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Summary
This is a senior level professional position in the Planning Division reporting to the Director of Planning and Development. This position serves as a liaison to the engineering staff of various municipalities, county government, the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), state Department of Transportation and consultant firms. The Principal Planner will assist in drafting project scopes of work; participate in and directly manage projects as assigned; and represent the division with internal and external entities. The position requires excellent organizational skills; advanced knowledge of transit and transportation planning and engineering methodologies, the metropolitan planning process, land use planning concepts, project management methodologies, Federal Transit Administration funding and grant administration process. The successful candidate must have a combination of technical and people skills and the ability to work well with assorted internal and external stakeholders, consultant staff, federal, state, and local staff to ensure that assigned projects are delivered on-time and within budget.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

1. Ensures transit routes are designed, evaluated and performing at peak efficiency.

2. Manages the performance of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to include possible future expansion and transformation to light-rail.

3. Ability to evaluate transit performance within a multimodal context.

4. Ability to evaluate existing and future network, making recommendations and plans for a variety of transit modes.

5. Oversee the planning of transit routes and services using manual and computer assisted programs and techniques.

6. Ability to create and implement existing and future long range planning initiatives.

7. Makes Capital Improvement Projection to Operations Department and other government entities.

8. Analyzes and interprets data related to planning activities.

9. Ability to forecast and predict future ridership trends.

10. Ability to conduct, interpret and model travel demand forecasting.

11. Ability to perform data gathering, analysis, and manipulation is suites such as GIS.

12. Coordinate with the Operations Department Director to analyze, interpret traffic, and transit data to initiate change for operational improvements such as change in vehicle speed, etc.

13. Assist in developing long and short range plans for bus and rail service in the region.

14. Work with the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), federal, state and local jurisdictions on developing new transit opportunities, expanding current services, proposing and implementing transit supportive land uses, and engage in general transit advocacy in the region.

15. Give direction and manage consultant teams on agency funded studies and projects as assigned.

16. May serve as or assists a Project Manager.

17. Attend mandatory safety meetings as required.

18. Maintain regular and predictable attendance; arriving at work promptly, regularly and dependably.

19. Ability to complete an assigned task in a safe manner and in a constant state of alertness.

20. Make technical recommendations pertaining to the geometric design of right-of way that promotes transit.

21. Understanding of surveying and the ability to interpret site/design plans.

22. Assists with schedule adherence and on-time performance for fixed route service.

23. Evaluate and make recommendations for new, and existing routes.

24. Prepare and present planning related activities to community groups and stakeholders.

25. Must read chemical labels and follow safe handling procedures.

26. Must understand and follow all safety rules.

27. Perform other duties similar in nature and level, as required.

Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The individual must be able to pass pre-employment background check, including physical and drug/alcohol screen.

Certificates, Licenses, Registration

1. Valid Alabama Driver’s License or ability to obtain one before employment.

2. AICP preferred.

Education / Experience

1. A Bachelor’s degree and/or Masters from an accredited college or university in Civil Engineering or degree related to Transportation Planning.

2. Minimum of Four (4) years of progressively responsible transportation, traffic and/or transit engineering or planning experience.

3. Relevant experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.

4. A Doctorate in an applicable field may waive all or some of the work experience requirement.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

1. Knowledge of planning theories, principles, and practices relating to transit projects; federal, state, and local funding regulations; fiscal controls, and legal constraints pertaining to public transportation.

2. Principles, practices, methods and techniques used in traffic engineering, planning and operations.

3. Techniques for improving transit operations and mitigating impacts in neighborhoods, urban core areas, and major arterials and other areas of the network. Techniques for improving transit operations and safety.

4. Knowledge of or the ability to acquire knowledge of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and their application in transportation and land use planning and analysis.

5. Knowledge of or the ability to acquire knowledge of travel demand forecasting models and their application in transit ridership forecasting and analysis.

6. Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, Power Point, and database programs such as Access and Excel spreadsheets.

7. Ability to use analytical and statistical techniques and software such as SPSS to draw and present clear and informative conclusions from data to a wide variety of audiences, ranging from technical professionals to Board members, elected officials, and the general public.

8. Possession of good written and verbal communication skills to develop reports and requests for proposals, create professional correspondence, make presentations, and to conduct technical meetings.

9. Ability to establish and maintain effective professional working relationships with external and internal entities.

10. Ability to work a flexible schedule, which can include working some evenings, weekends and out of town travel.

Language Skills
Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos. Ability to write technical correspondence. Ability to effectively present information one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization. Proficiency in Spanish is preferred.

Mathematical Skills
Must possess a high level of mathematical and analytical skills to find solutions to complex professional, technical, and administrative problems.

Reasoning Ability
Ability to apply reasoned common sense understanding to carry out detailed written or oral instructions and deal with problems involving numerous variables in standardized situations.

Physical Demands
The individual must maintain the physical condition necessary to: 1) perform tasks in an office setting, operating a personal computer and other peripheral equipment; and 2) possess physical mobility in order to conduct field studies.

Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job in an office environment or field studies.

Americans with Disabilities Act
If you are a qualified individual with a disability, you have a right to request that the BJCTA make reasonable accommodations in order to help you accomplish your work, which must still be performed in all its essential functions.

EEO - Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V
The Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, marital status, veteran’s status, disability status, sexual orientation or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law.

Testing
Receipt by BJCTA of a verified negative drug test result and/or negative breath alcohol test result (<0.02 BAC) is required prior to employment. A verified positive drug and/or alcohol test will disqualify an applicant from employment

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