Transportation Planner III
- Summary
About Metro Transit's Mobility Services
Metro Transit's Mobility Services' programs offer King County residents public transportation ridesharing services consisting of several popular High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) transportation options beyond traditional fixed route transit service, including vanpool, vanshare, carpool and flexible transportation services alternatives such as DART, TripPool, Community Van and real-time ridesharing app-based products. King County's commuter van programs provide approximately 3.5 million person-rides per year in 1,600 vans, and community-based services provide an additional 1.5 million local trips. King County also administers RideshareOnline.com, an interactive online ridematch system, and incentive management tool. The program's primary focus is to bring services to areas of King County that don't have the infrastructure, density, or land use to support traditional fixed-route bus service. In such areas, innovative transportation options may be more cost-effective at meeting local mobility needs. This position would be responsible for helping to develop and implement these programs.
Position Summary
The Transportation Planner III position leads programs, projects and staff for commute and community-based rideshare programs, including our established commuter van programs, rideshare, community transportation programs, and pilot projects and services providing flexible mobility options. Duties include developing products and implementation tools; promotional activities for public education and to increase market share. The position develops operations parameters and processes in addition to implementation and operations. The incumbent is responsible for supporting large-scale programs and tools focused on transportation alternatives and helping to expand ridesharing and accessible services beyond the traditional commute and paratransit services. The ideal candidate will be self-propelled, fast-paced, flexible, forward-looking, and be able to deliver multiple priorities and efforts at a high production level.
Who May Apply
This position is open to all qualified candidates.
Work Schedule
The standard work schedule for these positions is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; work outside of normal hours may be required for meetings, events, and public outreach. This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is therefore not eligible for overtime pay.
Forms and Materials Required
An online employment application, completed at www.kingcounty.gov/jobs, with employment history going back at least ten years if you have ten years of employment (or more to include all relevant experience), In addition to the online King County Employment Application, a resume, and Letter of Interest that outlines your interest in, and qualifications for the position are required.
An Employer To Be Proud Of
King County Metro – recently named North America's most outstanding large transit system – is a leader in helping people move quickly throughout the region, reducing commuter stress, greening the environment and radically improving urban air quality, by providing comfortable, effective transit services for the thousands of commuters and other residents of King County, Washington. We provide mobility services that connect people and communities in Seattle and King County. We operate more than 200 bus routes covering about 2,000 square miles, a complementary paratransit program, and one of the largest vanpool programs in the country. We also offer and are developing a wide array of innovative mobility programs to help meet our customers' changing needs and growing demand.
Great Location
The Transit Division's central offices are located in Seattle's historic Pioneer Square district, in easy walking distance to the pier on Elliott Bay, close to popular urban residential neighborhoods, and near bus lines, Link Light Rail and the Sounder (commuter train) Station. The King Street Center has a gym in the building, with lockers, showers, and a bike room for those who commute by bike.
Competitive Benefits
King County provides our employees with a free transportation pass (good on most transit systems throughout the Puget Sound region, including the Sounder). We offer a benefits package that includes competitive medical, dental and vision benefits for the whole family and state-registered domestic partner, competitive vacation, sick, holiday and executive leave plans, and participation in the State's Public Employees Retirement Plan (PERS), as well as the option of participating in the County's deferred compensation plan (a 457 plan).
For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact:
Elena Edwards
Human Resource Analyst
elena.edwards@kingcounty.gov
206-263-2469
- Job Duties
Transportation Planner III Duties:
- Support public transportation programs within Mobility Services, including strategy design, implementation, operations, monitoring, reporting, and continued outreach and communications on any and all applicable program, projects, and tools
- Lead implementation and operations of assigned projects as they are introduced and implemented in various communities
- Provide technical expertise and troubleshooting for implementation tools and services to staff, jurisdictions, community transportation coordinators and the general public
- Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders on project development and implementation
- Work hand-in-hand with other Metro planning leads on project development and implementation
- Train staff, jurisdictions and community transportation coordinators on how to use tools, apps, products, and systems
- Manage vendor contracts and draft request for qualifications and proposals
- Attend, participate and contribute to intra-agency work teams, core planning team, implementation team(s), individual project teams and committees as appropriate to include product, policy and procedure development and review
- Develop implementation work plans and provide direction as needed to support staff for the program
- Prepare content, materials and information graphics for internal and external briefings and project updates on a regular basis; coordinate with Metro's marketing, communications and graphics staff as needed
- Coordinate logistics for and actively participate in and present to the community or local jurisdiction council or committee meetings and events as required; coordination and presentation may require additional, evening or weekend work.
