Transportation Planner

Transportation Planner

Chelan-Douglas Transportation Council (CDTC) is seeking a collaborative, analytical, and motivated transportation planning professional to join our small regional planning team. This position will shape how people move throughout the Wenatchee Valley and the small cities and rural areas of Chelan and Douglas counties. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work on projects that directly influence regional transportation priorities and funding decisions.

This is an excellent opportunity to work in a small metropolitan region with unique mix of urban, small town, resort community and rural transportation planning challenges. CDTC is the federally-designated metropolitan planning organization for the greater Wenatchee urban area and metropolitan statistical area that includes Chelan and Douglas counties in central Washington State. Wenatchee and surrounding small cities and towns offer an exceptional quality of life. Located on the Columbia River and the eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountains in the geographic center of Washington State, the region enjoys a sunny, four-season climate with access to a wide variety of summer and winter outdoor recreation in the nearby mountains, rivers and lakes. Seattle and Spokane are within a scenic three-hour drive and are also accessible by commercial flights and passenger rail.

This is a great opportunity to work as part of a small team in a supportive, flexible, and creative work environment. The position requires extensive collaboration with external planning and engineering professionals among our member cities and counties, the Washington State Department of Transportation, Link Transit, and others.

Primary Responsibilities
Under the guidance and supervision of the Executive Director, the Transportation Planner performs professional and technical work including, but not limited to:

• Support and/or lead transportation studies and periodic updates to the Regional Transportation Plan, including oversight and guidance of work performed by consultants.
• Support and/or lead in the development and maintenance of the annual Transportation Improvement Program and accompanying project funding oversight, coordination and support to member agencies.
• Collect, analyze, and develop reports documenting population, employment and other demographic data and transportation system performance and crash data, and to support periodic updates to the regional travel demand model.
• Maintain a revenue capacity forecast by collecting and analyzing transportation revenue and expenditure data.
• Conduct spatial analysis and visual interpretation of transportation and land use data.
• Work with spreadsheets, databases, and other data tools to organize, validate, analyze and combine information from multiple sources.
• Create maps, infographics, and other visual displays to support transportation planning studies and communicate information about projects and initiatives and obtain public comment and feedback on transportation planning studies.
• Manage CDTC’s traffic count program including data management and analysis and conduct fieldwork to collect traffic counts and other data.
• Provide technical support and assistance to member agencies for local planning efforts and grant funding applications.

Desired Qualifications & Skills
The right candidate will demonstrate enthusiasm for CDTC’s mission, a team-oriented work ethic, an ability to self-start and accomplish work with limited supervision, an aptitude to learn new skills, and an ability to adapt to changing circumstances or direction. In addition to these important qualities, we seek candidates with the following qualifications and skills:

• A degree from an accredited college or university in Urban Planning, Transportation Planning, or a related discipline.
• Ability to synthesize complex data into concise, well-organized narratives and graphical displays that provide meaningful information and insights.
• Communicate complex technical information clearly to elected officials, agency partners, community members, and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to communicate data with high quality visualization methods including maps, graphics, tables, and infographics.
• Demonstrate strong personal initiative and manage multiple tasks simultaneously while meeting deadlines.
• Collaborate and work effectively with internal and external partners.
• Knowledge of travel demand modeling, and the required data inputs.
• Proficiency in use of spreadsheets and databases, Microsoft Office Suite and experience with data visualization and communication tools such as Adobe Creative Suite or similar platforms.
• Proficiency in Geographic Information Systems (preferably ESRI platforms).
• Organizational methods to document analyses, tools and methods applied to projects to ensure reproducibility.
• Exercise critical thinking about analysis methodology, and creativity to advance the state of practice for transportation analysis methods and tools for the agency.

Compensation, Benefits & Work Environment
CDTC provides strong compensation and benefits to ensure the financial well-being of its employees. The annual salary range for the Transportation Planner series is $77,100 to $122,358. Initial placement depends on experience and qualifications.

• Assistant Transportation Planner: $77,100 – $92,520
• Associate Transportation Planner: $88,665 – $106,398
• Senior Transportation Planner: $101,965 – $122,358

The scope of responsibility will vary by placement level. Assistant-level work will emphasize technical support, analysis, documentation, and project coordination. Associate-level work will include independent project assignments and coordination with partner agencies. Senior-level work will include leading major planning efforts, consultant management, policy development and advanced technical analysis.

CDTC provides an excellent benefits package including:

• Comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance with 100% monthly insurance premium covered for employees and cost sharing for spouse/dependents.
• Enrollment in Washington State retirement pension system, participation in Social Security, and a deferred compensation program for pre-tax retirement investment contributions by employee.
• Generous and flexible leave with 11 scheduled holidays, 1 floating holiday and 26 days annual Paid Time Off accrued at 17.34 hours per month to start, with increases based on tenure.

CDTC supports a flexible work environment. This position is based in Wenatchee, Washington, and requires in-person attendance for office collaboration, public meetings, fieldwork and partner meetings. Partial hybrid/remote work may be available depending on work assignments, business needs, and employee performance.

CDTC also supports professional development through training opportunities, participation in and payment of membership costs for professional associations, and opportunities to build technical, project management and public agency leadership skills.

To Apply
CDTC is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from qualified candidates of all backgrounds, cultures and orientations. To be considered, submit the following items by email to chad@chelan-douglas.org:

• A letter of interest clearly explaining why you want to join CDTC in this role.
• A resume providing your contact information and detailing your education, training, relevant work experience, and skills.

First review of applications will take place on July 13, 2026. This position will remain open until filled. Early applications are encouraged. Professional references will be requested from finalist candidates after the first interview.

Persons with disabilities needing assistance in the application process, or those needing this job announcement in an alternative format may contact chad@chelan-douglas.org.