Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates seeks an accomplished, dynamic, and motivated principal planner for our firm’s award-winning transit practice. This is an outstanding opportunity for the right person to partner with leadership on business development, project delivery, team building, mentoring, and overall strategy for our nationwide transit clients.  

We are seeking an individual with at least 12 years of professional experience, with a preference for some experience in the private consulting sector. Strong candidates will have a track record of leading innovative transit planning and/or design projects and collaborating across disciplines. The successful candidate will have a strong commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion and a passion for building strong teams.

The ideal candidate will also have proven experience in and/or an aptitude for business development, a network of client and industry relationships in at least one of Nelson\Nygaard’s home geographies, and the ability and interest to grow our practice and train the next generation of staff.

About Us

For over 35 years, Nelson\Nygaard has led the transportation planning field with our values and innovation. We’ve always been guided by the principle of putting people first—designing transportation systems for people, not just cars. This extends to how we operate as a firm.

We were founded by two women who believed in the benefits of a more egalitarian workplace, where leadership and creativity can blossom at all levels and where diversity is a core strength. Today, we are 160 talented and dedicated people in 13 offices across the country who continue to live by those values. What unites us at Nelson\Nygaard is the belief that transportation can change the world and our steadfast commitment to make the world more just, more sustainable, more connected, and more beautiful.

About You

You’re passionate about how transportation—and public transit, in particular—can make our communities and the world a better, more equitable, more sustainable place. You’re resourceful, curious, communicative, and enthusiastic. You know transit planning inside and out, and you are committed to advancing transportation solutions that meet the needs of a community’s residents. You love to teach and mentor, and you bring energy and a commitment to your teams and clients to do great work, together.

Responsibilities

As a Principal at Nelson\Nygaard, you are expected to manage significant projects and lead diverse teams. You will be responsible for client communication, overall task and project management, scoping and budgets, public presentations, meeting facilitation, technical work, and other tasks as necessary to deliver quality projects for our clients. You will be expected to understand the needs of potential clients, lead proposals, and contribute to overall business development goals.

As a leader at the firm, you are also expected to set an impeccable example and ensure our transit practice continues to lead the industry. You will also mentor diverse staff members by providing project feedback and on-the-job training opportunities, seeking opportunities to help your colleagues grow.

The successful candidate will be expected to do the following:

• Create high-quality transit plans, employing creative solutions to complex challenges
• Manage projects and lead technical work within scope, schedule, and budget
• Present project findings and recommendations to technical staff, the public, and executive audiences
• Demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Establish, maintain, and build client relationships
• Outline and prepare successful proposals and reports
• Analyze a wide range of transportation and transit data and manage the completion of technical analyses, feasibility studies, and other transportation reports
• Participate in practice and firmwide strategic planning activities to ensure that we continue to build on our mission and core values
• Mentor and train staff

The annual compensation for this position is industry competitive, depending on qualifications, location, and years of experience. The base salary ranges from $132,600 to $218,400, with annual performance-based salary increases and bonuses. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance, pre-tax transit and bicycling benefit, a 401k program, life insurance, and paid time off. Additionally, we offer flexibility to work from home up to three days per week.

Applying for the Position

Qualified and interested candidates must submit the following items:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• Work samples that highlight your skills (not to exceed 6 MB)

At Nelson\Nygaard we believe that inclusion spurs creativity, and that innovation is born from an engaged culture of diverse people and ideas. By moving beyond barriers and stereotypes of gender, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, medical condition, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and veteran status, we are committed to building an organization that reflects the diversity of the communities and clients we serve. We strongly encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color, immigrants, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, and members of ethnic minorities. We’re committed to maximizing the diversity of our team and want to hear from anyone who is passionate about our work.  

Qualifications and Requirements

The ideal candidate should have a strong core focus in transit planning but may also have a broad range of transportation and urban planning experience. A candidate should be able to demonstrate significant expertise in areas such as:

• Transit service planning
• Comprehensive operations analyses
• Short-range transit plans and transit development plans
• Long-range and strategic transit plans
• Transit master plans
• Transport policy, funding, and governance
• Paratransit and demand-responsive services
• Emerging mobility and transit technologies
• Multimodal/intermodal facility and corridor planning
• Transit station area and access to transit planning

Candidates should meet the following requirements:

• At least 12 years of responsible experience in transportation planning, engineering, or design, with the majority of that experience focused in transit planning.
• A bachelor’s degree in transportation planning, economics, public policy, or engineering. A master’s degree in one of these fields is looked upon favorably. Demonstrated experience or expertise in lieu of precise educational attainment may also meet this requirement.
• Skills, enthusiasm, and a proven track record for business development with a client network in at least one of Nelson\Nygaard’s home geographies.
• The ability to organize, supervise, and analyze a wide range of transportation data and complete (directly or manage the completion of) technical analyses, feasibility studies, or other transportation reports.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Familiarity with additional design, analysis, and/or modeling software is desirable.