Urban Planner/ Senior Urban Planner

Joining Arup

At Arup, you belong to an extraordinary collective – in which we encourage individuality to thrive. Our strength comes from how we respect, share and connect our diverse experiences, perspectives and ideas.

You will have the opportunity to do socially useful work that has meaning – to Arup, to your career, to our members and to the clients and communities we serve.

We are looking for a Senior Urban Planner/Urban Manager to join our Bogotá, Colombia office to focus on urban management, policy and planning assignments. You will join a multidisciplinary team of urban planners and designers across the Americas region with a focus on identifying and delivering innovative planning opportunities for a range of client types. Our work seeks to uncover and strengthen the interrelationships between urban management and policy, land use, transportation, economic and natural systems while being grounded in sustainable and resilient urban and territorial planning. The scale of projects can vary from analytical work and research, site planning assignments to large scale city-wide or regional master plans. We also work independently, demonstrating the skills and talents of our Coordinated Planning team in partnership with guides in resiliency, civil and environmental engineering, and information technologists.

The ideal candidate will share our passion for creating community-oriented, climate compatible, livable places and achieving sustainable planning outcomes that help ‘shape a better world’. We seek an individual with growing technical experience and motivation to deliver innovative solutions. In addition, the candidate will have a strong background and understanding of both Colombian and international urban environmental policy and planning practices. This is an excellent opportunity for a qualified applicant to support and engage in challenging projects and tasks.

* This role is based in Bogotá, Colombia. Please submit your cover letter and resume in English. You may attach a portfolio in a compressed PDF file, though this is optional. We do not require copies of diplomas, work certifications, or other documents at this stage. *

The opportunity

• Coordinate and develop urban and regional planning consulting studies and processes at a variety of scales. Potential projects include urban and regional integrated spatial plans, urban/environmental/socioeconomic/mobility analysis and data analytics, urban and sustainability research, strategic urban planning, among others.
• Coordinate and support the preparation of proposals for the public and private sectors in Colombia related to urban management, policy, planning and design.
• Work in partnership with other teams managing and supporting analytical studies and large projects where policy, planning, transport, sustainability and resilience are needed components.
• Handle diverse tasks in small, medium, and large, complex, long-term projects – working with many different people/facilities/resources etc. within tight time and budget constraints.
• Conduct research and analysis both for project formulation and development.
• Support and lead project presentations, graphic materials and coordination and project management activities both within the urban team and the broader office.
• Contribute to building a dynamic, responsible and innovative urban team and support the development of junior staff.
• Execute responsibilities as outlined in the firm’s Quality Management System.

Preferred:

• Experience in urban management, geographic information systems, transportation, urban economics, real estate development, and/or resilience is a plus.

The skills

• Bachelor's degree in Urban Studies, Urban Management, Urbanism, Geography, Architecture or Civil Engineering required.
• Master's degree in Urban Management or Planning, Urban Economics, Public Policy, Public Administration, Transportation Planning, Geography, Geographic Information Systems, Urban Design or related field required.
• Minimum 4-10 years of experience in urban management, planning and public policy, urban economics, real estate development or planning, geographic information systems (GIS) with significant project management experience required.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation and communication skills with colleagues and clients of all levels in English and Spanish required.
• Knowledge of Colombia’s urban and regional management, development, public policy, planning and institutional sectors as well as international practices in these areas.
• Advanced command and solid experience with ArcGis or QGis as well as familiarity with socioeconomic, quantitative and geospatial analysis.
• Strong research, analytical and project management capabilities, outstanding sense of teamwork and responsibility, achievement and autonomy.

Please note that all applicants must apply directly via the job portal.

The Benefits

At Arup, we care about each member’s success, so we can grow together.

Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognizes the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.

We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup’s legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling members to share in the results of our collective efforts.

Benefits that Work - At Arup, we have a comprehensive and valuable benefits program that works for our employees and their families while keeping costs low. These benefits provide health and welfare security for you as well as paid time off for rest and renewal. Our Global Profit Share Plan (paid bi-annually) provides an opportunity for you to share in the success of the Firm.

Flexible Working - We believe that flexible arrangements create a more inclusive way of working that supports our diversity and the wellbeing of our people. Options for alternative schedules and the ability to work outside of the office for a portion of your workweek are available.

Life at Arup – Different People, Shared Values

Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence.

Guided by our values and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we create and contribute to equitable spaces and systems, while cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture: from race, ethnicity and cross-cultural working to gender equity and LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion – we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference. Discover more about life at Arup at

Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture – from race, ethnicity and cross-cultural working to gender, LGBTQ+ and disability – we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference - Discover more about life at Arup at

Our application process

We will be reviewing our candidates for this position on a rolling basis. Once you have applied you will be evaluated and potentially moved on to the next round, at which point a member of the talent resourcing team will reach out to you directly.

Arup is an equal opportunity employer . All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, spouse of protected veteran, or disability.

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