Transportation Planner III (SEI)

Full Job Description

This position is open to current King County employees and the general public.

King County Metro seeks a Senior Transportation Planner to manage complex projects, lead multidisciplinary staff teams, manage consultants, and develop data-driven recommendations to help shape the growth of the transit system and improve the customer experience.

The successful candidate will bring strong project management skills, expertise in transit planning, effective written and verbal communication skills, and proficiency in analysis and evaluation, while placing equity and social justice at the center of their work.

This career service position, classified as Transportation Planner III, will work on the Transit Integration Team in the System Expansion and Integration Work Group.

This position will play a pivotal role in shaping how Metro coordinates with other agencies, helping deliver on the vision of an integrated regional transit network that provides an easy and seamless customer experience across modes and service providers.

This position will lead project development and provide strategic oversight and coordination during design and delivery of customer-facing capital projects that support Metro’s current and future service needs.

The Senior Transportation Planner will excel at collaborating with multifaceted teams and bring a mindset of continuously improving planning processes and outcomes to one of the most dynamic and innovative places in the country.

About System Expansion and Integration:

The System Expansion and Integration (SEI) Work Group guides transit service strategy and develops plans for Metro’s highest-ridership community investments such as RapidRide, transit centers, and regional bus and rail hubs delivered in partnership with Sound Transit.

This position will sit on the Transit Integration Team, one of three teams in SEI.

The Transit Integration Team leads customer experience-focused capital programs and projects that ensure Metro services are well integrated with regional transit investments.

The team manages interagency partnerships and agreements, advances long-range capital planning for passenger amenities and off-street layover facilities, and coordinates Metro’s role in major system expansion efforts – particularly those associated with Sound Transit’s voter-approved capital programs.

The Transit Integration team works on a variety of efforts, including:

• Lead budget development of customer-facing capital projects for inclusion in King County’s 10-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP);
• Managing two Metro capital programs: Transit Hubs and Off-Street Layover;
• Leading capital projects and partnerships related to light rail, bus rapid transit, and commuter rail as part of Sound Transit’s Regional Transit System Plan (ST3);
• Developing and managing interagency agreements, including letters of concurrence, memoranda of understanding, and funding agreements;
• Coordinating with subject matter experts across Metro to review environmental and other key documentation for major system expansion projects, assess impacts, and recommend mitigation strategies;
• Supporting capital coordination for major changes to transit service; and
• Advancing continuous improvement and innovation to improve the customer experience.

This recruitment will be used to fill one Career Service position.

In addition, this selection process may be used to generate an eligibility pool for future career service, term limited temporary, and special duty assignment vacancies that may occur in this classification within this workgroup.

The eligibility pool will be retained for 12 months from the date of posting and may be used at the discretion of the hiring authority.

Requirements

Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. In this role, you will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices to all aspects of the work.

As a Senior Transportation Planner, you will:

Plan and Manage Capital Projects:

• Develop, lead, and guide vital customer-facing projects that improve the customer experience and help achieve greater equity throughout the King County public transportation system.
• Actively manage scope, schedule, budget, stakeholders, resources, risk, and quality for assigned projects.
• Demonstrate excellent leadership, interpersonal and communication skills, and comfort managing multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Develop, submit, and manage Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) budget proposals.
• Oversee project transitions from Planning to Capital Project Delivery for design and construction of standard (non-partnership) capital projects.
• Lead development of partnership project funding agreements and oversee design and delivery of projects delivered by others.
• Oversee and review analysis performed by internal subject matter experts or by others (consultants or external agencies/jurisdictions).
• Promote equity by fostering an equitable, diverse and inclusive work environment.

Manage Teams (Work, Consultant, & Stakeholder):

• Develop and manage matrixed project teams through all phases of project planning, design, and implementation.
• Lead, participate in, and facilitate project teams and internal and external committees including stakeholder advisory groups, technical advisory committees, and other groups.
• Support inclusive community and stakeholder engagement efforts related to projects that are aligned with Metro goals and objectives.
• Develop project scope, negotiate cost, and manage consultant teams supporting project planning activities.

Lead Interagency Coordination:

• Act as a primary, trusted contact and problem solver with Metro’s transit integration counterparts at local agencies and jurisdictions.
• Negotiate and manage interlocal agreements on behalf of King County.
• Develop and execute memoranda of understanding, letters of concurrence or other non-binding partnership agreements with Sound Transit and other jurisdictions.
• Prepare and present information to a variety of internal and external work groups, project teams, committees, task forces, and stakeholders including the King County Council, local jurisdictions, various agencies, and the public.

Communicate and Collaborate Effectively:

• Represent Metro in wide range of settings including but not limited to technical committees, County Council and Regional Transit Committee meetings; in various forums with other transit agencies, local jurisdictions, and elected officials; and in public meetings.
• Develop presentation and other communications materials to explain transit concepts and plans to a variety of audiences.
• Perform other duties, responsibilities, and activities as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications for Senior Transportation Planner Include the Following:

• A Master's Degree in Planning (Land Use, Urban, Regional, Transportation, Environmental), Public Administration, Environmental Studies, Geography, or related field, and at least three (3) years of work experience in urban or transportation planning, public policy, environmental sustainability, or related field OR a Bachelor's Degree in a related field and at least five (5) years of work experience in urban or transportation planning or related field.
• Professional experience in transit or transportation planning.
• At least two (2) years of progressively responsible experience managing projects or programs.
• Experience managing consultant teams and providing direction on technical elements of transportation planning projects.
• Strong leadership, communication and interpersonal skills, demonstrating ability to solve problems, negotiate differences, and resolve conflicts among multiple stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and successfully with a variety of individuals from diverse backgrounds and interests.
• Ability to manage projects and work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to develop solutions to complex problems.
• Ability to manage and prioritize a diverse workload to accomplish tasks on defined timelines and in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to negotiate partnerships and develop agreements.
• Ability to combine "big picture" thinking with a solid understanding of technical details.
• Demonstrated technical writing skills showing ability to effectively translate and interpret quantitative and technical information to non-technical audiences, including decision-makers.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite including Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint.
• Comfortable with a hybrid work environment.

Highly competitive candidates will have the following qualifications:

• Expertise in transit planning principles and practices, and methodologies.
• Experience with capital planning for transit projects.
• Experience developing, negotiating, and managing consultant contracts.
• Strong understanding of how public transportation interrelates with land use, sustainability, multimodal and active transportation, safety, public health, and environmental justice.

Additional Information

Who May Apply
This position is open to King County Employees and the General Public.

Required Application Materials

• An online King County application, updated with accurate contact information and all relevant work history going back 10 years (or more, if necessary), with all duties, dates of employment, and reasons for leaving explained clearly in the work experience section of the application.
• Answer supplemental questions.

Selection Process
Applicants will be screened for competitiveness, completeness, and written communication skills. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in one or more interviews. Final offers are contingent on successful completion of reference checks and/or file review

Work Location: This is a hybrid position. The main work site for this position is King Street Center, 201 S Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98104.

The team works in a hybrid model, with days in the office as well as telecommuting. Currently, there will be a minimum of one day per week required in the office.

The ratio of remote to onsite work will be dependent on business needs and is subject to change. Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities.

Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

Work Schedule The work week is normally 40 hours, Monday through Friday. Alternative work schedules may be possible.

This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and therefore is not eligible for overtime pay.

Union Membership: Protec17 Job Code: TP III 241804 To ApplyIf you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully.

If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact: Tracy Bylund at tbylund@kingcounty.gov.

Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class.

Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully.

If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.