Planning Associate II (Project Manager)

Planning Associate II (Project Manager)

Department: Planning

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Denver, CO

Compensation: $100,000 - $120,000 / year

Description

Alta Planning + Design seeks a Planning Associate II (Project Manager) for our Denver office. This senior-level position is a great opportunity for someone who believes in the importance of active, multimodal, and sustainable transportation and who is interested in growing their career as a transportation planning professional. If you are looking to join an innovative organization and do work that connects people to places while advancing social justice, safety, and environmental resilience, apply with Alta today!

About Alta

Alta is a mission‑driven company working to mitigate climate change and advance safety and social justice by shaping sustainable, people‑centered communities. We bring together expertise across planning, design, engineering, education and encouragement programs, and community engagement to help communities thrive. Our work is grounded in the belief that how places are designed and experienced has a profound impact on equity, health, and opportunity-and that people should always be at the heart of those decisions.

Founded in 1996, Alta was at the forefront of the active transportation movement and has spent nearly 30 years partnering with communities to imagine a more connected, resilient, and inclusive future. Today, with more than 225 staff across the United States and beyond, we are a global leader in creating environments that support everyday life, strengthen human connection, and respond to the challenges of a changing world. Alta offers the opportunity to collaborate across disciplines, contribute to meaningful work at every scale, and be part of a team committed to making lasting, positive change for people and the places they call home.

Day to Day

In this role, you will lead active transportation and multimodal planning projects across Colorado and the broader Mountain West, serving urban, suburban, rural, and mountain communities. Projects may include bicycle and pedestrian master plans, safety action plans, transit access and mobility hub studies, corridor studies, and trail planning and design. You will manage client relationships, project budgets and schedules, lead community and stakeholder engagement, coordinate multidisciplinary teams, and develop practical recommendations and implementation strategies.

You will engage residents, attend site visits and charrettes, communicate planning and design opportunities and trade-offs, and apply relevant design guidance to Complete Streets projects. You will work with and learn from an interdisciplinary team across the company, mentor planning staff, and support business development through proposals and client relationship building.

The essential priorities of this position are to:

• Nurture and grow client and industry partner relationships in Colorado and the broader Mountain West and secure work in support of Alta's growth goals.
• Lead proposal development, prepare scopes of work and fees, and coordinate multidisciplinary pursuit teams.
• Enhance Alta's reputation as a trusted advisor and expert by educating clients and other relevant parties and supporting solutions that will meet their business objectives.
• Manage large, complex projects, including budgets, schedules, quality, and coordination across disciplines.
• Lead multidisciplinary project teams, mentor planning staff, and support staff development and workload coordination.

Qualifications

Required

This position requires a combination of skills, experience and education including, but not limited to

• Bachelor's degree in Planning or a related field of study.
• 10+ years of experience in a consulting environment or public entity; 3+ years as a project manager; experience leading and mentoring staff and multidisciplinary project teams.
• Experience in the field of active, non-motorized transportation.
• Demonstrated understanding of the planning process and project management principles, methods, and techniques.
• Ability to guide staff members and manage internal team expectations.
• Exhibits strong initiative and ability to capitalize on opportunities to enhance Alta's position in the marketplace.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, and multiple simultaneous projects involving cross-functional project teams within budgetary and schedule constraints.
• Strong initiative and the ability to work independently with little or no supervision.
• Ability and willingness to travel for project meetings, site visits, and community engagement across Colorado and the broader Mountain West.
• Excellent professional ethics, leadership skills, accountability, and decision-making capabilities.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication and analytic skills.
• Good presentation skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint and Google Workspace; experience using Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, ArcGIS, or similar tools to support planning analysis and communication.
• Proficiency in an enterprise-wide resource planning and project management tool.

There are a number of additional skills, experience, and education that would be beneficial to this position including, but not limited to:

• Experience working with Colorado municipalities, counties, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), metropolitan planning organizations, and transit agencies.
• Familiarity with transportation challenges in Front Range, mountain, and rural communities.
• Master's degree in Urban Planning or a related field.
• Expertise in micromobility, shared mobility, and transit integration.
• Experience managing large projects for both private and public clients.
• Experience writing and/or presenting white papers and/or providing expert level presentations at conferences and other events promoting the field of sustainable infrastructure and active, non-motorized transportation.
• Experience using Deltek or comparable enterprise resource planning and project management software.
• Experience using ArcGIS Spatial Analyst and Network Analyst.
• Active participation in industry-relevant professional associations and committees.
• AICP Certification.

What We Offer

Flexible Schedule

Alta offers a flexible, hybrid work schedule where most employees work from home three days per week. In-office days support our collaborative culture, one of our core values.

Compensation

The base salary range for this role is indicated in the posting. This range reflects the company's good faith estimate of the compensation for this position at the time of posting. Final compensation will be determined based on factors such as experience, skills, qualifications, internal equity, and geographic location.

Benefits

Alta offers comprehensive benefits to all full-time employees:

• Medical: PPO or HSA medical plans, Alta pays 75% of the cost
• Dental/Vision: PPO, Alta pays 90% of the cost
• Life Insurance: Alta pays 100% of the premium for life and AD&D, equal to your base compensation
• 401(k): Alta provides a match up to 3%
• PTO: 21 days accrued annually to start
• Holidays: 11 total company paid holidays
• Paid Parental Leave/Short-Term Disability
• Additional Benefits: Wellness reimbursement up to $800 annually, Alta Gets Around benefit of up to $900 annually, 5-year travel award, and professional development opportunities

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