We’re Hiring: Planner

We are seeking to hire an experienced Planner to join our team at our office in the heart of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. We are seeking someone who is committed to the collaborative planning process and enthusiastic about developing effective strategies that respond to a community’s unique needs and desires as well as a client’s requirements.

ABOUT RHI

Rhodeside Harwell (RHI), a firm of planners, urban designers, and landscape architects, is seeking to hire an experienced Project Planner. Our office of 25 people is located in the heart of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. We also have a small studio in Manhattan to serve our projects in the New York area.

RHI is an award-winning multidisciplinary planning and design firm seeking an urban planner to join our team. We believe in fostering a creative, collaborative workplace and encouraging career development and growth. For 40 years, RHI has been committed to fostering great places that are livable, equitable, and functional.

Our planning projects include comprehensive plans, small area plans, corridor revitalization studies, multimodal transportation planning, sustainability and resilience planning, and more. Our work focuses on creating forums and processes that allow for open and equitable opportunities for public input, for the exchange of ideas and strategies, and for the creation of plans that can substantially result in communities that are fair and just for all. In these processes, we collaborate with clients, teams, and communities to find solutions that are cross-disciplinary, creative, and pragmatic. Our planning team works locally and nationally with both public and private sector clients.

LOCATION

We are seeking a planner for our Alexandria VA office (510 King Street), located within the Washington DC metro area. Our staff is currently working in a hybrid manner (3 days in office), which may be subject to changes.

THE POSITION: PLanner

What you will do once you are here:

• Lead and contribute to a variety of planning projects.
• Conduct research and develop written planning materials, including narratives and graphics (maps, graphs/charts, diagrams, infographics, etc.).
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary consultant teams, both small and large.
• Prepare for, participate in, help coordinate, and prepare materials for community engagement activities.
• Create visually engaging and graphics-intensive presentations and other materials for public and client meetings.
• Interact with clients and manage projects.
• Participate in proactive marketing initiatives and work with our Business Development Manager to create proposals based on RFPs/RFQs.
• Be flexible to work in a hybrid remote/in-office setting while maintaining a collaborative office environment.
• Be a part of a dynamic office that is committed to investing in continued education, mentorship, and your professional development.

What we are looking for:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Urban Planning or comparable field from an accredited university.
• Located in the Washington, DC, Metro area, or willing to relocate to the area.
• Minimum of 2 years prior work experience in urban planning or related disciplines, in the public or private sector.
• Strong analytical and oral presentation skills.
• Able to communicate ideas and concepts effectively in written and graphic formats.
• Practical experience and proficiency with ArcGIS Pro, the Adobe Creative Suite (particularly InDesign and Illustrator), and Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Proactive team player who takes initiative and is interested in working in a multidisciplinary environment comprising planning, urban design, and landscape architecture; and who understands, and is able to collaborate with, other related disciplines and specializations as part of multidisciplinary teams.

Additional Preferred Qualifications:

• Project management experience.
• 3-5 years of experience in urban planning or related disciplines, in the public or private sector.
• Experience planning for and implementing public and stakeholder engagement processes. Graphic design skills — including the ability to prepare infographics and other educational materials, branding materials, public meeting notifications, and related experience — will be a plus.

Note: The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools is not discouraged; however, many of our projects carry contractual obligations requiring full transparency with clients and planning and design partners. We welcome thoughtful exploration and application of AI (as a supporting tool for planning and design processes) where it enhances our work, provided it is accompanied by appropriate oversight, clear disclosure, and rigorous quality control.

THE SELECTION PROCESS

• We will be accepting applications on a rolling basis but will start reviewing the applications by April 1, 2026.
• We will shortlist candidates based on our review of all applications received.
• Notifications will be sent out to shortlisted candidates to set up interviews.
• We will conduct up to two (2) virtual and/or in-person interviews of the shortlisted candidates.

We encourage people of color, women, those with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ individuals to apply. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, and all applications will be considered irrespective of race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, age, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

BENEFITS AND SALARY

We offer competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package, which includes health insurance, paid time off and holidays, paid parental leave, a company profit sharing plan with an employer contribution, a 401k plan, and programs that support mentorship and ongoing professional development.

CONTACT

• Interested candidates should email a cover letter (addressed to Jennifer Koch), resume, and work samples to Jennifer Koch at JenniferK@rhiplaces.com.
• For your work samples, please include at least one writing example and one graphic example (e.g., a map, community outreach materials, infographics, etc.) File size for anything sent via email should be less than 10MB total.
• If you need disability accommodations during the application process, please let us know. We look forward to receiving your application.