• Leverage your existing experience and relationships with the national and global experience of the firm to grow your respective market
• Develop and maintain key relationships within our internal organization
• Lead and facilitate cross-sector / discipline / office efforts through collaboration and the development of inter-office relationships
• Develop and grow client relationships primarily in Urban Mixed-Use development, high rise residential, hospitality and commercial office sectors, primarily in the area
• Develop and maintain key contacts in that industry
• Write and Review proposals
• Lead and foster client relationships and project presentations
• Inspire confidence as a subject matter expert in the Placemaking Practice Group
• Provide high level guidance to achieve a trusted partner status with clients
• Hands-on involvement and leadership with project design, coordination, preparation, and delivery of project document
• Motivate, mentor, and delegate work to team members
  
  

Qualifications & Experience:

• University degree in Architecture, Urban Design, Landscape Architecture or Planning
• 20+ years of experience in Urban Design / Planning or related fields in a professional office, withprovenexperience leadingandmanagingmulti-disciplinaryteams
• Experience managing teams across geographies
• Significant experience on large-scale/highly complex projects
• Track record of growing and building a book of business within the placemaking sector
• Demonstrated success working with public and private sector clientsin the Quebec / Ontario region. Previous experience working with the public sector and Metrolinx / IO as clients will be an asset
• Multi-disciplinary interestsin Urban Design, Landscape Architecture,TransportationPlanning,andUrban /Regional Planning, includinga strong awareness/understandingof current planning and design issuesand trends
• Inquisitive and self-motivated individual withstrong leadership andorganizational skillsable to thrive in a fast-paced project deadline environment centered around design excellence
• Possess strong verbal and written communication skills, capable of assisting in the preparation of reports and developing design narratives
  
  

Continue your career journey as an Arcadian.

We can only achieve our goals when everyone is empowered to be their best. We believe everyone's contribution matters. It’s why we are pioneering a skills based approach, where you can harness your unique experience and expertise to carve your career path and maximize the impact we can make together.

You do meaningful work, and no matter where your next role in Arcadis takes you, you’ll be helping to deliver sustainable solutions for a more prosperous planet. Make your mark; on your career, your colleagues, your clients, your life and the world around you.

Together, we can create a lasting legacy.

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day which is why we take equality and inclusion seriously and hold ourselves to account for our actions. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people. We are an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. We are dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, disability, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

The salary range for this position is $115,000 - $212,000. The base salary represents Arcadis’ hiring range for this position. Actual salaries will vary and will be based on various factors, such as location, skills, experience, and qualification for the role.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Other

• Industries

  Professional Services

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Arcadis by 2x

Get notified about new Urban Designer jobs in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Senior Planner, Development (Zoning) (Contract up to 12 Months)

Event Producer & Community Architect // TORONTO

Oakville, Ontario, Canada CA$50,000.00-CA$65,000.00 2 weeks ago

Student, Transportation Planning(Active Transportation) - Fall 2025

Architect Interior Designer - Luxury Retail and Offices

We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.