Principal Planner/Economist

HNTB; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

HNTB's Atlanta office is seeking a Principal Planner to guide transport planning projects from concept through completion, coordinating with multiple disciplines and engaging clients. This role emphasizes leadership, data-driven analysis, and staff mentorship, ensuring high-quality outcomes.

The position requires extensive experience in urban and regional planning, knowledge of federal/state transportation requirements, and the ability to manage scope, schedule, and budget for complex projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field and 12 years of related experience, or Master’s degree and 11 years of relevant experience.
• Experience leading transportation planning projects.
• Knowledge of federal/state transportation requirements and grant processes.
• Ability to analyze data and develop scope, schedule, and budget.

Responsibilities

• Executes a higher level of project achievement and delivers strong client performance.
• Determines objectives and requirements within the discipline, organizes programs and projects, and develops standards and guides for diverse planning activities.
• Represents the practice within the firm on a regional or national scope, internally and externally.
• Networks with transportation planning, engineering, urban design and leadership across disciplines.
• Participates with professional organizations and serves on committees or boards.
• Advises on best practice and provides technical guidance.
• Mentors staff and supports department managers with strategic planning and staffing.
• May serve as project manager or task lead on larger projects.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Project management

Client liaison

Urban planning

Data analysis

Team mentorship

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's in Planning/Related

Master's in Urban Planning/Related

Job description

What We’re Looking For

At HNTB, you can create a career that is meaningful to you while building communities that matter to all of us. For more than a century, we have been delivering solutions for some of the largest, most complex infrastructure projects across the country. With our historic growth, it is an exciting time to join our team of employee-owners.

This opportunity entails being responsible for applying planning strategies utilizing various technologies and tools to gather and analyze data, assess outcomes, and develop reporting and visuals to effectively communicate findings. This position performs tasks for planning projects including research, studies, and documentation, coordinating with multi-discipline team members, from concept development through project completion. This position directs the technical production of planning assignments as task assignee and may serve as a Project Manager on a limited basis for select medium and large-scale projects. Coordinates with project manager, project designer and other disciplines on multiple large scale and complex transportation planning, urban design, or landscape architectural projects to ensure that the client's technical requirements of projects are fully met. The Principal Planner determines objectives and requirements within the discipline, organizes programs and projects and develops standards and guides for diverse planning activities.

What You’ll Do

• Executes a higher level of project achievement and consistently delivers strong client performance.
• Determines objectives and requirements within the discipline, organizes programs and projects, and develops standards and guides for diverse planning activities.
• Represents the practice within the firm on a regional or national scope, both internally and externally.
• Networks - Initiates and maintains extensive contacts with transportation planning, engineering, urban design and/or planning leaders and other discipline/office leaders (internal/external).
• Participates with professional organizations such as serving on committees and/or as an executive or board member.
• Advises on best practice and technical expertise.
• Provides guidance and mentors staff.
• Supports department managers and office leadership with strategic planning, staffing/training, and other special projects.
• May serve as project manager or task lead.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

What You’ll Need

• Bachelor’s Degree in Landscape Architecture, Planning, Environmental Planning, Urban Design, Architecture, Engineering, Urban Planning, Geography, or related field and 12 years related experience, or
• Master's Degree in Landscape Architecture, Planning, Environmental Planning, Urban Design, Architecture, Engineering, Urban Planning, Geography, or related field and 11 yrs of relevant experience

Preferred Qualifications

What You’ll Bring

• Illustrates a consistent level of project understanding and management by assessing project needs and creating a work plan. Solves problems for complex issues and innovates new methodologies. Maintains a comprehensive understanding of relevant local, state and federal requirements.
• Analyzes data using critical thinking.
• Develops an effective scope, schedule, and budget.
• Develops a large network of high level relationships with clients and peer practitioners. Serves as a trusted advisor.
• Manages responsibility for quality control.

