Transportation Planning Data Analyst

SUMMARY

The Council of Governments' (COG) Department of Transportation Planning seeks a Transportation Planning Data Analyst for the Planning Data and Research Team to support the department's travel monitoring activities, with a specific focus on the department's Congestion Management Process (CMP). The successful candidate for this position will play a key role in the collection, processing, analysis, and visualization of data from, and for, COG's Mobility Analytics Program (MAP), with special consideration towards congestion-/traffic-focused metrics. These data include but are not limited to travel reliability, volume trends, delay, transportation infrastructure data used in regional policy studies, speeds, and performance-based planning and programming.

DUTIES WILL INCLUDE:

Collecting, cleaning, analyzing, and visualizing geospatial (GIS) and non-geospatial data from a variety of sources including big data repositories (e.g. StreetLight, RITIS, Replica)

Applying effective quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) measures to data, including checking for inconsistencies and errors, and developing solutions to address data-related issues

Self-starting and identifying opportunities for potential enhancement in and across programs, related, but not exclusively, to the Congestion Management Process and Mobility Analytics Program

Applying critical thinking, strategic communication, technical writing, and data collection, analysis and visualization in support of both the CMP's and the MAP's products' and their respective development and evolution

Analyzing transportation and transportation-adjacent data, evaluating and interpreting data derived from collection and analysis phases, and communicating key findings to internal and external stakeholders

Participating in applicable conferences and webinars as well as COG/TPB committees, subcommittees, and user group meetings and workshops and sharing the meeting highlights to the management.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

No direct staff supervisory responsibilities but may be involved in recruitment, supervising interns, and/or oversight of consultants performing field data collection operations. Such responsibilities may include interviewing, hiring, and training interns; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

The ideal candidate will possess excellent communication skills and demonstrated skills in critical thinking, judgment, and data analysis. The candidate will possess a strong understanding of transportation data and data formats; experience or familiarity with the application of GIS concepts, including experience with ArcGIS software; experience using statistical and data management software, such as R, and/or Python; experience or familiarity with using big data platforms such as StreetLight, Replica, and/or INRIX/RITIS; and experience with the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.). The ideal candidate will be highly motivated to deliver excellent products in support of COG's metropolitan transportation planning mission and will be a proven self-starter. The ideal candidate will be able to work effectively both independently as well as in a team and be an excellent team player.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

To be considered for the Analyst II position, candidates must possess a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, traffic engineering, transportation planning, urban planning, or economics, data analytics, with a focus in transportation data analytics, or an appropriately related field, and 2-3 years of directly applicable work experience.

Any equivalent combination of experience and training that provides the required knowledge, analytical, and writing skills and abilities will be considered.

COMPUTER KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Experience with Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), statistical software (SAS, MATLAB, SPSS, R, Python), ArcGIS and the ArcGIS Portal suite of applications (StoryMaps, Dashboard, Experience Builder).

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. Ability to communicate within and across teams of individuals.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to apply formulas, 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, though professional certification and/or licensure, across disciplines that would be relevant to the transportation, planning, or project management arenas, is considered a plus in this position.

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. The employee may at times be required to travel within the region to perform a data collection location or to attend meetings held at partner agency offices.

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.

TO APPLY