Transportation Planner, Associate

About the role

At the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), we don’t just move people—we connect communities, build safer streets, and create a more sustainable city. With a bold vision for the future, we’re tackling big challenges: making travel safer, cutting carbon emissions, and ensuring reliable, affordable transportation for everyone—no matter who they are or where they live.

SDOT has an exciting opportunity for an Associate Transportation Planner to join our Policy & Planning division. The Associate Transportation Planner position will perform professional-level transportation planning and policy-related tasks as a member of SDOT’s Transportation Planning Section within the Policy & Planning Division and support a variety of transportation planning projects. These projects may be citywide in scale or focused on a specific transportation corridor, neighborhood, or subarea. Representative projects include station access plans for new light rail stations, subarea and neighborhood plans to support implementation of the recently adopted One Seattle Plan, and policy updates that help achieve our 20-year transportation vision from the Seattle Transportation Plan.

The ideal candidate will have urban planning and transportation planning skills, have an understanding of policy development, and can work on a variety of projects simultaneously. The selected candidate will develop and support community engagement strategies and coordinate with other City and agency staff on projects. The position supports department goals of promoting equity, inclusion and social justice through our projects and policies and on the team.

Responsibilities

• Develop and support transportation planning studies to address multimodal transportation problems and opportunities, recommend projects, policies and solutions, write and edit reports, and present project findings for citywide, subarea and neighborhood plans and studies.
• Assist colleagues and the Transportation Planning team by providing transportation planning, policy, research and technical guidance to advance SDOT initiatives and goals.
• Develop and implement public and agency outreach plans, including producing graphic presentation materials, technical reports, agendas and briefing materials, deliver presentations to a variety of audiences, and track feedback.
• Maintain effective working relations with transportation peers, agency staff, community groups, consultants, and organizations to effectively obtain and provide information, coordinate work, respond to inquiries and resolve problems.
• Apply and maintain a working knowledge of traffic engineering principles, project management, and policy analysis.
• Support analysis of multimodal transportation needs through a Complete Streets approach, including emerging mobility technologies, and identify necessary system improvements to achieve Vision Zero and our departmental goals.
• Work on multiple projects simultaneously, stay organized, communicate project barriers and needs, and conscientiously resolve problems and perform assignments with minimal supervision.
• Support department goals in promoting diversity and social justice; climate actions to accelerate reduction of transportation section emissions; safer streets; and stewardship of public assets and the right-of-way.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in transportation planning, urban planning, civil engineering, or a related field.
• Experience: Two years of transportation planning experience. OR: An equivalent combination of education and experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the position duties.

Though not requirements, strong candidates will have some of the following experience or are able to describe comparable experience:

• Graduate degree in transportation planning, urban planning, civil engineering, or a related field.
• Proven knowledge of urban planning and design principles, techniques and methods, and graphic skills to support the development of urban planning and design concepts.
• Demonstrated skills in Adobe Creative Suite (including Adobe InDesign), GIS, and Tableau or comparable applications.
• Excellent analytical, writing, graphic and oral communication skills and the ability to handle sensitive issues with diplomacy and poise.
• Experience working on and supporting neighborhood, corridor, and subarea planning and navigating land use requirements.
• Experience with community outreach and engagement and facilitating meetings with various constituencies.
• Proven ability to develop and deliver effective public presentations including creating high-quality materials for diverse audiences, community groups, elected officials and professional colleagues.
• Demonstrated capability to work under pressure, successfully manage multiple assignments, and monitor and maintain the progress of schedules to meet milestones.
• Ability to effectively work in a multi-cultural workplace with a diverse set of stakeholders and agency partners.

Other Requirements

• Work has historically been performed in an office environment. At the time of this posting, SDOT office staff work part-time in the office and may work part-time remotely. Workplace expectations, guidance, and requirements around hybrid work schedules continue to evolve.
• This position requires periodic travel throughout the City to investigate conditions and streets within a study area and conduct community engagement.
• This position requires participation in meetings and events, usually as part of community engagement activities, outside of normal working hours, including early morning, evening, and weekends.
• Current Washington State driver's license or evidence of equivalent mobility.