The Department of Transportation Planning of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG-TPB) is seeking a Transportation Resilience Planner/Technical Program manager (Transportation Planner IV). The successful candidate will be part of a team that leads integrated multimodal planning including the development of the region’s long-range transportation plan for the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB), and supporting TPB member jurisdictions with implementation of the most recent plan, the 2022 update to Visualize 2045 (approved June 2022).
The successful candidate for this position would bring a combination of project/program management skills, coordination capabilities, and technical expertise to develop and lead a TPB program (UPWP Item 3.10, Resiliency Planning) that advances transportation resiliency regional planning in the National Capital Region. While the TPB has typically defined resiliency consistent with USDOT definitions, this concept could be broadened as planning for this subject matter continues.
This position would be expected to work across the agency’s departments and the TPB’s technical and advisory subcommittees to develop resiliency planning as a program and to integrate planning for resilience in all of TPB’s planning activities. This individual will also collaborate with the COG and DEP staff, and Access for All Advisory committee staff, to address disparities in health and environmental outcomes among marginalized communities. This person would coordinate closely with the COG’s Department of Environmental Planning and TPB staff that conduct greenhouse gas reduction and air quality analysis policy and planning.
The successful candidate for this position will play a key role in the managing tasks and studies related to the agency’s planning priorities, processing and analyzing data for transportation planning studies and the presentation of technical reports and policy-oriented information/reports to the TPB and COG committees and subcommittees.
About the team: The Coordination Team supports the TPB, the federally designated metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the Washington, D.C. region. The TPB plays an important role as the regional forum for transportation planning in the National Capital Region. We work with local, state, regional, and federal partners to develop plans and programs that the federal government must approve for federal-aid transportation funds to flow to the Washington region. The TPB also provides data and analysis to decision makers and coordinates regional programs to advance safety, land-use coordination, and more. The Coordination Team leads the development of the TPB’s long-range transportation plan, the four-year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), all public outreach, and is responsible for ensuring that all federal requirements for the metropolitan transportation planning process are met.
Position Summary
The successful candidate will perform professional-level planning activities to support the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB). The focus of the job in the first year will be on implementing FY 2023 UPWP item 3.10 by conducting technical analysis related to transportation resiliency, staffing a temporary Resiliency Planning task force, staffing a regional transportation resiliency forum, overseeing the development of an interactive transportation resiliency map, conceptualizing a Transportation Resiliency Study, developing a transportation resiliency scope and overseeing a consultant contract to conduct the study. Future activities would include developing and leading the implementation of a 5-year plan for expanding resiliency planning in the region.
This role would include developing various types of documentation associated with the region’s long-range transportation plan and other planning products. Experience in scenario planning is preferred.
The successful candidate for this position must have excellent analytical and computer skills, along with the ability to communicate technical information to non-technical audiences. The candidate will have strong knowledge of and interest in metropolitan transportation and land-use planning. The candidate is expected to have expertise and experience in transportation resiliency planning and should be internally driven to maintain and update the technical and planning knowledge, and be able to share that knowledge, in the appropriate format and context, with TPB, staff and technical members as the subject matter evolves. The candidate should be comfortable performing routine, process-oriented tasks while also maintaining organizational awareness and thinking about ways to improve planning activities.
Primary Responsibilities
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:
- Lead as technical manager task 3.10, Resiliency Planning;
- Support incorporating resiliency planning in all of the TPB’s multimodal planning and programming activities by leading coordination, education, and planning activities;
- Support and contribute to the MPO’s transportation projects, programs, and studies to advance climate resiliency, air quality, and health equity;
- Propose metrics, data sources, and target-setting methods related to air quality, climate resilience, and health for the MPO’s performance-based planning and programming activities;
- Coordinate with federal, state and regional agencies, and municipalities on resiliency activities in the region. This could include inventorying transportation resiliency plans and activities at the state, regional, and municipal level (building on the 2020/2021 TPB Resiliency planning regional inventory);
- Engage with public health, environmental justice (EJ), and climate stakeholders, with a focus on elevating marginalized voices in the planning process;
- Develop user-friendly documentation on long-range planning activities, including long-range transportation plan publications, special reports, and information for websites;
- Assist with and participate in cross-team and inter-departmental collaboration in support of the development of the long-range transportation plan and other major plans and projects;
- Perform technical analysis using output from travel demand models and other forecasting tools to analyze the performance of the region’s long-range transportation plan;
- Research best practices or peer examples on topics such as public participation, scenario planning, transportation equity, transportation system resiliency, reliability, stormwater, environmental mitigation, tourism/travel, or intercity bus transportation.
- Track regional issues, priorities, policies, and projects;
- Develop innovative, user-friendly publications, presentations and web site materials that support the above activities
- Process and analyze demographic, economic, land use, transportation and spatially referenced data for use in transportation planning studies.
- Develop specialized analytic methods and forecasting techniques for transportation and land use studies and plan evaluations.
- Write and prepare memoranda, technical and policy-oriented information reports
- Develop text, maps and graphics for use in publications, presentations and webpages;
- Provide assistance in conducting technical analysis related to Title VI/Environmental Justice and communities of concern;
- Provide assistance with public outreach activities, including public forums and workshops;
- Provide assistance in providing staff support for boards and committees, including meeting mail-outs, meeting preparation, and writing meeting minutes and summaries; and
- Perform other duties as required.
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Knowledge of the principles and practices of metropolitan transportation planning;
- Ability to communicate in writing and speaking about complex technical topics to non-technical audiences;
- Strong analytical and computer skills; strong software skills in Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), GIS, Microsoft Access or other database software; graphic design skills such as Canva and Adobe Suite products (InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator) and knowledge of travel demand modeling a plus;
- Strong organizational skills; applicant must have problem solving/analytical skills and the ability to think creatively;
- Strong written and oral communications skills with the ability to summarize information in a clear and concise manner;
- Ability to maintain effective working relationships with other employees, elected officials and the public; and
- Ability to prepare, produce, and present clear, effective, and accurate reports and presentations.
Education and Experience
No less than five years working experience in transportation or urban planning with a professional focus on transportation resiliency such as planning approaches, strategies, and coordination activities for resilient transportation systems, adaptation planning, and/or vulnerability analysis. Experience in a related field and possession of a masters’ degree in transportation or urban planning, or a related field will be considered. Any equivalent combination of experience and training that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities will be considered.
COMPUTER KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
Experience with Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), ArcGIS, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop), Microsoft Access or other database software.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from members, regulatory agencies, community leaders and citizens. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.
MATHEMATICAL SKILLS
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute percentages, rates, and ratios and to draw and interpret numeric charts and graphs.
REASONING ABILITY
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form and deal with a variety of abstract and concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization may exist.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
To Apply
Please send a cover letter and resume highlighting the skills and relevant experience you would bring to this position, salary requirement, and writing sample to:
Please send a cover letter and resume highlighting the skills and relevant experience you would bring to this position, salary requirement, and writing sample to:
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