OPT Urban Planner Jobs
Urban Planner roles qualify as specialty occupations under OPT, typically requiring a degree in urban planning, public policy, or a related field. Most positions sit inside local government agencies or consulting firms that understand work authorization. Your 12-month OPT window is enough to complete a meaningful project cycle and demonstrate value before transitioning to H-1B visa sponsorship.
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Get Access To All JobsAre you interested in joining a cross-disciplinary design firm that is one of the most respected throughout the United States and around the world? With over 850 awards, and projects of significance and impact, Sasaki is a dynamic environment for personal growth, contribution and learning.
Sasaki is looking for a mid-level Urban Designers with 3-6 years of relevant experience to participate in a wide range of urban design and master planning projects across the US and internationally. Sasaki is a planning and design firm of about 300 professionals working throughout the United States and internationally from our offices in Boston, Massachusetts; Denver, Colorado; Brooklyn, New York; Los Angeles, California, and Shanghai, China. This role will be based in our Los Angeles office.
Role Description
The successful candidate will become an integral member of Sasaki's Planning and Urban Design practice, working collaboratively on multidisciplinary teams consisting of planners, landscape architects, architects, and other urban designers.
The mid-level urban designer will work across geographies to create innovative 21st century places and environments on a variety of project types, including college and university campuses, urban/mixed use districts, new communities, research and innovation districts, corporate employment campuses, design competitions, corridor studies, and regional strategies. Common project locations include the United States, Latin America, China, Vietnam, India, and other Asian-Pacific countries. Applicants should have strong graphic, design, and communication skills and an eagerness to learn.
As an Urban Designer at Sasaki you will:
- Engage in all aspects of the design process including analysis, conceptual ideas, design development, client presentations, and documentation.
- Be responsible for creating 2d and 3d analytical and conceptual drawings, graphics, presentation materials, research, and digital models.
- Initiate urban design concepts and visual graphics with guidance from senior and principal urban designers.
- Work with and mentor staff-level urban designers in the development of urban design concepts and graphics.
- Present design ideas during internal team and client meetings.
- Work with a variety of teams and contribute to a range of project types and geographies.
- We are committed to personal growth and individual well-being, and offer a variety of resources to support career development, including in-house training, mentoring, professional association memberships, and licensing examination reimbursement.
Required Skills:
- Urban designers at Sasaki will be integrated into active project teams starting on Day 1. The list below describes the optimal qualifications of the mid-level urban designer to meet typical project needs. We encourage people to apply for the position if they meet most of these attributes:
- Master’s degree in Urban Design with a background in Architecture or Landscape.
- 3+ years of professional experience working as an urban designer in a design firm; other experience as an urban designer in a public agency or other organization would also be considered.
- Ability to work enthusiastically and collaboratively in teams.
- Excellent design talent, graphic communication, and visual storytelling.
- Strong technical understanding of urban design including place making, urban form, and building typologies.
- A passion for sustainable and resilient design.
- Experience working as a part of an interdisciplinary design team in an office setting.
- Be willing to contribute ideas in a team setting.
- Demonstrated ability to work on multiple projects and tasks simultaneously.
- Curiosity and enthusiasm for working across a variety of client and project types.
- Experience with 2D and 3D software including AutoCad, Rhino, and/or Sketchup.
- Expertise with Adobe Suite workflow (AI, PSD, INDD).
Additional Valued Skills and Characteristics
- Urban Designers at Sasaki share a common set of core competencies, but also have a range of complementary strengths and interests. The list below describes some additional skills and characteristics desirable in candidates:
- Proficiency with languages spoken in frequent project locations (for example, Spanish, Chinese, or Vietnamese).
- Organizational and management skills, with attention to detail.
- Familiarity with spatial analysis workflow and software (ArcGIS).
- Experience with programming, Python, Grasshopper, or similar programs.
- Experience with community engagement processes and public speaking.
- Quantitative and qualitative analysis skills to support data-informed planning processes.
- Unique design perspective informed by lived experience that is under-represented in urban design.
- Relevant experience in ecology, real estate development, campus planning, or mobility planning.
- A unique superpower that we haven’t thought to ask about, but that will make an impact on our projects and practice.
Are you interested in joining a cross-disciplinary design firm that is one of the most respected throughout the United States and around the world? With over 850 awards, and projects of significance and impact, Sasaki is a dynamic environment for personal growth, contribution and learning.
Sasaki is looking for a mid-level Urban Designers with 3-6 years of relevant experience to participate in a wide range of urban design and master planning projects across the US and internationally. Sasaki is a planning and design firm of about 300 professionals working throughout the United States and internationally from our offices in Boston, Massachusetts; Denver, Colorado; Brooklyn, New York; Los Angeles, California, and Shanghai, China. This role will be based in our Los Angeles office.
Role Description
The successful candidate will become an integral member of Sasaki's Planning and Urban Design practice, working collaboratively on multidisciplinary teams consisting of planners, landscape architects, architects, and other urban designers.
The mid-level urban designer will work across geographies to create innovative 21st century places and environments on a variety of project types, including college and university campuses, urban/mixed use districts, new communities, research and innovation districts, corporate employment campuses, design competitions, corridor studies, and regional strategies. Common project locations include the United States, Latin America, China, Vietnam, India, and other Asian-Pacific countries. Applicants should have strong graphic, design, and communication skills and an eagerness to learn.
As an Urban Designer at Sasaki you will:
- Engage in all aspects of the design process including analysis, conceptual ideas, design development, client presentations, and documentation.
- Be responsible for creating 2d and 3d analytical and conceptual drawings, graphics, presentation materials, research, and digital models.
- Initiate urban design concepts and visual graphics with guidance from senior and principal urban designers.
