Principal Transportation Transit Planner

Jacobs; Sacramento (CA); Hybrid; USD 144,000 - 245,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) plan

Stock purchase program

Paid time off

Hybrid work policy

Job summary

Jacobs is seeking a Principal Transportation/Transit Planner in California to lead the growth of our transportation planning practice. You will oversee multi-modal studies, engage clients, and guide feasibility analyses while growing our California footprint.

Join a diverse team, advance projects with delivery excellence, and participate in a flexible hybrid work model that combines office locations with remote collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in planning, policy, engineering, or a related field.
• 20+ years of experience delivering technical transportation projects.
• Experience leading business development for transportation and transit clients.
• Experience leading transportation and transit planning projects.
• Established relationships with RTPAs, MPOs, Caltrans, and municipal clients.
• Commitment to inclusive, diverse teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead growth of transportation planning services within your region/local market and support practice growth across California.
• Identify market opportunities, build client relationships, and develop winning pursuit strategies.
• Lead planning and feasibility studies, stakeholder engagement plans, and deliverables for multi-modal systems and transit networks.
• Prepare needs analyses, alternatives, and long-range strategies for agencies.
• Engage with clients, subconsultants, and stakeholders.
• Support business development, proposal development, and strategic account management.
• Foster an inclusive, secure work environment across teams.

Skills

Strong oral and written communication

Time management

Ability to work in diverse teams

Relationship development with RTPAs/MM

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in planning, policy, engineering or related field

Tools

ArcGIS

Adobe Creative Cloud

MS Project

Microsoft Office

Job description

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

Thriving communities. Healthy cities. A brighter future. At Jacobs, we're putting our knowledge and imagination together to shape the next generation of innovative transportation solutions. If you want to join a company invested in you, your success, and the global community, then join us as a Principal Transportation/Transit Planner to help lead the growth of our California Transportation Planning Practice.

You will support a variety of transportation and transit plans including multi-modal corridor planning studies, feasibility studies, service planning studies, long-range plans and other plans/programs with a focus on California. This is your opportunity to work on engaging plans, projects and programs. You will be part of a multi-disciplined, highly skilled, and diverse team of planners, engineers, designers, scientists and environmental specialists leading projects locally and nationally. This is an opportunity for motivated people to provide technical, project management, and business leadership to grow Jacobs' transportation and transit planning practice throughout California.

In this role you will

• Lead the growth and development of transportation planning services within your region/local market and support practice growth across California.
• Participate in identifying opportunities in the market, building client relationships, and developing winning pursuit strategies.
• Lead planning and feasibility studies, stakeholder engagement plans, and prepare deliverables for
  • Multi-modal transportation systems
  • Transit networks, facilities, and corridors
  • Active transportation networks, trails, and paths
  • Sustainable transportation developmentEmerging mobility and innovative technology
• Prepare needs analyses, alternatives development and evaluation, and short- and long-range strategies supporting agency staff in delivering projects and programs.
• Conduct independent research while drafting state-of-the-industry analyses, technology recommendations, and other technical topics.
• Engage with clients, subconsultants, and stakeholders.
• Foster and build client relationships with transit agencies, MPOs, RTPAs, local jurisdictions, and state agencies.
• Support business development, proposal development, and strategic account management efforts across California.

Jacobs Transportation team members have opportunities to grow their technical and project management expertise as they tackle complex transportation challenges. Jacobs invests in its people and teams, providing ongoing professional education, worldwide communities of practice to enhance your skills and connections, and an inclusive set of employee networks to help you challenge today and reinvent tomorrow.

Here’s what you’ll need

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in planning, policy, engineering or a related field.
• At least 20 years of experience in technical project delivery, transportation planning, project management, analysis, and/or studies.
• Experience leading business development efforts for transportation and transit clients, including opportunity identification, team formation, pursuit strategy, and proposal development.
• Experience leading transportation and transit planning projects, including multimodal corridor studies, complete streets initiatives, traffic engineering, ITS, land use planning, and environmental analyses.
• Demonstrated relationships with Regional Transportation Planning Agencies (RTPAs), Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), transit agencies, Caltrans, and municipal clients.
• Ability to actively participate in diverse teams and contribute to a secure and empowering work environment built on equity and inclusion.
• Ability to effectively manage time to deliver tasks accurately and on schedule.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.

Ideally, you'll also have

• Experience facilitating discussions and presenting complex information.
• Basic to advanced knowledge of ArcGIS, Adobe Creative Cloud, MS Project, and Microsoft Office.
• Involvement in professional industry associations and organizations.

Our health and welfare benefits are designed to invest in you, and in the things you care about. Your health. Your well-being. Your security. Your future. Employees have access to medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance, a 401(k) plan, and the ability to purchase company stock at a discount. Eligible employees may also enroll in a deferred compensation plan or the Executive Deferral Plan. Jacobs has a U.S. Personalized Paid Time Off (PPTO) policy for full-time salaried/exempt employees, seven paid holidays, and caregiver leave. And certain roles may be eligible for additional rewards, including merit increases, performance discretionary bonus, and stock.

The base salary range for this position is $143,500.00 to $244,700.00. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. Job posted on November 11, 2026. This position will be open for at least 3 days.

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.