Senior Technical Director, Transportation Planning

The Opportunity

Provide regional and/or multi-sector leadership to ensure transportation planning subject matter, technical deliverables, and programs are delivered with a level of quality that meets or exceeds acceptable industry standards.  Responsible for SME innovation and administration; ensuring corporate compliance with all Local, State, and Federal Agency regulations; and providing strategic and consistent direction to address current and future planning challenges in a large-scale and multi-faceted business organization.

Your Impact

• Collaborates with employees who are directing multiple major complex technical studies and analytical work in transportation modeling, statistical analysis, geographic information systems, air quality and land use planning, systems planning, congestion management, demand management, multi-modal transportation alternatives, planning studies, and station plans 
• Collaborates on all aspects and projects related to a specific major complex transportation mode 
• Develops overall plans and approaches for area 
• Supports efforts to secure local, state, and federal funding for present and future capital and operating budgets; supports the planning for and programming of funds secured from local, state, and federal sources 
• Directs the development and implementation of workplan goals, objectives, policies, procedures, budget, and work standards for assigned function, and monitors progress 
• Maintains industry leadership with agencies, and municipal and transportation officials on the direction, progress, preparation, and funding of transportation policies and programs 
• Supports coordination of programs and policies including negotiating contractual agreements with other planning and transportation agencies 
• Evaluates proposed/enacted legislation for impacts on programs and projects 
• Interacts with and represents WSP before elected officials, business, professional, civic, government, and community groups regarding client plans, policies, programs, and services 
• Oversees the development of extensive transportation planning programs and studies, including evaluations of existing and proposed services, costs, productivity, cost-effectiveness, and environmental impact 
• Directs the preparation of comprehensive studies, evaluations, cost estimates, and reports needed to support client policy decisions 
• Supports funding needs of transportation programs and assesses future financial trends, opportunities, and constraints 
• Monitors and evaluates multiple recommendations for major transportation programs; develops alternatives and major complex financial and funding recommendations 
• Provides major policy, planning and program support to management and various agencies 
• Establishes priorities of multiple, major work efforts in collaboration with Planning leadership 
• Provide technical service support and analysis, including maintaining an up-to-date, rigorously vetted and federally compliant Travel Demand Models, as well as providing GIS, Survey and Market Research services for clients and their partners, as needed.
• Ensure current demographic research and GIS tabulations of travel networks  
• Coordinate with the FTA and FHWA HQ modeling unit to ensure Federal acceptance of client demand model assumptions, validations, model structure and parameters.
• Monitor colleagues and teaming partners on modeling activities in terms of travel time savings, patronage forecast, project trip estimation, user benefit analysis, cost effectiveness rating, drafting of travel forecasting methodology and results reports, and annual submittals of templates.
• Conduct as-needed briefings for clients regarding the purpose, needs, mobility benefit and cost effectiveness of specific transit corridor development project.
• Collaborate on the coding, validation, and demand model applications to forecast the performance of alternative scenarios and development projects 
• Provide as-needed assistance in drafting forecasting documents, executive summary briefings, PowerPoint presentations, and thematic mappings of project benefits.
• Coordinate/direct model enhancements or updates as needed.
   

Who You Are

Knowledge of:

• Theories, principles, and practices of transportation planning, urban planning, development, programming, and construction 
• Applicable local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations 
• Administrative principles and methods, including goal setting, program and budget development and implementation 
• Capital and operating budgets, and funding sources 
• Social, political, and environmental issues influencing transportation programs 
• Public administration 

Ability to: