Senior Transportation Planner

HDR • Denver, CO

8h

About The Position

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world? We believe transportation is more than movement, it’s the foundation of connected, thriving communities. As part of HDR’s Transportation Business Group, you’ll help shape the systems that move people and goods safely, efficiently, and sustainably. From designing resilient highways and iconic bridges to advancing transit, passenger and freight rail, aviation, federal transportation ports and marine infrastructure, your work will directly support economic vitality, public safety, sustainable and resilient communities and quality of life. We bring together planners, engineers, architects, construction management staff, environmental, strategic communications, economists, management consultants and specialists across disciplines to solve complex mobility challenges with innovation, technical excellence, and a deep understanding of community needs. Whether you're modernizing aging infrastructure or pioneering next-generation transportation solutions, your contributions will help define the future of mobility. This isn’t just a job, it’s a chance to lead progress, drive meaningful impact, and leave a legacy of smarter, more connected transportation networks. We are all employee-owners at HDR, which is the foundation of our collaborative culture that connects employees around the world. Watch Our Story: ' https://www.hdrinc.com/our-story' Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Planning, Engineering or a related field
• A minimum of 10 years' experience with transportation planning
• Possess excellent analytical and communication skills
• Understanding of transit planning principles
• Positive attitude and ability to work independently or as part of a team
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and personnel
• Solid business development skills; demonstrated ability to relate well to clients; and demonstrated presentation skills
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in urban planning, geography, or related degree.
• ArcGIS Advanced
• InDesign and Illustrator Advanced

Responsibilities

• Lead technical direction for major corridor studies, Transportation Master Plans, multimodal networks, policy frameworks, and implementation plans.
• Develop sophisticated methodologies and evaluation frameworks (modal priority, scoring tools, prioritization matrices, implementation pathways).
• Oversee complex spatial and analytics workflows; guide GIS specialists and analysis.
• Lead multimodal alternatives development and synthesize technical trade-offs.
• Provide high-level expertise in Complete Streets, Vision Zero, multimodal operations, and land use–transportation integration, etc.
• Support environmental compliance and regulatory documentation.
• Lead agency coordination and public participation processes as a part of projects.
• Produce clear, strategic recommendations for clients and decision makers.
• Serve as an internal reviewer and coach for technical deliverables.
• Advise clients on policy, design direction, and implementation strategies.
• Manage medium to large projects, particularly those with complex technical components, stakeholder processes, or multimodal analysis.
• Develop scopes, budgets, schedules, and risk management strategies.
• Lead internal coordination and ensure technical quality across tasks.
• Serve as the primary technical lead for major deliverables.
• Support Senior PMs on large-scale or signature projects by leading technical components.
• Contribute advanced technical content and methodologies to proposals.
• Support pursuit strategy by identifying best-practice approaches and innovative tools.
• Participate in interviews as project manager, technical lead, or subject matter expert.
• Maintain relationships with key technical partners, academic institutions, and specialized organizations.
• Identify opportunities to advance thought leadership (white papers, conferences, webinars).
• Contribute to development and refinement of internal processes, tools, methodologies, and QA/QC standards.
• Advise BCL on staffing, skill-building needs, and internal training priorities.
• Model strong communication, organization, and internal leadership.
• Support supervisors and PMs in balancing workload and monitoring team capacity
• Plan, direct and monitor all aspects of small to large multidisciplinary transportation planning and environmental compliance projects
• Prepare, plan and analyze compliance documents
• Establish client relations and be involved with marketing, contractual, design and production meetings
• Direct work of others in completion of required studies, documents and reports
• Demonstrate extensive public participation, agency coordination, planning and programming experience
• Participate in design development and contract document work sessions in conjunction with appropriate technical professionals and other disciplines
• Coordinate staffing and workload through entire project development to complete documents on schedule
• Perform other duties as needed

Benefits

• Employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day.
• We foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities.
• We bring together planners, engineers, architects, construction management staff, environmental, strategic communications, economists, management consultants and specialists across disciplines to solve complex mobility challenges with innovation, technical excellence, and a deep understanding of community needs.
• We are all employee-owners at HDR, which is the foundation of our collaborative culture that connects employees around the world.
• Our eight Employee Network Groups (Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic/Latino(a), LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Women, Young Professionals) help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute.
• Each group has an executive sponsor and is open to all employees.

What This Job Offers

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