Principal Planner, Urban Analytics

The City of Edmonton is looking for a collaborative, forward-thinking, and data-driven professional to join our Urban Systems Assessments team. Edmonton is a rapidly growing city, and understanding how our communities move, live, and grow is vital to shaping our future. If you are passionate about transforming complex spatial data into stories that guide impactful municipal policy, this role is for you. We invite you to bring your unique perspective and technical expertise to help us build a vibrant, inclusive, and well-connected city.

As the Principal Planner, Urban Analytics, you will serve as the analytical and administrative leader responsible for translating complex spatial, demographic, and travel behavior data into actionable policy support and city planning reporting. In this role, you will champion the ongoing administration and operation of our continuous Edmonton Region Household Travel Survey (HTS) program, ensuring rigorous data integrity, vendor performance, and contract compliance. Beyond survey administration, you will leverage Census datasets, growth monitoring information, and relational databases to evaluate strategic urban policies. You will closely monitor key City Plan indicators, including 15-minute city metrics, transit equity, and housing and transportation cost indices. Working within a multidisciplinary team of engineers, economists, and urban planners, you will design interactive dashboards and GIS Story Maps that distill complex trends into highly scannable insights for senior leadership and community partners. 

What will you do?

• Oversee and coordinate all operational aspects of the ongoing, continuous Household Travel Survey (HTS) program to ensure milestones are met on schedule. 
• Coordinate daily fieldwork operations with consultants, manage the project budget, process invoices, oversee participant incentives, and standardize rigorous data quality control processes.
• Develop and maintain sophisticated spatial and demographic models to evaluate the long-term impacts of land use, zoning, and transit investments on regional development, housing affordability, and market demand.
• Conceptualize, build, and maintain interactive program dashboards and web-based GIS Story Maps to visualize shifting travel behaviors and mobility patterns.
• Build and foster strong connections with internal business units, regional municipalities, academic institutions, and data innovation teams to align corporate data governance and maximize community engagement.
• Build collaborative relationships with the teams responsible for essential data (e.g., tax assessment, real estate market, building footprint, and building permit data) to support the modeling platform update.
• Support the team in evaluating the effectiveness of strategies and policies to influence growth pattern and mobility infrastructure usage
• Carry out additional tasks and responsibilities as required

Qualifications

• A Bachelor's degree in Urban Planning, Urban Geography, Urban Informatics, City & Regional Planning, Economics/Econometrics, or a related discipline focusing on land use planning, modeling, or economic geography
• A minimum of four years of professional experience, including direct experience managing large, complex programs in the public or private sector

Assets

• Post-graduate degree (Master's) in City & Regional Planning, Urban Planning, or Urban Economics
• Membership or eligibility for membership in the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) and its regional affiliate
• Advanced training in computer modeling, statistics, and proficiency in Tableau or similar data visualization software

Skills required for success

• Demonstrated experience handling and analyzing large-scale transportation data, household travel surveys, or mobility datasets
• Proven experience managing data privacy, security frameworks, and consultant/vendor workflows
• Advanced proficiency in GIS software (ArcGIS, QGIS), database systems (SQL, PostgreSQL), and scripting languages (Python, R) alongside familiarity with Machine Learning/AI model development
• Solid comprehension of project management methods and techniques (PMBOK best practices) to keep complex timelines on schedule
• Outstanding oral, written, and data storytelling abilities to distill complex, technical information into clear insights for non-technical audiences and leadership
• Ability to manage multiple shifting priorities in a dynamic environment while proactively solving data limitations or technical anomalies
• Alignment to our Cultural Commitments and Leadership Competencies (https://bit.ly/4brRrXm) 
• Embracing a culture of equity, diversity, reconciliation, and inclusion
• Alignment with the goals of the City Plan

Conditions of Employment

• Standard corporate compliance policies, including IT security guidelines, the Integrated Corporate Data Framework, and FOIP/privacy regulations apply
• Candidates are required to hold a valid Alberta Class 5 driver’s license (or provincial equivalent) or higher. Candidates will be required to arrange their own transportation and, where appropriate, will be reimbursed in accordance with City of Edmonton policy. This may require the candidate to obtain business-use auto insurance
• Applicants may be tested

Work Environment

• This position primarily operates in a minimal/sedentary office setting involving sitting, standing, and routine computer work. You will balance a mix of independent analytics and highly collaborative team dynamics. 
• This position may be eligible for a hybrid work arrangement with the flexibility to work from both home and the worksite as per the Letter of Understanding between the City of Edmonton and Civic Service Union 52.
• The weekly hours of work for this position are currently under review and may change at a future time. Any changes will be made in accordance with the City of Edmonton/Civic Service Union 52 collective agreement, and the incumbent will be notified in advance.

The City of Edmonton values applicants with a diverse range of skills, experiences and competencies, and encourages you to apply. We strive to provide reasonable access and accommodations throughout the recruitment process. To request an accommodation, please contact employment@edmonton.ca. Learn more about our benefits https://bit.ly/COEbenefits

Up to 1 permanent full-time position

Hours of Work:  33.75 hours per week

Salary Range: $54.155 - $69.110 (Hourly); $95,407.57 - $121,754.54 (Annually)

Recruitment Consultant: JF/SO

Edmonton rests in the heart of Treaty Six territory in Alberta and the homelands of the Metis Nation.

Classification Title: Planner II
Posting Date: Jul 22, 2026
Closing Date: Aug 12, 2026 11:59:00 PM (MDT)
Number of Openings (up to): 1 - Permanent Full-time
Union: CSU 52
Department: Urban Planning and Economy
Work Location(s): 7th Floor Edmonton Tower, 10111 104 Avenue Edmonton T5J 0J4