- Support ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) paratransit regulations/specifications, service delivery practices, procedures, and techniques
- Facilitate regular meetings with key individuals and workgroups to discuss and implement business processes and activities, making adjustments necessary to continually improve and increase alternative services project growth
- Lead short and long-range planning, analysis and program evaluation activities on programs and projects assigned
- Develop services' communication strategies; implementation guidelines, programs and plans; direct the design and production of program marketing and outreach materials
- Utilize information gained from surveys, focus groups, and other marketing research to understand the demographic and social orientation of the target customer when developing communication collateral and outreach strategies
- Employ new technologies and social marketing for public education and outreach
- Participate in the development and evaluation of integrated products, pricing, incentives, demonstration projects, new service markets and promotional strategies for a diverse customer base
- Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
- Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's Degree in (Land Use, Urban, Regional, Transportation, or Environmental), Public Administration or related field and three years of work experience in transportation demand management or related field OR any equivalent combination of experience and education which provides the applicant with the skills, knowledge and abilities required to perform the work.
Additional requirements are:- Demonstrated strong program and project management skills that involve service to the public, program operational principles and outreach
- Demonstrated experience conducting complex planning processes
- Experience and proficiency in project management, including budget development and analysis
- Experience and proficiency in policy/program analysis
- Proven ability to create and give dynamic presentations through excellent verbal, written communication and presentation skills
- Demonstrated skills in developing and implementing educational/promotional strategies that promote government services or programs and increase program participation by the general public and employers, jurisdictions or other entities
- Excellent writing and oral presentation skills
- Experience working with various levels of local governments and the public
- Experience preparing briefings for management and elected officials
- Experience with partnership development and negotiation
- Knowledge of public transportation options
- Analytical skills: market and feasibility assessments, identification of new market and partnership opportunities
- Ability to work independently and manage numerous projects simultaneously
- Understanding of governmental workings, political savvy
- Experience with MS Office
- Experience with databases for reporting and analysis
- Demonstrated skills and experience in survey design and evaluation principles
Desirable Qualifications- Master's Degree in Planning (Land Use, Urban, Regional, Transportation, Environmental), Public Administration or related field and two years' work experience in transportation demand management, planning or related field
- Knowledge of ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) paratransit regulations/specifications, service delivery practices, procedures, and techniques
- Knowledge and/or experience with wide range of alternative travel options and concepts, including community-based shuttles and vans, ridesharing technologies and programs, transportation network companies, and bicycle and pedestrian connectivity
- Knowledge of land use and transit dynamics, including characteristics of transit supportive land use policies and practices
- Familiarity with principles of transportation demand management and behavior change
- Familiarity with administration and reporting for federal and state grant-funded programs
- Experience with social marketing
- Ability to create database queries
- Supplemental Information
Selection Process
Application materials will be screened for qualifications, clarity, and completeness. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in a phone interview, testing, and one or more panel interviews. Reference checks will be conducted.
Union Membership
this position is represented by Professional and Technical Employees Local 17 union.
Class Code: 2421300 - Transportation Planner III
King County Metro Transit is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer, and values diverse perspectives, life experiences, and differences. We encourage people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, people of all ages, and veterans. We are committed to being equitable and fair in providing equal access to opportunities for all.
King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage: King County pays 100% of the premiums for eligible employees and family members
- Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
- Retirement: King County employees are eligible to participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
- Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
- 10 paid holidays each year (plus 2 personal holidays)
- Generous vacation and paid sick leave
- Paid parental leave, family and medical leaves, and volunteer leave
- Flexible Spending Account
- Wellness programs
- Onsite gyms and activity centers
- Employee giving program
- Employee assistance programs
- Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
- Training and career development programs
This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails. Also, in the event of any incorrect information in this document, applicable laws, policies, rules, CBAs, or official plan documents will prevail.
NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.
For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.
