Transportation Planning Program Manager

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ (COG) Department of Transportation Planning seeks a Program Manager for the Planning Data and Research Team to manage the department’s travel monitoring program and lead planning analyses that support other departmental programs and initiatives as part of the metropolitan transportation planning program. The Program Manager will also assist in providing technical assistance to the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board’s (TPB) partner agencies, as needed, including data gathering/analysis and planning studies.

Job ID/Number: DTP-182023

Posted Date: 10/30/2023

Job Location: Washington, DC

Position Type: Full-time

Division: Department of Transportation Planning

Description:

The program manager supervises professional staff involved in the collection, processing and analysis of transportation data including travel monitoring data (traffic counts, active transportation counts, transit ridership, AADT, and VMT); transportation performance planning data including bridge and pavement condition; and demographic and socioeconomic data, among others.

The employee in this class has managerial responsibility for multiple data programs that support travel model development and applications, transportation plan development and other technical products. The employee has a proven track record of demonstrating a strong commitment to teamwork and professional excellence and is recognized for promoting a collaborative work culture in the workplace.

The successful candidate for this position will play a key role in the collection, processing, analysis, and visualization of travel volume trends, demographic, and transportation infrastructure data used in regional policy studies, forecasting, and performance-based planning and programming. This will include leveraging large passively-collected travel datasets (Big Data) in travel monitoring and research activities.

Examples of Work

• Initiates and manages the development of data and technical methods for various elements of the Department’s annual work program, including regional travel monitoring and analysis.
• Supervise and mentor technical staff engaged in travel monitoring and planning analyses.
• Supports Planning Data and Research Program Director in leading departmental efforts to coordinate and consider land use and transportation planning linkages and representing DTP staff at meetings of the Planning Directors Technical Advisory Committee and the Cooperative Forecasting and Data Subcommittee.
• Supports cross-program and/or cross-departmental planning activities by leading and/or significantly contributing to complex quantitative technical planning analyses.
• Develops work program elements, schedules projects, evaluates progress, and manages resources to keep costs in line with project budgets.
• Develops scopes of work and budgets for technical projects and seeks funding support for their implementation.
• Develops work statements and specifications for RFPs, negotiates and manages consultant contracts.
• Collaborates in the application of GIS technology for transportation planning and research activities.
• Coordinate with TPB partner agencies to scope and manage technical assistance projects performed by TPB staff and consultants.
• Supervises the collection, processing and analysis of travel monitoring data, and presents results to technical and policy committees.
• Analyzes and presents data on current and forecast changes in regional growth trends and travel patterns.
• Makes presentations to policy and technical committees on data-related work program activities.

Supervisory Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be responsible for managing supervisory and non-supervisory employees. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising employee performance; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The ideal candidate will have in-depth knowledge of transportation planning and possess excellent communication skills and demonstrated skills in critical thinking, judgment, and data analysis and manipulation. The candidate will also have experience with programming languages (e.g., Python, R, SAS, STAT), geospatial analysis (e.g., ArcGIS, GeoPandas), data management, data mining, quantitative analysis, and data visualization. Knowledge of land use and transportation planning is preferred. The candidate will have experience working with or will be familiar with large passively-collected travel datasets (Big Data) and understand how they can be applied as part of a regional travel monitoring program.

Education and Experience

To be considered, candidates must possess a master’s degree in statistics, data science, geography, economics, urban or regional planning, transportation planning, or an appropriately related field, and five or more years of progressively responsible experience in the development and provision of data to support major regional transportation planning and related activities. The candidate must possess a demonstrated track record in budget development, project management, and successfully supervising technical staff in transportation planning or a related field.

Computer Knowledge and Skills

Experience with Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), statistical software (SAS preferred), geospatial analysis, data management, and data visualization 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 customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format. Ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with accounting, contracts, and legal personnel in the execution of project management responsibilities. Ability to effectively present technical information to top management, public groups, and/or Boards of Directors. Ability to lead strategic discussions; demonstrate critical thinking; and identify and manage risk and opportunities.

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.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

No Requirements

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.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; sit; and use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to walk; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

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.

The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.

Work Location

The candidate will be required to report to work at the COG offices in Washington, D.C. This is not a fully remote work position. COG policy currently requires all employees to work three (3) days (Tuesday, Wednesday, and an additional day as approved by supervisor) in COG offices, and allows up to two (2) days teleworking from a remote location.

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