Principal Consultant, Planner

Environmental Resources Management (ERM); Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 127,648 - 163,088; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Parental leave

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

AD&D insurance

401(k) or RRSP/DPSP

Other benefits

Job summary

Environmental Resources Management (ERM) in Washington, DC, seeks a Principal Consultant, Planning Engineer / Transportation, to lead transportation analyses for major capital projects and shape project strategy in a hybrid role. You will mentor staff, drive technical direction, and contribute to international ESIA efforts for sustainable infrastructure.

The position requires 6+ years in transportation planning, strong US standards knowledge, and a track record in business development.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Urban/Transportation Planning, or related field.
• 6+ years (10+ years preferred) of progressive experience in transportation planning/engineering for major capital projects.
• Strong expertise in U.S. transportation standards and frameworks (NEPA, FHWA/FTA guidance, HCM, MUTCD) and state/local requirements.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear insights for clients and stakeholders.
• Authorization to work in the U.S.
• Master’s degree in Transportation Engineering/Planning or related field preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead multimodal transportation impact assessments for construction and operational phases of major projects.
• Develop methodologies aligned with NEPA, FHWA/FTA guidance, state/local regulations, and international standards.
• Contribute to proposal development by defining scope, methodology, and level of effort for transportation components.
• Build and strengthen client relationships while leading pursuits for new transportation planning opportunities.
• Mentor junior team members and foster an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performing team culture.
• Occasional travel for client meetings and field reviews across project locations.

Skills

Strong communication

Authorization to work in the U.S.

Professional licensure

Transportation modeling tools

Business development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering/Transportation/Urban Planning

Master’s degree in Transportation Engineering/Planning

Tools

Synchro/SimTraffic

HCS

VISSIM/SIDRA

GIS

Travel demand modeling

Job description

Lead the Future of Sustainable Infrastructure

Step into a leadership role where transportation strategy meets global impact. At ERM, as a Principal Consultant, Planning Engineer / Transportation, based in Washington, DC (hybrid), you’ll help shape the trajectory of major capital projects that enable the energy transition and sustainable infrastructure worldwide. This is a strategic, high‑visibility opportunity to influence how complex projects are planned, approved, and delivered—while mentoring others and growing a best‑in‑class transportation practice.

Why This Role Matters

Transportation planning sits at the core of every successful infrastructure project. In this role, you’ll provide strategic direction and technical leadership across a diverse portfolio—from electric transmission and renewable energy (wind, solar, hydropower, battery storage) to large‑scale extractive projects. Your expertise will ensure projects are compliant, efficient, and aligned with both U.S. regulatory standards and global sustainability benchmarks—directly advancing ERM’s mission to deliver innovative, responsible solutions.

What Your Impact Is

Lead transportation analyses for U.S.-based projects, ensuring alignment with state DOT requirements and global best practices. Deliver IFC‑compliant Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) for international initiatives. Shape project outcomes by defining methodologies, contributing to proposals, and guiding technical strategy. Expand ERM’s transportation planning capabilities through business development, client engagement, and thought leadership. Mentor and develop emerging talent, strengthening team capability and impact.

What You’ll Bring

• Required Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Urban/Transportation Planning, or related field or equivalent experience.
• 6+ years (10+ years preferred) of progressive experience in transportation planning/engineering for major capital projects.
• Strong expertise in U.S. transportation standards and frameworks (NEPA, FHWA/FTA guidance, HCM, MUTCD) and state/local requirements.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear insights for clients and stakeholders.
• Authorization to work in the U.S.
• Preferred Master’s degree in Transportation Engineering/Planning or related field.
• Professional licensure or certification (PE, PTOE, AICP, RSP, or equivalent).
• Proficiency in transportation and traffic modeling tools (Synchro/SimTraffic, HCS, VISSIM/SIDRA, GIS, travel demand modeling).
• Experience supporting international projects and working within IFI-funded frameworks.
• Demonstrated success in business development and industry thought leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead multimodal transportation impact assessments (road, rail, vessel, air) for both construction and operational phases of major projects.
• Develop and apply methodologies aligned with NEPA, FHWA/FTA guidance, state/local regulations, and international standards.
• Contribute to proposal development by defining scope, methodology, and level of effort for transportation components.
• Build and strengthen client relationships while leading pursuits for new transportation planning opportunities.
• Mentor junior team members and foster an inclusive, collaborative, and high‑performing team culture.
• Occasional travel for client meetings and field reviews across project locations.

If you're motivated to lead complex, meaningful projects and leave a lasting mark on sustainable infrastructure, this role offers the platform to do just that—on a global scale.

For the Principal Consultant, Planning Engineer / Transportation position, the anticipated annual base pay is $127,648–$163,088 (USD). Actual pay will depend on factors such as education, experience, skills, location, performance, and business needs. In some cases, pay may fall outside this range. This role may be eligible for bonus pay (casual and fixed term/flex force employees are not bonus eligible).

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• paid time off
• parental leave
• medical
• dental
• vision
• life
• disability
• AD&D insurance
• 401(k) or RRSP/DPSP
• other applicable benefits to eligible employees

Note: Bonuses, commissions, and other forms of additional compensation are not guaranteed and subject to the sole discretion of ERM and its policies and procedures.

Who We Are

As the largest global pure play sustainability consultancy, we partner with the world’s leading organizations, creating innovative solutions to sustainability challenges and unlocking commercial opportunities that meet the needs of today while preserving opportunity for future generations.

Our Culture

At ERM we know that creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment is an essential part of making our company a great place to build a career. We also see our diversity as a strength that helps us create better solutions for our clients.

ERM is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.

We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

Our Services

Our diverse team of world‑class experts supports clients across the breadth of their organizations to operationalize sustainability, underpinned by our deep technical expertise in addressing their environmental, health, safety, risk and social issues. We call this capability our “boots to boardroom” approach for its comprehensive service model that allows ERM to develop strategic and technical solutions that advance objectives on the ground or at the executive level.

About ERM

At ERM, sustainability is our business. We are the world’s largest advisory firm focused solely on sustainability, offering unparalleled expertise across business and finance. ERM partners with clients to operationalize sustainability at pace and scale, through our unique combination of strategic transformation and technical delivery capabilities. Our diverse global team of experts works with the world’s leading organizations to help them set clear sustainability targets, measure progress and operationalize strategy through deep implementation and business transformation. With more than 50 years of experience, our ability to integrate sustainability solutions and our depth and breadth of technical knowledge are why organizations choose to partner with us as their trusted advisor.

Why Work With Us

Every one of us firmly believes in the potential to create value for our clients through an integrated approach to sustainability (because we have personally seen it and professionally achieved it). Our team members are passionate about client service. We work closely with our clients to help them operationalize their sustainability goals and meet their environmental, health and safety objectives while advancing ERM’s purpose through delivering tangible progress in what the United Nations coined The Decade of Action.

Professional Growth

Organizing our people across globally integrated communities of technical and strategic talent positions ERM to be a ‘boots to boardroom’ leader in bringing that value creation to our clients, partners, and the world. We recruit exceptional professionals with a personal and professional passion for sustainability and nurture them to even greater success as specialists. We prepare our consultants to bring integrated, innovative and sustainable solutions to our clients and provide opportunities for ongoing development across a variety of subject areas related to technical, business, and personal growth. At ERM, effort pays off and becomes career defining work that leaves a positive imprint on our planet.

Thank you for your interest in ERM! #LI-Hybrid #LI-KW1