Career Opportunity

Transportation Planner III, Transit Division - SF Municipal Transportation Agency (5289)

Recruitment: RTF0142074-01155844

Published: November 13, 2023

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal.

About:

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA or “the agency”) connects San Franciscans with their communities to enhance the economy, environment and, ultimately, the quality of life in the city. As an agency within the City and County of San Francisco, the SFMTA is responsible for managing the city’s transportation network. The agency has more than 6,000 employees who are responsible for the management of all ground and some underground transportation in the city. The SFMTA has oversight over public transit, as well as bicycling, paratransit, parking and curb management, street operations, walking, and taxis.

• Application Opening: November 13, 2023
• Application Filing Deadline: November 29, 2023
• Recruitment ID: RTF0142074-01155844 & RTF0142074-01155845

APPOINTMENT TYPE: Temporary Exempt - This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer. The duration of the appointment shall not exceed 36 months.

• Division: Transit Division
• Section/Unit: Transit Planning/Long Range Transit Corridor Planning
• Work Location: 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 7th Floor, San Francisco, CA
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 5 PM

Role description

The Transit Planning group is a dynamic, deadline driven and innovative team working on a range of projects including service changes, long range transit corridor planning, transit priority capital projects, and route planning. This unit leads the nationally recognized Muni Forward program that is making the system more efficient, reliable, safe, and comfortable as well as the innovative service planning group that has rebuilt the system six times since the initial COVID- 19 outbreak and is responsible for day-to-day planning activities of the 6th largest transit system in the United States.

The two (2) Transportation Planner III positions will support the Long Range Transit Corridor Planning group. The Long Range Transit Corridor Planning works on large-scale transit corridor infrastructure projects that are identified as priorities in the ConnectSF Transit Strategy and other transit system plans. The group leads multi-disciplinary teams to define project purpose and need, develop technically feasible project alternatives, conduct inclusive stakeholder outreach, coordinate environmental review, and develop realistic funding and implementation strategies. After completing this work, projects are typically handed off to colleagues leading engineering and construction, while Long Range Transit Corridor planners continue to provide planning support to ensure continuity in project vision and stakeholder relationships.

Projects assignments will vary, but current projects that these positions are anticipated to support may include the Muni Metro Modernization Core Capacity Planning Study, Geary/19th Avenue Subway Study, E/F Line Extension Study, Central Subway Extension Alternatives Study, and coordination with multiple regional transit planning efforts that involve San Francisco. Under general direction from the Long Range Transit Corridor Planning Managers, the Transportation Planner IIIs will lead the overall project management of smaller planning studies and projects, or support the management of larger planning studies and projects in a deputy project manager role, taking responsibility for conducting complex technical, outreach, policy, funding, coordination, and other tasks.

Examples of Important and Essential Duties:

• Serve as the day-to-day Project Manager for smaller corridor planning studies, or provide project management support (deputy project manager) for larger corridor planning studies during the planning and environmental review stages, managing scope, schedule, budget, and leading an interdisciplinary team.
• Manage professional services contracts or task orders including developing and monitoring scopes/schedules/budgets, coordinating with SFMTA administrative/contracts staff, and providing technical oversight of consultant work.
• Work with SFMTA Communications staff to develop and implement a comprehensive community involvement program for corridor projects, including meetings with stakeholders, general public meetings, web pages, etc. Help develop public outreach materials that convey complex technical topics in a manner readily understandable to the general public.
• Coordinate with environmental planners to complete tasks needed to fulfill all needed requirements under CEQA and NEPA.
• Conduct internal coordination including vetting corridor project designs with key subject matter experts across the agency and conducting briefings to Senior and Executive Management
• Represent the SFMTA and corridor planning projects at Boards/Commissions, public meetings, and stakeholder meetings.
• Use critical thinking and analytical skills to evaluate and make recommendations on technical aspects of transit planning and/or capital programming, which involve various transportation modes;
• Design, prepare and/or direct the preparation of visual materials;
• Manage and analyze transportation data for use in technical studies and public outreach materials.
• Work with funding experts to develop project funding strategies, prepare grant applications, and manage project budgets.
• Provide other assistance as mutually agreeable for other projects.

How to qualify

1. Possession of a Master's Degree from an accredited college or university in Planning, Transportation, Transportation Engineering, Public Administration or other closely related field AND two (2) years of transit planning and/or transportation experience; OR
    
2. Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university preferably in transportation, mass transit planning or other closely related field; AND four (4) years of transit planning and/or transportation planning experience.

Substitution:
Additional transit planning and/or transportation planning experience beyond the Minimum Qualifications may be substituted for the educational requirement on a year-for year basis. Additional post-graduate education as described in item 1 of the Minimum Qualifications may be substituted for required experience on a year-for-year basis (30 semester units/45 quarter units equal one (1) year of experience).

Desirable Qualifications: 
The stated desirable qualifications may be used to identify candidates advancing to the interview process and/or to identify job finalist(s) at the end of the selection process when referred for hiring.

• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Effective time management skills.
• Knowledge of urban/transportation planning principles and methods.
• Detail oriented, ability to manage stress, manage competing priorities and demanding schedules, successfully adapt to new situations as they arise, and meet project deadlines.
• Strong understanding of principles of transit planning, design, and operations
• Maintain a positive, proactive attitude. Interact tactfully with co-workers, staff, department heads, officials, and the general public to promote a productive working relationship.
• Familiarity with environmental review regulations (e.g. NEPA, CEQA)
• Familiarity with FTA’s Capital Investment Grant programs (New Starts, Small Starts, Core Capacity)
• Facility with: graphics/GIS mapping software such as Adobe Creative Suite and/or ArcGIS, and advanced Excel functions.
• Familiarity with best practices in urban street design, e.g. traffic calming, public transportation, pedestrian/bicycle facility design.
• Familiarity with linkages between land use planning and transportation.

What else should I know?

Verification:
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. More information can be found at: https://sfdhr.org/information-about-hiring-process#verification. Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

Selection Process:
Applications will be screened for relevant qualifying experience. Additional screening mechanisms may be used to determine candidates' qualifications. Only those applicants who most closely meet the needs of the Agency will be invited to move forward in the selection process.

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

For questions or inquiries, please contact: Oriel Fong, Human Resources Analyst at Oriel.Fong@sfmta.com

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.