About the Role

Trailnet's Planning Manager leads community-centered planning projects that help create safer, more accessible streets for walking, biking, and public transportation.

Trailnet leverages public and private grants and contracts to provide planning and technical assistance to communities throughout the St. Louis region. Our planning processes begin with authentic community engagement and combine residents' lived experience with technical planning knowledge to develop actionable recommendations for safer human-centered streets.

The Planning Manager leads this work from concept through completion — building relationships with community and agency partners, managing complex projects, translating between technical and nontechnical audiences, and developing new projects that advance Trailnet's mission and strategic priorities.

The ideal candidate is a mission-driven planning professional who builds authentic relationships across diverse communities, communicates complex technical concepts in accessible ways, and manages a demanding portfolio of projects with strategic foresight and consistent follow-through.

Core Responsibilities

Community Engagement and Relationship Building (30%)

• Build and maintain productive relationships with residents, community organizations, public agencies, consultants, and other partners.

• Plan and lead community engagement processes that identify community priorities, challenges, and opportunities related to walking, biking, public transportation, and street safety.

• Facilitate productive meetings and planning processes among stakeholders with different interests, experiences, and areas of expertise.

• Ensure community knowledge and lived experience meaningfully inform planning recommendations and project decisions.

• Maintain relationships with partners throughout planning and implementation, helping communities move priorities from plans toward action.

Planning and Technical Communication (30%)

• Develop multimodal, Complete Streets, traffic calming, and active transportation plans and recommendations that support broader planning and advocacy efforts.

• Translate technical planning concepts and information into accessible language for residents, community partners, organizational leadership, and other nontechnical audiences.

• Translate community knowledge and priorities into actionable recommendations for engineers, planners, public agencies, and other technical partners.

• Lead and coordinate field investigations, existing-conditions analysis, data collection, and problem identification with staff and project partners.

• Apply planning best practices and design guidance while recognizing the role of Trailnet as an advocacy organization working to advance safer, more equitable transportation.

• Advise Trailnet leadership and partners on significant multimodal projects and opportunities.

Project Management (25%)

• Independently manage a portfolio of planning and technical-assistance projects with multiple partners, deliverables, budgets, and deadlines.

• Develop project work plans, establish priorities, work backward from deadlines, and coordinate staff and partner responsibilities to ensure high-quality work is completed on time.

• Anticipate challenges, identify next steps, and adapt project strategies and resources as conditions change.

• Manage project budgets, reports, contracts, consultants, data collection, and other project requirements.

• Coordinate the work of staff, consultants, interns, students, and project partners as appropriate.

• Exercise sound independent judgment while knowing when decisions or challenges should be elevated to organizational leadership.

Strategic Project Development (15%)

• Identify opportunities for Trailnet's planning and technical-assistance work to advance organizational priorities and community needs.

• Develop scopes of work, project approaches, budgets, and partnerships for new planning projects.

• Cultivate relationships with communities, public agencies, funders, consultants, and other organizations that can lead to collaborative projects.

• Think strategically across projects to connect planning, advocacy, public health, community development, and implementation opportunities.

Qualifications and Required Skills

• Master’s degree or Bachelor’s degree plus commensurate experience in urban planning, urban design, or a related field.

• Demonstrated professional experience leading or managing complex planning and development projects with Complete Streets components.

• AICP preferred

• Transportation planning expertise: Working knowledge of Complete Streets planning principals, elements (e.g., traffic calming), and design strategies, and the ability to connect Complete Streets efforts to larger planning, public health and policy issues. 

• Strategic thinking: Able to see the big picture while managing day-to-day work; anticipates challenges and opportunities, identifies next steps, and adapts plans and resources to keep projects moving toward their goals.

• Project management: Demonstrated ability to independently manage complex, multi-year projects with multiple partners, deliverables, and competing demands; plans ahead, coordinates people and resources, maintains momentum, and consistently follows through to meet deadlines and project goals.

• Community engagement and stakeholder relations: Demonstrated ability to build trust and productive relationships with diverse groups of residents, community organizations, public agencies, consultants, and other stakeholders. Specific familiarity with the St. Louis civic community is a plus.

• Communication skills: Can explain (or translate) technical planning concepts to nontechnical audiences and translate community knowledge and priorities into actionable recommendations for engineers/planners and policymakers.

• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a computer and printer

• Able to set up a traffic calming demonstration, which requires placing materials like cones, tape, and paint onto the street

• The ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand Must be able to exchange accurate information in group settings

• Sometimes exposed to outdoor weather conditions

Reporting Relationships

The Planning Manager reports to the CEO, works closely with the Leadership Team and Program Manager, and manages the Community Planner.

Work Conditions

The Trailnet office is located in Downtown St. Louis. The position is based in an office environment with work-from-home options and flexibility. For virtual work, a dependable high-speed internet is required for video calls.

The Planning Manager will be expected to work 3-5 weekend outdoor bike ride events.

Compensation and Benefits

This full-time, exempt position will earn an annual salary between $55,000 and $70,000, commensurate with experience.

Trailnet offers full-time employees medical and dental health care coverage, long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid time off, holidays, and a SIMPLE IRA with a 3% match. 

Commitment to Equity and Equal Opportunity

Trailnet is committed to supporting diversity and equal opportunity in its services, administration, and employment, as well as research and activities. We strive to foster a working environment that values contributions from team members regardless of race, color, creed, gender, religion, culture, sexual orientation, sexual identity, mental disabilities, physical disabilities, or veteran status. We work with a wide range of external partners and stakeholders, and we seek candidates committed to their own cultural competency. 

To apply, email hr@trailnet.org with a resume and statement of interest or cover letter.