What We Prefer

• Master's degree in Urban Planning or related field.
• Professional Engineer (PE), American Institute of Certified Planner (AICP), Professional Transportation Planner (PTP), Certified Environmental Professional (CEP), Envision, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP)
• Experience preparing economic impact studies, market assessments, or transportation demand analyses.
• Knowledge of federal and state transportation funding programs, regulatory frameworks, and grant evaluation criteria.
• Experience applying economic models, including input–output, econometric, and computable general equilibrium (CGE) models, to evaluate transportation and infrastructure impacts.
• Experience working with key economic data sources, including employment, income, GDP, and productivity datasets from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Census Bureau, and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).
• Experience developing financial models, forecasts, and scenario analyses to support long range planning and strategic decision making.
• Knowledge of infrastructure industry trends, regulatory changes, and economic indicators and
• Experience leading and supporting benefit cost analyses (BCA) for major infrastructure projects, ensuring compliance with federal guidance and United States Department Of Transportation (USDOT) requirements.

Additional Information

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Locations

Atlanta, GA

Job Type: Regular

Full/Part Time: Full time

Job Category: Planning Group

Equal Employment Opportunity & Disability Accessibility Statement

HNTB provides a fair and equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship status, or other status protected by law. The HNTB Companies ensure nondiscrimination in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Any applicant with limited English proficiency or a qualifying physical or mental disability who believes they require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact us at [e-mail] or call 816-527-2600 for assistance. HNTB will make determinations on requests for accommodations on a case-by-case basis.

Hearing and speech impaired individuals who seek assistance or accommodation in applying for a position via TTY, may dial 711 in the United States. Instruct the TTY operator to call 888-400-4682 and select option 5 for TTY service. Please indicate to the HNTB agent that you are a candidate seeking assistance in the job application process.

Please note that The HNTB Companies will not accept any resume submitted via this email address. To properly submit your application to the HNTB Companies, and to ensure that our recruiters have immediate access to your resume/CV, please search our open positions online, and apply directly through our careers website.

Thank you for considering HNTB for your career opportunities.

HNTB has implemented the following policy as part of its longstanding commitment to compliance with all applicable affirmative action requirements. HNTB agrees to post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, this Affiantive Action Policy.

HNTB is a federal contractor subject to Section 4212 of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended (“Section 4212”) and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (“Section 503”). Accordingly, it is HNTB’s policy to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment protected veterans (disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, Armed Forces Service Medal veterans, or active-duty wartime or campaign badge veterans) and individuals with disabilities at all levels of employment, including the executive level. HNTB also will provide reasonable accommodation to known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified employee or applicant for employment with a disability, unless the accommodation would impose undue hardship on the operation of HNTB. In order to request a reasonable accommodation, employees should contact the HR Solutions Center at General Policy Inquiry - Employee Center and applicants should contact [e-mail].

HNTB will recruit, hire, train, and promote individuals in all job titles, and will ensure that all other personnel actions are administered, without regard to an individual’s protected veteran or disability status. All employment decisions will be based only on valid job requirements. In addition, employees and applicants shall not be subjected to harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion, or discrimination because they have engaged in or may engage in any of the following activities: (1) filing a complaint; (2) assisting or participating in an investigation, compliance evaluation, hearing, or any other activity related to the administration of any Federal, State, or local law requiring equal opportunity for protected veterans or individuals with disabilities; (3) opposing any act or practice made unlawful by Section 4212, Section 503, their implementing regulations, or any other Federal, State, or local law requiring equal opportunity for protected veterans or individuals with disabilities; or (4) exercising any other right protected by Section 4212, Section 503, or their implementing regulations.

The non-confidential portions of the affirmative action program for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities shall be available for inspection upon request by any employee or applicant for employment. These plans are available for review upon request during normal business hours. Any questions or requests to review should be directed to your Human Resources Partner.

As Chief Executive Officer, I fully support our affirmative