Principal Planner

Toole Design • Silver Spring, MD

13d • $120,000 - $145,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Toole Design is seeking a Principal Planner to join its Silver Spring, Maryland office. The firm’s multidisciplinary teams plan and design safer, more accessible streets, trails, parks, civic spaces, and mobility networks. The Silver Spring office brings urban designers, landscape architects, planners, and engineers together to improve safety, livability, and accessibility for people walking, biking, and taking transit. Work spans systemwide planning and visioning through final engineering design, with projects including Vision Zero Action Plans, Active Transportation Plans, trail planning, Safe Routes to School, urban design and placemaking, and transportation planning and design on-call contracts. The team collaborates with colleagues in the Mid-Atlantic and across the country.

The Principal Planner will lead complex multimodal transportation project teams, provide strategic oversight, and ensure high-quality delivery. The role engages a broad range of stakeholders and helps establish the firm as a trusted expert. It also includes supervising and mentoring planners in the Silver Spring office, managing workload and staff utilization, and helping recruit for the growing planning team.

The position offers a hybrid schedule with in-office team days Tuesday through Thursday. The targeted salary range is $120,000 to $145,000. Toole Design is an employee-owned, purpose-driven, woman-owned equal opportunity employer that promotes a collaborative, inclusive culture.

Requirements

• Master's degree in urban planning, transportation planning, or a related field.
• 15 or more years of transportation planning experience in the Mid-Atlantic, ideally the DMV region.
• Six or more years at a private consulting firm managing and delivering public-sector projects and business development.
• Four or more years of supervisory experience, including staff management, coaching, and professional development.
• Extensive knowledge of multimodal transportation planning practices.
• Proven ability to manage complex projects involving clients, subconsultants, schedules, and budgets and deliver them on time and on budget.
• Experience winning work through client relationships, business development, proposals, and interviews.
• Excellent written, verbal, and public speaking skills.

Nice To Haves

• AICP certification is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead project teams on complex and impactful multimodal transportation projects.
• Provide strategic oversight and ensure high-quality project delivery.
• Engage stakeholders to create plans that build momentum for positive change in communities.
• Help reinforce the firm's reputation as a trusted expert.
• Supervise and mentor planners in the Silver Spring office.
• Manage workload and staff utilization.
• Help recruit for the growing planning team.
• Manage projects, including clients, subconsultants, schedules, and budgets, to deliver work on time and on budget.
• Develop client relationships and contribute to business development, proposals, and interviews.

Benefits

• Eight paid holidays.
• At least 16 days of PTO accrued annually.
• Competitive salary and excellent benefits.
• Transportation perks.
• Employee ownership and the financial security associated with sharing in the company's success.
• Collaborative, inclusive culture that supports growth and advancement.
• Hybrid schedule with in-office team days Tuesday through Thursday.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior