Director of Data Analytics & Research

Houston-Galveston Area Council•Houston, TX

About The Position

The Director of Data Analytics & Research provides strategic leadership and oversight of the Houston-Galveston Area Council's Data Analytics & Research (DAR) Department. Reporting to the Chief Transportation Officer/MPO Director, the Director sets departmental priorities, oversees multidisciplinary technical teams, and ensures the delivery of high-quality analytical products and services that support regional planning, transportation investment, public policy, and organizational decision-making. The role oversees departmental operations, staff development, budgets, strategic planning, and continuous improvement, aligning initiatives with H-GAC's broader organizational goals. The Director advances the department's modeling, forecasting, data analytics, geospatial, research, and technology capabilities. The role leads innovation involving advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, geospatial technologies, and digital solutions, collaborating with IT, agency leadership, other departments, and regional partners to support data-informed decisions, technology improvements, and H-GAC programs and services. The position directs transportation and regional analysis, forecasting, research, data management, GIS, technology initiatives, and stakeholder collaboration. It also oversees budgets, contracts, staffing, resource allocation, performance measures, and efforts to secure funding and expand departmental capabilities. H-GAC employees are required to reside within the agency's region of service.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Data Science, Geographic Information Systems, Regional Planning, Computer Science, Engineering, Public Administration, Statistics, or a related field.
Ten years of progressively responsible professional experience in data analytics, research, geospatial technologies, regional planning, technology, or related fields.
At least five years of experience in a senior management or leadership capacity.
Demonstrated experience managing multidisciplinary professional teams, budgets, projects, and strategic initiatives.
Strong leadership, management, organizational planning, analytical, problem-solving, and strategic planning skills.
Knowledge of regional planning, transportation modeling, forecasting, data analytics, research methodologies, and geospatial technologies.
Ability to lead and develop multidisciplinary technical teams and manage multiple projects and organizational priorities.
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, including the ability to explain complex technical information to nontechnical audiences.
Knowledge of artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, digital transformation, and data management practices.
Experience with budget development, financial management, contracts, and resource allocation.
Strong interpersonal, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement skills, including the ability to maintain productive relationships with internal departments, external partners, and regional stakeholders.
Knowledge of applicable public-sector planning, funding, and regulatory requirements.
Ability to identify process improvement, innovation, and organizational efficiency opportunities.
All H-GAC employees are required to reside within the agency's region of service.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in a related field.
Experience working within a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Council of Governments (COG), regional planning agency, or comparable public-sector organization.
Experience collaborating with agency leadership, governing boards, elected officials, and regional stakeholders.
Experience managing federal or state grant-funded programs.
Experience leading data analytics, technology modernization, or digital transformation initiatives.
Experience developing or implementing artificial intelligence solutions and data governance practices.
Experience overseeing multidisciplinary analytical, modeling, research, or geospatial programs.
Working knowledge of transportation planning and travel demand modeling.
Working knowledge of demographic forecasting, statistical analysis, and scenario planning.
Working knowledge of environmental modeling and regional research.
Working knowledge of GIS and geospatial analytics.
Working knowledge of data engineering, database technologies, and enterprise data platforms.
Working knowledge of business intelligence, visualization, and decision-support tools.
Working knowledge of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and predictive analytics.
Working knowledge of cloud computing, application development, and automation.
Working knowledge of digital twins, remote sensing, LiDAR, and related geospatial technologies.
Working knowledge of Python, R, SQL, or comparable analytical tools and programming environments.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement the strategic direction, goals, and priorities of the Data Analytics & Research Department in alignment with H-GAC's mission and regional planning objectives.
Lead multidisciplinary teams covering transportation modeling, socioeconomic forecasting, scenario planning, environmental modeling, geospatial analytics, data engineering, business intelligence, application development, and regional research.
Oversee departmental operations, budgets, contracts, staffing, resource allocation, and performance measures.
Recruit, mentor, develop, and evaluate staff; promote professional growth, succession planning, and cross-functional collaboration.
Establish departmental standards and processes to ensure analytical products and services are accurate, high-quality, timely, and effective.
Identify emerging technologies, methodologies, and industry trends that can enhance departmental capabilities and service delivery.
Direct analytical models, forecasting tools, research initiatives, and data-driven solutions supporting regional planning and organizational decisions.
Oversee transportation planning analyses, travel demand modeling, population and employment forecasting, and scenario development.
Guide economic, demographic, environmental, infrastructure, and regional research, as well as disaster impact, resiliency, accessibility, and performance measurement analyses.
Oversee dashboards, data visualizations, interactive applications, and decision-support tools; ensure analytical methods, data sources, and findings are reliable and consistent with applicable standards.
Explain complex technical findings to agency leadership, elected officials, technical committees, partner agencies, and the public.
Direct data management, geospatial analytics, and GIS functions, including the development, maintenance, integration, and analysis of regional datasets and geospatial information.
Collaborate with IT and other departments on data governance, quality, accessibility, security, information sharing, integration, and automation.
Guide development of digital mapping tools, web applications, dashboards, and other geospatial products; support regional geospatial partnerships and data-sharing initiatives.
Evaluate emerging geospatial technologies, including remote sensing, LiDAR, imagery, digital twins, and advanced visualization tools.
Lead the evaluation, development, and implementation of AI and emerging technology initiatives, including pilot projects and technology evaluations assigned to DAR.
Coordinate responsible AI adoption and support appropriate AI governance, data security, privacy, and responsible-use practices with IT and other departments.
Identify uses for AI, machine learning, predictive analytics, and automation; evaluate technology solutions, vendors, and partnerships; and promote staff training and knowledge sharing.
Improve departmental efficiency, service delivery, workflows, processes, analytical systems, and technical capabilities; promote advanced analytical methods, cloud technologies, automation, and scalable data solutions.
Develop and evaluate performance measures and departmental outcomes to support continuous improvement and cross-departmental collaboration.
Establish and maintain working relationships with local governments, state and federal agencies, universities, transportation organizations, regional planning partners, and other stakeholders.
Represent H-GAC and DAR at regional, statewide, and national meetings, conferences, committees, and technical working groups.
Collaborate with internal and external partners to identify analytical needs, develop solutions, communicate findings, and promote regional collaboration and effective use of analytical resources.
Identify opportunities to expand DAR capabilities and services through grants, partnerships, research initiatives, and other funding; support proposals, grant applications, service agreements, and project plans.
Oversee budgets, expenditures, contracts, and resource allocation, and ensure compliance with grant requirements, contractual obligations, agency policies, and reporting standards.
Evaluate programs and initiatives for effective use of resources and alignment with organizational priorities; explore sustainable funding for innovation and long-term service delivery.