- Work with and mentor staff-level urban designers in the development of urban design concepts and graphics.
- Present design ideas during internal team and client meetings.
- Work with a variety of teams and contribute to a range of project types and geographies.
- We are committed to personal growth and individual well-being, and offer a variety of resources to support career development, including in-house training, mentoring, professional association memberships, and licensing examination reimbursement.
Required Skills:
- Urban designers at Sasaki will be integrated into active project teams starting on Day 1. The list below describes the optimal qualifications of the mid-level urban designer to meet typical project needs. We encourage people to apply for the position if they meet most of these attributes:
- Master’s degree in Urban Design with a background in Architecture or Landscape.
- 3+ years of professional experience working as an urban designer in a design firm; other experience as an urban designer in a public agency or other organization would also be considered.
- Ability to work enthusiastically and collaboratively in teams.
- Excellent design talent, graphic communication, and visual storytelling.
- Strong technical understanding of urban design including place making, urban form, and building typologies.
- A passion for sustainable and resilient design.
- Experience working as a part of an interdisciplinary design team in an office setting.
- Be willing to contribute ideas in a team setting.
- Demonstrated ability to work on multiple projects and tasks simultaneously.
- Curiosity and enthusiasm for working across a variety of client and project types.
- Experience with 2D and 3D software including AutoCad, Rhino, and/or Sketchup.
- Expertise with Adobe Suite workflow (AI, PSD, INDD).
Additional Valued Skills and Characteristics
- Urban Designers at Sasaki share a common set of core competencies, but also have a range of complementary strengths and interests. The list below describes some additional skills and characteristics desirable in candidates:
- Proficiency with languages spoken in frequent project locations (for example, Spanish, Chinese, or Vietnamese).
- Organizational and management skills, with attention to detail.
- Familiarity with spatial analysis workflow and software (ArcGIS).
- Experience with programming, Python, Grasshopper, or similar programs.
- Experience with community engagement processes and public speaking.
- Quantitative and qualitative analysis skills to support data-informed planning processes.
- Unique design perspective informed by lived experience that is under-represented in urban design.
- Relevant experience in ecology, real estate development, campus planning, or mobility planning.
- A unique superpower that we haven’t thought to ask about, but that will make an impact on our projects and practice.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as an Urban Planner
Target government and quasi-public employers first
Municipal planning departments, regional transit authorities, and metropolitan planning organizations file H-1B visa petitions regularly. These employers have established HR processes for work authorization and are less likely to withdraw offers due to sponsorship uncertainty than smaller private firms.
Highlight GIS and data analysis skills prominently
Urban planners who can run spatial analysis in ArcGIS or QGIS, build traffic models, or analyze census datasets are harder to replace. Technical depth strengthens your case for sponsorship because it signals specialized expertise that justifies the cost and administrative effort for employers.
Frame your OPT timeline around project milestones
Hiring managers in planning agencies think in project cycles. If your OPT authorization runs 12 months, connect that window to deliverables: a general plan amendment, an EIR comment period, or a rezoning study. This reframes authorization timing as a project asset, not a liability.
Pursue AICP candidacy status early
The American Institute of Certified Planners candidate designation signals professional commitment and is achievable without full licensure. Listing it on your resume reassures employers that you are building toward long-term practice in the U.S. and take the profession seriously beyond your current visa status.
Use STEM OPT extension if your degree qualifies
Urban planning degrees granted under CIP codes in computer science, geographic information science, or related STEM-designated fields may qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. Confirm your degree classification with your DSO before assuming eligibility, as this significantly extends your authorized work window.
Bring a portfolio of community engagement work
Planning employers value documented public process experience, not just technical output. A portfolio showing public meeting facilitation, stakeholder outreach campaigns, or equity-focused planning initiatives differentiates you from candidates with similar GIS skills and makes sponsorship conversations easier to initiate with hiring managers.
Urban Planner OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do Urban Planner roles qualify as specialty occupations for H-1B sponsorship?
Yes. Urban planning consistently qualifies as a specialty occupation because the role typically requires at minimum a bachelor's degree in urban or regional planning, public policy, or a closely related field. USCIS has a history of approving H-1B petitions for planners, particularly when the position involves zoning analysis, environmental review, or transportation modeling that demands field-specific academic training.
How can I find Urban Planner employers who sponsor OPT and H-1B visas?
Migrate Mate filters Urban Planner job listings to show employers with a documented history of sponsoring work visas, which saves you from applying to roles where sponsorship is unavailable. Government agencies, regional planning commissions, and large consulting firms such as AECOM, WSP, and Kimley-Horn appear regularly in these listings because they have the HR infrastructure to support visa petitions.
Does my urban planning degree qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your specific degree classification, not just the program name. Some universities award urban planning degrees under STEM-designated CIP codes, particularly when the program emphasizes geographic information systems, data analysis, or transportation engineering. Check your degree's CIP code with your Designated School Official before making any work authorization decisions, as eligibility varies significantly by institution and program structure.
Can I work as an Urban Planner for a local government agency on OPT?
Yes. Local government agencies are among the most common employers for OPT urban planners and are generally familiar with work authorization requirements. City planning departments, county development offices, and regional transportation agencies routinely hire international graduates. Government positions often align well with OPT timelines because hiring cycles are structured and H-1B sponsorship decisions are made through established administrative processes rather than ad hoc.
What happens to my OPT status if my Urban Planner role ends before my authorization period expires?
F-1 OPT students have a 60-day grace period after employment ends before their status is affected. During those 60 days you can begin a new job search, accept a new offer, or transfer to a new visa status. The new position must also fall within your authorized field of study. Reporting any employment change to your DSO promptly is required to keep your SEVIS record accurate and your status valid.