PRINCIPAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNER (TRANSIT SERVICES PLANNING)

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is seeking a Principal Transportation Planner to provide advanced planning and programming support. Responsibilities include developing technical methods, analyzing transportation projects, preparing reports, guiding local agencies, managing vendor performance, and negotiating funding agreements. Candidates should have a Bachelor's degree in a related field and five years of relevant experience. The position is based in Los Angeles, CA, and is not remote.
Provides advanced-level planning and programming support and performs a range of functions in an assigned organizational unit.
• Develops, applies, and evaluates technical planning and financial or system analytical methods and procedures
• Supports analysis, both quantitative and qualitative, of transportation or related projects, programs, and policies
• Prepares comprehensive reports and correspondence
• Provides technical and policy guidance to local jurisdictions and agencies on Metro programs
• Analyzes, develops, and recommends policies and procedures
• For the assigned business unit, develops technical and other documentation in support of Request for Proposals (RFPs) and participates in contractor/consultant selection
• Executes cooperative agreements, memorandums of understanding (MOUs), and certification requirements with other entities
• Manages vendor performance against contracts to ensure completion of projects within scope, on-time, and within budget for the assigned business unit
• Participates in special task forces, committees, panels, transportation forums, and peer groups
• Assists in developing program guidelines and strategies
• Develops and monitors forecasts, budgets, and financial plans for transportation or related programs and projects
• Negotiates funding agreements
• Evaluates the costs, benefits, and risks associated with alternative funding plans, programs, and projects
• Represents staff at meetings to facilitate and implement planning projects
• Serves as lead with responsibility for studies and research projects
• Acts as liaison with outside agencies, public and private organizations
• Promotes development along transit lines and transportation corridors
• May be required to supervise staff
• Communicates and implements safety rules, policies, and procedures in support of the agency's safety vision and goals; and maintains accountability for the safety performance of all assigned employees
• Contributes to ensuring that the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policies and programs of Metro are carried out

May be required to perform other related job duties
A combination of education and/or experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the position. Additional experience, as outlined below, may be substituted for required education on a year-for-year basis. A typical combination includes:

Education
• Bachelor's Degree in Urban or Transportation Planning, Engineering (Civil, Transportation, Structural, Industrial, Mechanical, Architecture, etc.), Business, Public Administration, Political Science, Urban Design, Public Policy, Finance, or a related field; Master's Degree in a related field preferred

Experience
• Five years of relevant experience in transportation planning, project management, urban design, transportation system design and research, travel simulation and demand modeling, transportation finance, operations planning, or other related area; some positions in this class may require specialized experience in area of assignment

Certifications/Licenses/Special Requirements
• A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions preferred

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications (PQs) are used to identify relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) as determined by business necessity. These criteria are considered preferred qualifications and are not intended to serve as minimum requirements for the position. PQs will help support selection decisions throughout the recruitment. In addition, applicants who possess these PQs will not automatically be selected.

The following are the preferred qualifications:
• Experience analyzing data sets to improve service efficiency and effectiveness
• Experience assisting in the planning and implementation of transit service changes
• Experience planning and optimizing bus routes to meet community needs
• Experience developing efficient strategies for integrating bus and rail services
• Experience preparing and delivering presentations to leadership and stakeholders

Knowledge of (defined as a learned body of information that is required for and applied in the performance of job tasks)
• Theories, principles, and practices of transportation and land use planning, capital planning, grants management, project management, mobility, and/or system engineering
• Applicable local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations governing transportation policies, urban development practices, mobility, and funding sources for public agencies
• Methods and procedures for data collection and analysis, including spatial, financial, analytical, statistical, and mathematical
• Best practices regarding project management and planning
• Applicable business software applications
• Modern management theory
• Emerging business models and opportunities to test new models of service delivery

Skill in (defined as the proficient manual, verbal, or mental utilization of data, people, or things)
• Conducting planning studies and projects
• Understanding and analyzing complex concepts and data
• Performing statistical and financial analysis
• Analyzing situations, identifying problems, and recommending solutions and/or to test new models of service delivery
• Exercising sound judgment and creativity in overcoming obstacles and making decisions
• Establishing and implementing relevant policies and procedures
• Preparing reports and presentations
• Communicating effectively orally and in writing
• Interacting professionally with various levels of Metro employees and outside representatives
• Mediating and negotiating
• Communicating project opportunities, risks, and constraints

Ability to (defined as a present competence to perform an observable behavior or produce an observable result)
• Manage multiple priorities and deadlines
• Work independently in a highly structured environment
• Maintain composure in difficult situations
• Determine strategies to achieve goals
• Navigate Metro's complex organizational structure
• Be flexible, adaptable, and able to iterate as obstacles are encountered during project delivery
• Develop and maintain external relationships to ensure project success
• Understand, interpret, and apply laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, contracts, budgets, and labor/management agreements
• Handle highly confidential information
• Represent Metro before the public
• Read, write, speak, and understand English

Special Conditions The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Metro provides reasonable accommodation to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Working Conditions
• Typical office situation
• Close exposure to computer monitors and video screen

Physical Effort Required
• Sitting at a desk or table
• Operate a telephone or other telecommunications device and communicate through the medium
• Type and use a keyboard and mouse to perform necessary computer-based functions
• Communicating through speech in the English language required
(CA)