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Airport Terminal Planner

HNTB · Chicago, IL · $100,048–$156,486 a year · Full time

Posted Mar 2, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Which aviation planning areas have you worked in most, landside, terminal, airside, economics or environmental, and what did a typical deliverable look like?

What they are checking: Whether their actual depth matches the discipline the team needs, beyond broad interest in aviation.

Tell me about a time you turned a lot of data into a visual that changed how someone understood a problem.

What they are checking: Whether they can communicate analysis clearly to airport clients who make decisions from graphics, not spreadsheets.

Tell me about a planning study you worked on from concept through completion. What was your part?

What they are checking: Whether they can describe their own contribution honestly and show they understand the full study process.

What would you do

An airport client wants a gate count that your demand analysis does not support. How do you handle that conversation?

What they are checking: Whether they can hold to sound analysis while still respecting the client's goals and constraints.

You're coordinating with architects, engineers and environmental staff on a concept. How do you keep the planning assumptions consistent across the team?

What they are checking: Whether they can manage multi-discipline coordination so the design does not drift from the program.

Your forecast inputs change halfway through a study. How do you deal with the work already done?

What they are checking: Whether they can adjust analysis efficiently and explain the impact rather than starting over or hiding the change.

About the work

How would you size the passenger security checkpoint for a terminal expansion at a large-hub airport?

What they are checking: Whether they can turn peak-hour demand and processing rates into a space and lane requirement.

Walk me through how you would develop design-hour passengers from annual enplanement forecasts.

What they are checking: Whether they understand the core planning step that every terminal facility requirement depends on.

How do decisions inside the terminal affect the curbside, roadways and airside gates?

What they are checking: Whether they see the terminal as one part of a connected system rather than a standalone building.

What tools have you used to gather and analyze planning data, and what did each one do well?

What they are checking: Whether they have real hands-on skill with the technology the posting says the role relies on.

What trend in air travel do you think will most change how terminals are planned over the next ten years?

What they are checking: Whether they follow the industry closely enough to bring informed ideas to clients.

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by HNTB.

What We're Looking For It is an exciting time to join HNTB’s aviation planning practice! We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with excellent analytical and communication skills and a passion for aviation to help deliver our large portfolio of aviation planning projects at the nation’s largest and most exciting airports. The successful candidate will broad experience in one or more of the following aviation planning disciplines: landside, terminal, airside, economics, or environmental. This position can be located at a variety of HNTB office locations. At HNTB, you can create a career that is meaningful to you while building communities that matter to all of us. For more than a century, we have been delivering solutions for some of the largest, most complex infrastructure projects across the country. With our historic growth, it is an exciting time to join our team of employee-owners. This opportunity entails being responsible for applying planning strategies utilizing various technologies and tools to gather and analyze data, assess outcomes, and develop reporting and visuals to effectively communicate findings. This position performs tasks for planning projects including research, studies, and documentation, coordinating with multi-discipline team members, from concept development through project completion. This position develops technical solutions and strategies for small-scale planning projects or for portions of larger projects and may serve as a task leader or project manager on a limited basis for select small scale project or task assignee on multiple projects. What You’ll Do: • Leads aspects of internal and external coordination with project team members, including other discipline areas involved with the project. • Develops and maintains client meetings and interactions. • Conducts or directs research on issues, policies, and concepts pertaining to planning, and formulates recommendations. • Develops conceptual planning alternatives for urban and transportation planning projects. • Leads tasks under general direction related to the preparation and production of technical plans, studies, written reports, and environmental documents for transportation and infrastructure projects. • Responsible for significant portions of presentations and public facilitation. • Coordinates with clients, sub-consultants, and in-house personnel on a regular basis to complete assigned tasks. • Assists in directing teams for small or medium sized tasks for projects. • Mentors and provides direction on the work of less experienced staff. • Assists in the preparation of scopes of work, fee proposals and responses to RFP’s for projects. • Writes major sections of and leads production of plans, studies, reports, and environmental documents for transportation and infrastructure projects. Also coordinates and synthesizes the contributions of others. • Research data sources, gathers data, and conducts analysis of data for use in projects. • Develops planning and analysis strategies using tools such as GIS, traffic, or safety software to manipulate data, assess scenarios, and perform project analysis. • Leads planning processes and technical solutions that best meet the project needs. • Performs other duties as assigned. What You’ll Need: • Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Planning, Geography, Engineering, or related field and 6 years related professional experience, or • Master's Degree in Urban Planning, Geography, Engineering, or related field and 5 yrs of relevant experience What You’ll Bring: • Directs and oversees technical work for a wide variety of airport planning and preliminary design projects. • Leads capacity analyses for airport facilities. • Develops concepts and alternative drawings using AutoCAD, Revit, and ArcGIS. • Prepares technical reports for airport planning studies. • Interprets and oversees airport simulation models. • Highly responsive to client requests. • Prepares stakeholder and public presentations. • Helps build client relationships. • Assists with business development activities including proposal preparation and interviews. • Mentors junior and mid-level staff. What We Prefer: • Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree in Aviation Management, Urban Planning, Civil Engineering, Architecture, or related field and 6 years of experience. • Extensive airport planning experience at large hub airports. • Project Management experience with a focus on profitability. • Strong understanding of the aviation industry. • Excellent communication skills. Additional Information Click here for benefits information: HNTB Total Rewards Click here to learn more about Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. #NF #Aviation . Locations: Arlington, VA (Alexandria), Boston, MA, Charlotte, NC, Chicago, IL, Kansas City, MO, Las Vegas, NV (Via Austi Parkway), Los Angeles, CA (Figueroa Street), Oakland, CA . . . The approximate pay range for Massachusetts is $100,048.18 - $156,485.61. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state. . The approximate pay range for Los Angeles Metro Area and Orange County, CA is $95,879.51 - $149,965.37. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state. . The approximate pay range for the California San Francisco Bay Area is $104,216.85 - $163,005.83. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state. . . . . . . The approximate pay range for Nevada is $87,542.15 - $136,924.92. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state. . . . . . . . The approximate pay range for Illinois is $91,710.82 - $143,445.15. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state. . The approximate nation wide pay range for this position is $83,373.48 - $163,005.83. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state. . NOTICE TO THIRD-PARTY AGENCIES: HNTB does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or agencies. Any staffing/employment agency, person or entity that submits an unsolicited resume to this site does so with the understanding that the applicant's resume will become the property of HNTB. HNTB will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion and without any fee owed to the submitting staffing/employment agency, person or entity. Staffing/employment agencies who have fee agreements with HNTB must submit applicants to the designated HNTB recruiter to be eligible for placement fees.

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