Area Transportation Planning Business Class Leader

HDR; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 163,000 - 243,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Employee ownership culture

Mentorship and growth opportunities

Job summary

HDR is seeking an Area Transportation Planning Business Class Leader to guide multimodal planning across Southern California. You will mentor staff, shape project scope, and collaborate with leaders to deliver high-impact plans.

The role emphasizes leadership, business development, and technical excellence across auto, transit, rail and intermodal planning, with a compensation range reflecting senior responsibilities and geographic location.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Planning, Engineering or closely related field.
• 10 years of experience in transportation planning.
• Professional registration such as AICP, PE, PTOE, PMP.

Responsibilities

• Lead transportation planning staff and projects in Southern California.
• Mentor junior to senior planners and engineers.
• Manage staff and deliverables to meet client needs and market drivers.
• Drive business development and pursue major transportation planning projects.
• Plan and monitor large multi-disciplinary transportation planning projects.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Business development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Planning or Engineering

Master's degree in Planning, Engineering or related field

Job description

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world?

Watch Our Story:' https://www.hdrinc.com/our-story'

Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world.

We believe transportation is more than movement, it’s the foundation of connected, thriving communities. As part of HDR’s Transportation Business Group, you’ll help shape the systems that move people and goods safely, efficiently, and sustainably. From designing resilient highways and iconic bridges to advancing transit, passenger and freight rail, aviation, federal transportation ports and marine infrastructure, your work will directly support economic vitality, public safety, sustainable and resilient communities and quality of life. We bring together planners, engineers, architects, construction management staff, environmental, strategic communications, economists, management consultants and specialists across disciplines to solve complex mobility challenges with innovation, technical excellence, and a deep understanding of community needs. Whether you're modernizing aging infrastructure or pioneering next-generation transportation solutions, your contributions will help define the future of mobility. This isn’t just a job, it’s a chance to lead progress, drive meaningful impact, and leave a legacy of smarter, more connected transportation networks. We are all employee-owners at HDR, which is the foundation of our collaborative culture that connects employees around the world.

The Area Transportation Planning Business Class Lead will collaborate with section managers, project managers, local and national subject matter experts, business development and marketing teams to support the growth and development of our multimodal transportation planning practice. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills to oversee the transportation planning practice in the Southern California region while providing guidance and mentorship to junior, mid-level, and senior planners and engineers. Responsibilities include:

• Manage a group consisting of transportation planners, engineers and related professionals, in close coordination with the Area Transportation Leadership.
• Take responsibility for the coordination, mentoring and development of area transportation planning staff and production of quality deliverables to meet client needs and market drivers.
• Serve as a key member of the Transportation Planning Business Class and be responsible for the management of staff, business development, pursuit and management of major transportation planning projects.
• Engage in high profile project pursuits involving extensive client interactions in coordination with Area Business Development Leader.
• Plan, direct and monitor all aspects of large multi-disciplinary transportation planning projects including but not limited to long-range visioning, strategic and tactical planning, policy and systems planning, data analytics and modeling, multimodal and intermodal planning, and project development.
• Projects types may include but not limited to program management contracts, long-range transportation plans, master plans, corridor studies, transit projects, freight plans, rail plans, intermodal/multimodal studies, traffic operational studies, managed lane studies, interchange justifications, and emerging mobility plans.
• Lead scope development and execution in conjunction with appropriate technical professionals in multiple transportation disciplines.
• Actively drive open communication of current/projected production needs and collaborate with management to influence staffing and expertise levels.
• Coordinate project staffing and workload management of the area transportation planning group.
• Participate in and provide input to the Annual Budgeting and Strategic Planning process in collaboration with Area, Regional, National, and Global leadership.
• Perform other duties as needed.

Keywords: Area Transportation Planning Business Class Leader, transportation planning, AICP, PE, PTOE, PTP, PMP

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's and master's degree in Planning, Engineering or a closely related field
• A minimum of 10 years' experience in transportation planning
• Possess excellent analytical and communication skills
• Understanding of multimodal planning principals including auto, transit, rail and non-motorized modes.
• Positive attitude and ability to work independently or as part of a team
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and personnel
• Solid business development skills; demonstrated ability to relate well to clients; and demonstrated presentation skills
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must
• Professional registration such as AICP, PE, PTOE, PTP, PMP
• Expertise in freight planning, aviation planning or multimodal planning
• Actively engaged in professional organizations such as ACEC, ITE, WTS, COMTO or similar organizations.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a Professional, Architecture, Engineering or closely related field
• 10 years of experience
• Committed to quality, improvement and HDR values
• Maintains a professional or engineering registration and has related technical experience
• Experienced in development and management of diverse teams
• Works cooperatively with other area business class leaders, operations managers, technical directors and marketing managers on business class efforts
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must

What We Believe

HDR is our company. Together, we build on each other's life experiences and perspectives to make great things possible every day. This shapes our collaborative culture, encourages organizational trust and connects us closer to the clients and communities we serve.

Our Commitment

As employee owners, we all have a role in creating an inclusive environment where each of us is welcomed, valued, respected and empowered to bring our authentic selves to work every day.

Our eight Employee Network Groups (Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic/Latino(a), LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Women, Young Professionals) help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute. Each group has an executive sponsor and is open to all employees.

We provide a comprehensive benefits package that promotes employee ownership, employee health, performance, and success, which includes medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, life insurance, an employee assistance program, paid time away, parental leave, paid holidays, a retirement savings plan with employer match, employee referral bonus and tuition reimbursement. The expected compensation range for this position is $163,000 - $243,000 and depends upon skills, experience, education and geographical location. (Stated benefits are for full-time regular positions. Temporary and part-time roles eligible for limited benefits.) Primary Location:United States-California-Los Angeles Other Locations:United States-California-Irvine, United States-California-Riverside, United States-California-Rancho Cucamonga Industry:Highway + Road Schedule:Full-time Employee Status:Regular BusinessClass:Transportation Planning Job Posting:Aug 18, 2026

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity. We are an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer (https://www.hdrinc.com/equal-employment-opportunity-employer). We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.