Ascension is seeking a senior-level Principal Planner to lead complex transportation and land use planning initiatives that directly impact infrastructure investment, mobility strategy, and community development outcomes. This role serves as a technical authority and program leader, responsible for guiding multidisciplinary planning efforts from concept through implementation.

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker and execution-focused leader with deep expertise in transportation systems, land use planning, and policy analysis. This individual will play a critical role in ensuring that planning initiatives are data-driven, compliant with regulatory frameworks, and aligned with long-term economic and community development goals.

This position is essential to the success of the contract, as it provides technical leadership, stakeholder coordination, and quality oversight across all planning activities, ensuring that deliverables meet client expectations for accuracy, timeliness, and impact.

Position Summary

The Principal Planner will provide technical leadership and day-to-day oversight for major transportation planning initiatives, including corridor studies, land use integration, economic impact assessments, and policy development. The role requires the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects, coordinate across stakeholders, and ensure that planning outputs are actionable and aligned with agency priorities.

The ideal candidate will bring:

• Strong expertise in transportation and land use planning methodologies
• Experience managing large-scale planning studies and multidisciplinary teams
• Ability to translate complex data into clear, decision-ready insights
• A proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with the ability to anticipate risks and drive execution

This role supports the client through:

• Strategic planning and program development
• Data-driven analysis and reporting
• Stakeholder engagement and facilitation
• Quality control and delivery management

The Principal Planner will leverage tools such as GIS platforms, transportation modeling tools, data analytics platforms (e.g., Excel, Power BI), and project management systems to deliver high-quality planning solutions.

Day-to-Day Activities

• Lead technical planning efforts across transportation and land use projects
• Oversee all phases of planning studies including scoping, analysis, and reporting
• Manage project schedules, deliverables, and quality control processes
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams including engineers, analysts, and stakeholders
• Conduct transportation analysis including traffic modeling, forecasting, and scenario planning
• Develop strategic plans, feasibility studies, and policy recommendations
• Analyze economic, environmental, and community impacts of proposed projects
• Facilitate stakeholder meetings, workshops, and public engagement sessions
• Review technical reports, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and clarity
• Advise senior leadership on planning strategies and implementation approaches
• Identify risks, constraints, and opportunities and recommend mitigation strategies
• Prepare executive-level briefings, reports, and presentations