Urban Planner (GIS Focus)

Pond•Atlanta, GA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

We are currently seeking an Urban Planner I to join our Infrastructure team and support a variety of transportation, community planning, and urban design projects from our Atlanta/Cobb office. This entry-level position provides an opportunity to contribute to comprehensive transportation plans, multimodal and transit studies, corridor and small area plans, comprehensive plans, active transportation initiatives, and other planning efforts that shape communities and improve mobility. The Urban Planner I will support project teams through research, data analysis, technical writing, community engagement, development of planning recommendations, and preparation of reports and presentations. The ideal candidate is a collaborative and motivated early-career planner with strong analytical, communication, and organizational skills and an interest in transportation and community planning. GIS experience is desirable but not required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, Transportation Planning, Geography, Public Policy, Urban Studies, Environmental Planning, or a related field.
0–2 years of relevant professional experience, including internships, graduate assistantships, or other applicable planning experience.
Foundational knowledge of transportation planning, land use planning, community planning, or related disciplines.
Strong research, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to organize and synthesize quantitative and qualitative information and communicate findings clearly.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Ability to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams and manage multiple assignments and deadlines.
Interest in working with local governments, regional agencies, transportation agencies, and communities.

Nice To Haves

Internship, academic, or professional experience related to transportation, transit, multimodal, active transportation, land use, or community planning.
Familiarity with ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, or other GIS tools for basic mapping, spatial analysis, or data visualization.
Experience with Adobe Creative Suite, Power BI, Tableau, ArcGIS Dashboards, or similar visualization and graphic communication tools.
Experience with community engagement, including public meetings, surveys, stakeholder outreach, or related activities.
Familiarity with transportation and community planning processes, funding programs, or planning regulations.
Interest in pursuing AICP certification as professional experience requirements are met.

Responsibilities

Support comprehensive transportation plans, transit and multimodal studies, active transportation plans, corridor studies, small area plans, comprehensive plans, zoning updates, and other transportation and community planning initiatives.
Conduct research and analysis related to transportation, land use, demographics, socioeconomic conditions, housing, economic development, and community needs.
Assist with evaluating transportation systems, mobility needs, bicycle and pedestrian conditions, transit access, safety, land use patterns, and development trends.
Help develop planning recommendations, policies, strategies, project concepts, and implementation actions.
Research planning policies, best practices, funding opportunities, and relevant local, regional, state, and federal programs.
Assist with field assessments, site visits, data collection, and documentation of existing conditions.
Collect, organize, analyze, and interpret quantitative and qualitative information to support planning studies.
Prepare technical memoranda, reports, planning documents, presentations, graphics, and other project deliverables.
Translate technical information and planning concepts into clear, accessible materials for clients, stakeholders, elected officials, and the public.
Assist with developing project recommendations and documenting the technical basis for planning decisions.
Use spreadsheets, presentation software, and other analytical and visualization tools to organize and communicate project findings.
Use GIS, when appropriate and based on experience, to support mapping, spatial analysis, and data visualization.
Support public meetings, workshops, stakeholder interviews, focus groups, surveys, and other engagement activities.
Assist with preparing meeting materials, presentations, exhibits, surveys, and other engagement tools.
Document and summarize community and stakeholder input and help incorporate findings into planning recommendations.
Communicate effectively and professionally with clients, stakeholders, community members, and project team members.
Assist project managers with project coordination, schedules, task tracking, meeting documentation, fieldwork, deliverables, and quality control.
Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams that may include planners, transportation engineers, traffic engineers, urban designers, landscape architects, architects, economists, environmental professionals, and other technical specialists.
Participate in internal and client project meetings and contribute to team discussions and problem-solving.
Support proposal development, research, graphics, and other business development activities as needed.
Manage assigned tasks and deadlines while contributing to multiple projects in a consulting environment.