Principal & Equity Practice Co-Lead

Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates is seeking an accomplished, dynamic, collaborative, and creative Principal to co-lead our nationally recognized Equity Practice.

This is a unique opportunity for the right person to become involved in supporting and growing our work developing equitable transportation systems for communities around the country and advance our equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives throughout the firm. We are seeking a recognized race and social equity champion and experienced planning professional who brings a strong focus on and demonstrated experience centering equity, diversity, and inclusion into multimodal transportation planning.

The successful candidate will provide our clients with integrated, forward-thinking, and actionable solutions that align with Nelson\Nygaard’s values and emphasize innovation and thoughtful community engagement. They will have the ability and interest to grow a firmwide practice; a deep commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion; a passion for building strong teams with our clients, including community partners and DBEs; and a desire to mentor Nelson\Nygaard staff

About Us

For over 35 years, Nelson\Nygaard has led the transportation planning field with our values and innovation. We’ve always been guided by the principle of putting people first—designing transportation systems for people, not just cars. This principle also extends to how we operate as a firm.

We were founded by two women who believed in the benefits of a more egalitarian workplace, where leadership and creativity can blossom at all levels and where diversity is a core strength. Today, we are 160 talented and dedicated people in 13 offices across the country who continue to live by those values. What unites us at Nelson\Nygaard is the belief that transportation can change the world and our steadfast commitment to make the world more just, more sustainable, more connected, and more beautiful.

About You

You’re passionate about how transportation can make our communities and the world a better, more equitable, more sustainable place. You’re resourceful, curious, communicative, collaborative, and enthusiastic. You have a strong grasp of the transportation planning marketplace nationally and experience building practices to meet emerging needs. Most importantly, you love to teach and mentor, and you bring energy and a commitment to your teams and clients to do great work, together.

Responsibilities

In this position, the successful candidate is expected to collaboratively co-lead our national Equity Practice. This includes co-managing business development, strategic growth, and client relationships. The candidate will develop and implement plans, processes, and resources to facilitate how the practice engages and contributes internally and its positioning in an evolving market externally.

In addition to practice management, the candidate will act as a strategic advisor and/or project manager for pursuits and projects, leading successful proposals from prepositioning through submission, and winning managing and advising on projects of varying scales. Project work will include responsibility for client communication; overall task and project management; scoping and managing policy, analytical, and engagement tasks; public presentations; and other project leadership and delivery roles, as necessary.

Providing guidance and mentorship to staff and supporting organizational culture change are additional expectations of the role. You will work closely with Nelson\Nygaard’s staff in our offices throughout the country and will be expected to build integrated teams that provide opportunities for learning and growth. You will also play a role in increasing inclusive firm leadership and staff engagement, seeking opportunities to eliminate disparities through our project work and advancing internal and external education and training programs.

Qualifications And Requirements

The ideal candidate will have experience developing and leading a team, an acute understanding of client demand for different equity services, and a broad range of expertise in equitable transportation, mobility, and urban planning, with a focus on policy and program development. A candidate should be able to demonstrate significant expertise and applied experience in areas such as the following:

• Transportation consulting and business development
• Equity analysis and framework development
• Transport policy, funding, and governance
• Performance measurement frameworks
• Transit-oriented development planning
• Citywide and/or campus transportation planning and analysis
• Multimodal/intermodal facility and mobility hubs planning
• Complete streets planning and/or design
• Mobility data, data specifications, and policy issues
• Urban design and landscape architecture
  
  
  

Successful applicants will be expected to:

• Support the application of equity, diversity, and inclusion principles to all activities and decisions
• Creatively solve transportation and mobility problems and work with communities to develop solutions
• Be a self-starter and work in partnership with the Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and other practice, sector, and firm leaders to grow the Equity Practice and ensure its long-term success
• Participate in firmwide strategic planning and annual business planning activities to ensure that we continue to build on our mission and core values
• Spearhead business development activities, client relationship building, and strategic planning for the Equity Practice
• Possess and build strong relationships with public, private, and non-profit transportation leaders, research institutions, and community-based organizations
• Develop and train staff in equity tools and analytics for our work, by cataloging, sharing, and building upon the tools we have already created, and by partnering with like-minded institutions and teaming partners
• Work respectfully and collaboratively with clients, members of the public, and project teams, mentoring and training junior staff
• Assist in recruiting and retention strategies to ensure our employees represent the full array of communities in which we work with a focus on understanding how different populations interact with mobility
• Demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare and deliver effective presentations, high-quality proposals, and reports
• Manage the completion of technical analyses, feasibility studies, and other deliverables
• Lead by example, demonstrating the highest level of professionalism
  
  
  

At a minimum, the candidate should meet the following qualifications:

• At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in transportation planning or engineering, mobility, urban planning, and/or a related field.
• A bachelor’s or more advanced degree in urban or transportation planning/engineering or a related planning or engineering field. A master’s degree is preferred.
• Commitment to and experience with incorporating principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion in your work.
• Strong connections or potential connections to clients, partners, and community stakeholders across the country.
• Successful and sustained experience in business development.
• Demonstrated experience building, sustaining, and growing work units/teams, programs, and/or initiatives.
• Passion for advancing equity through community-based efforts, including engagement with BIPOC communities, and demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse communities.
• Ability to think strategically while advancing near-term priorities and actions.
• Excellent written, verbal, and other communication skills, including facilitating client, stakeholder, and public workshops.
• Ability to manage complex projects on time and on budget.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
  
  
  

Salary And Benefits

The annual salary range equivalent for this position is $127,500 to $210,000, depending on qualifications and years of experience.

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance, pre-tax transit and bicycling benefit, a 401k program, life insurance, and paid time off. Additionally, we offer opportunities for in-person collaboration and flexibility for work from home up to three (3) days per week.

Applying for the Position

To apply, please click on the “Apply Online” link. Qualified and interested candidates must submit the following items:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• Work samples that highlight your skills (less than 6 MB)
  
  
  

At Nelson\Nygaard we believe that inclusion spurs creativity, and that innovation is born from an engaged culture of diverse people and ideas. By moving beyond barriers and stereotypes of gender, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, medical condition, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and veteran status, we are committed to building an organization that reflects the diversity of the communities and clients we serve. We’re committed to maximizing the diversity of our team and want to hear from anyone who is passionate about our work.