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01When applying for this position, you must thoroughly complete the education and work experience sections of your application. Failure to do so can result in disqualification from consideration. Please check off all of the items that you have completed in your application:
- Completed education history
- Detailed description of each position you have held in the last ten years, including any relevant job history that may be outside of ten years. Please list gaps in employment and the reason.
- Reason for leaving employers, (in case of termination, state why you were terminated)
- Supervisor name
- Employer phone number
02Have you been terminated, or have you resigned in lieu of termination, from any position in the last ten years?- Yes
- No
03If you answered yes to the previous question, please provide the name of the employer(s) and the reason for termination(s). Please understand that "Will explain in interview" is not a valid response and will result in your application not being considered further. (If not, please answer "N/A")04Please indicate which one best describes your level of education and experience.- Bachelor's Degree in (Land Use, Urban, Regional, Transportation, or Environmental), Public Administration or related field and three years of work experience in transportation demand management or related field
- Master's Degree in Planning (Land Use, Urban, Regional, Transportation, Environmental), Public Administration or related field and two years' work experience in transportation demand management, planning or related field
- Any equivalent combination of experience and education which provides the applicant with the skills, knowledge and abilities required to perform the work.
- None of the above
05If you selected "an equivalent combination of experience and education" in the question above, please summarize here how your education and experience provide you with the skills, knowledge and abilities required to perform the work of this position.06How many years of experience do you have of increasingly responsible project or program administration or management that required a well-organized systematic approach to managing numerous competing priorities and included the identification and resolution of complex planning, customer or operational problems?- Less than two
- At least two but less than five
- Five or more
- None
07Please summarize your experience in project or program administration or management. Please list 2-3 specific examples that answer the following questions: A) describe the project or program, B) describe your specific role and responsibilities, C) what were the competing priorities, and D) what was the extent of decision-making authority assigned to you (including any authority for expenditure of funds).08How many years of customer service or partnering experience do you have that consisted of medium- to long-term customer/partner relationships, involving such elements as orientations, extensive contracts/transactions, instructions, training, suggestions, procedures enforcement and problem-solving?- Less than two
- At least two but less than five
- Five or more
- None
09Please describe your customer service/partnering experience. Include A) Who were your customers/partners? B) What was the product or service you provided? C) How many customers/partners did you deal with weekly or monthly? D) How did you communicate with your customers/partners? (Be sure to indicate which position(s) you are referring to.)10Please give a brief overview of your level of experience and expertise in the use of software, including what tools you have used, if any, to manage transportation or paratransit or other projects.11If you have a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, will you need accommodation in the testing process? If you check the "YES" box, the human resources staff person coordinating this recruitment will send you a request asking for additional information. (This confidential information is solicited for the purposes of providing reasonable accommodation only).- Yes
- No
12A resume and cover letter are required for this position. Please note, applications without a resume and cover letter will be consider incomplete and will not be moved forward in the process. Have you attached your resume and cover letter?- Yes
- No
13I certify that the statement made by me on the application and supplemental questions are, to the best of my knowledge, true, complete and correct. I understand that any misrepresentation or material omission of fact on this or any other document required by King County may constitute grounds for rejection, or if employed by King County, for disciplinary measures, including dismissal.- Yes
- No
14I have read the job announcement and understand the duties and requirements for this position. I also understand that the provisions of the job announcement do not constitute an express or implied contract. I further understand that any employment offer may be subject to successful completion and results for drug and alcohol background check, pre-employment physical, drug testing, reference checks, driver's record evaluation, and criminal history checks. Having applied for employment with King County, I give my consent that any person, firm or organization listed hereon is authorized to furnish King County with reference material concerning my character, past employment or any other information requested. I hereby authorize the full release of my employment and work record to the Transit Division of King County for the purpose of evaluation and consideration for employment including, but not limited to, specific reasons and details regarding my resignation and/or termination, attendance and punctuality, infractions or any disciplinary actions I may have received, and disclosure of all performance evaluations for the previous ten (10) years. I agree to hold current or former employers harmless from any claim or action based upon the release of information or documentation relating to my employment record. I acknowledge I have read and understand the above information. By checking this box and completing my name in the field below, I provide my consent for King County Metro Transit to obtain the above referenced information.- Yes
- No
15Applicant Name:Required Question