Senior Transit Planner

Toole Design Group in Austin is looking to hire an experienced and talented full-time Senior Transit Planner. Do you have a strong background in transit policy and planning? Are you passionate about sustainability, equity and the opportunity to work on innovative transit and multimodal projects that make communities more livable? Would you enjoy working on a variety of projects throughout the country? If so, please consider joining our Transit team.

This Senior Transit Planner position earns a competitive salary and great benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, a health savings account (HSA), and a flexible spending account (FSA). All staff receive 8 holidays and earn at least 16 days of PTO over the course of the year. We practice what we preach and ensure that our employees also have access to transportation by providing them with financial incentives to bike, walk, or use transit for a better quality of life.

About Toole Design

Toole Design is the leading engineering, planning, and landscape architecture firm specializing in multimodal transportation. Since our start in 2003 as a single office in Maryland, we have expanded throughout the United States. Our talented team of planners, landscape architects and engineers are committed to delivering quality work that meets the needs of all people, regardless of age, ability, race, or gender. As an Engineering News-Record top 500 design firm, we have also been named a "best firm to work for" and have one of the lowest staff turnover rates in the industry.

Every project our employees deliver directly and positively affects equity in our communities. We are industry-leading experts, and we work hard to encourage a collaborative and team-oriented environment.

A Day in the Life of a Senior Transit Planner

As a Senior Transit Planner, you will develop and nurture client relationships, mentor colleagues, and lead exciting projects throughout the country, while supporting efforts across our North American offices. You will lead teams of professionals from a variety of disciplines; integrating input from a broad range of stakeholders to create award-winning plans and programs that build momentum toward positive change in communities and lead directly to implementation.

Our transit projects are at all different scales: national, state, regional, and local. They encompass transit capital and operations planning, research, policy, design guidance, program development, inclusive engagement, implementation, and evaluation. As a Senior-Principal Transit Planner, you may lead short and long-term transit development plans, multimodal corridor studies, transit operational analyses, feasibility analyses for bus rapid transit and rail projects, transit strategic plans, transit capital projects and plans, perform analysis of operational and financial performance, advise on matters eligibility and requirements associated with USC Sec. 5309, 5310, and 5311, identify and support transit grant applications, develop asset management plans, and oversee access to transit projects.

You will participate in business development pursuits in the local region and across the country, as well as our North American offices. You will get to work with staff in multiple offices who are passionate about the work and the communities that we serve. What unites all of our work is our mission: we never accept a project that does not align with our values. We think about equity, climate, safety, and health every step of the way.

We are targeting salary range of $103,000-$114,000 for a Senior Transit Planner (10+ years) and $113,000 to $127,000 for a Principal Transit Planner (15+ years). Exceptionally qualified candidates who exceed all requirements, including exceptional project management skills and more than 15 years' experience working in planning full-time, may exceed this range.

Work Schedule for a Senior Transit Planner

This full-time position typically works a flexible schedule of 40 hours a week and requires periodic overnight travel depending on Client and project requirements. We also provide employees with the flexibility and necessary equipment to work from home up to two days a week. Austin is one of the most exciting cities for multimodal transportation. Whether it's helping to deliver Austin's Mobility Bond projects, updating the City's Urban Trails and Sidewalks Plans, designing high-comfort bikeways in Houston, or creating District-level Bike Plans for TxDOT, Toole Design is helping to shape the future of Texas.

Ready to Join our Team?

We understand your time is valuable, so we have a quick and easy application process. If you feel that you would be right for this Senior Transit Planner position, please fill out our application by clicking on the link on this page.

At Toole Design, we have a collaborative culture where people of all backgrounds come together to share ideas and build better, more inclusive communities. We encourage everyone, including those from underrepresented communities - women, people of color, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, first-generation college students/graduates, those with disabilities and people at all the intersections in between - to apply. Even if you don't think your current skill set checks every box below, but this role seems to align with your strengths, we want to hear from you.

We're proud that about half of our managers are women and are committed to achieving diversity in our leadership to better represent the communities where we work, as well. Toole Design is a woman-owned business and an equal opportunity employer (EO/AA/VEV/Disabled employer).

Individuals may request accommodations or assistance with the application process by contacting and asking for Human Resources or emailing

For more information about Toole Design, visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.

Qualifications of a Senior Transit Planner

• Bachelor's or master's degree in urban planning, landscape architecture, urban design, or a related field (AICP preferred)
• Extensive knowledge of transit planning practices and techniques
• At least 10 years of experience working on transit and transportation projects, (at least 15 years for a Principal Planner)
• At least 7 years of project management experience
• Demonstrated success independently managing projects
• Outstanding written, verbal, and graphic communication skills
• The ability to deliver high-quality work on-time and on-budget
• Experience planning and conducting public outreach and engagement
• The motivation to win work, including forming and managing client relationships, identifying potential opportunities, and developing proposals and interview materials
• A working knowledge of GIS software (ArcGIS or QGIS) and Adobe Creative Suites Cloud apps (Illustrator and InDesign) a plus

You'll be great here if:

• You have experience directly managing staff and teams
• You're passionate about contributing to more accessible, sustainable, and equitable communities
• You understand equity and the role that systems of oppression have played in shaping access to public spaces, transportation resources, and opportunities
• You have a strong working knowledge of federal regulations as they relate to transit planning, programs, funding, and competitive grant opportunities
• You are familiar with common transit operations and capital project issues
• You enjoy managing projects and meeting client needs
• You've led complex projects that involve coordinating collaborative work between staff teams, consultant partners, and public sector or nonprofit partners; and managing schedules and budgets
• You can build relationships, bring enthusiasm to exciting projects, and are detail-oriented with strong problem-solving skills
• You enjoy producing high-quality work products and contributing to projects that get built