Planning & Engagement Manager

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority•San Jose, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Join VTA in leading one of the most transformative transportation infrastructure projects in the Bay Area. VTA is seeking an experienced Planning & Engagement Manager to lead stakeholder engagement efforts supporting the BART Silicon Valley Program. This position plays a critical leadership role in advancing major capital projects by building strong partnerships with local stakeholders, public agencies, and elected officials. The successful candidate will oversee multidisciplinary engagement initiatives, supervise staff and consultants, develop engagement strategies, and serve as a trusted representative of VTA before boards, commissions, community organizations, and the public. This is an exciting opportunity for an innovative leader who excels at balancing technical project delivery with meaningful engagement to help shape the future of public transportation throughout Santa Clara County. About the Bart Department VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Extension Program (BSV) will expand BART service into Santa Clara County, bringing frequent and reliable regional rail service to over 1.7 million county residents. The project is being built in two phases. Phase I (Complete) extended service from Alameda County into Santa Clara County, with stops at Milpitas and Berryessa/North San José. Service began on June 13, 2020. Phase II, currently in design and engineering, will extend service from the Berryessa Transit Center to stations at 28th Street/Little Portugal, Downtown San José, Diridon Station with the end of service in Santa Clara. More than a transit project, BSV is an entire program of improvements that will transform Silicon Valley. Facets of the project include transit oriented communities, multimodal transportation connectivity, as well as roadway, utility and environmental improvements. Definition Under direction, the Planning & Engagement Manager plans, organizes, supervises, and coordinates transportation planning, community outreach, and public engagement programs related to the BART Silicon Valley Program. Distinguishing Characteristics This single-position classification is responsible for managing staff and projects related to the BART Silicon Valley Program. Substantial judgement and initiative are essential for resolving problems and making recommendations with regards to projects. The incumbent is responsible for assigned transportation planning activities as related to capital project delivery as well as coordination of community outreach and education, management of public engagement programs related to assigned capital projects, and associated transportation planning initiatives, and representing VTA to various public and private sector organizations. This classification is distinguished from the Media & Public Affairs Manager in that the former is focused on transportation planning and integrated public engagement projects as related to the BART Silicon Valley Program. This classification is distinguished from Senior Transportation Planner in that the former is required to have extensive experience in one of the following: media relations, community engagement or public relations. The Ideal Candidate The ideal candidate is a strategic, collaborative, forward-thinking leader with extensive experience managing stakeholder engagement or transportation planning initiatives for major capital infrastructure projects with an interdisciplinary team. They possess demonstrated success building partnerships with elected officials, public agencies, community organizations, businesses, and diverse stakeholders while balancing complex project priorities. They are a relationship builder who can successfully navigate complex projects, competing priorities, and sensitive community issues while maintaining productive partnerships with internal and external stakeholders. They have experience supervising and mentoring professional staff, managing consultants, managing project schedules and budgets, and communicating effectively. They are equally comfortable discussing technical details of the project with engineers, presenting recommendations to governing boards, and engaging directly with stakeholders to address concerns, build trust, and strengthen long-term partnerships. They are comfortable working in fast-paced environments where collaboration, sound judgment, and strategic thinking are essential to successful project delivery. About VTA The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority employs more than 2,000 people dedicated to providing solutions that move Silicon Valley. Unique among transportation organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area, VTA is Santa Clara County’s authority for transit development and operations (light rail and bus), congestion management, transportation-related funding, highway design and construction, real estate and transit-oriented development, and bicycle and pedestrian planning. With local, state, and federal partners, VTA works to innovate the way Silicon Valley moves and provide mobility solutions for all. Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is an independent special district that provides sustainable, accessible, community-focused transportation options that are innovative, environmentally responsible, and promote the vitality of our region. VTA provides bus, light rail, and paratransit services, as well as participates as a funding partner in regional rail service including Caltrain, Capitol Corridor, and the Altamont Corridor Express. As the county’s congestion management agency, VTA is responsible for countywide transportation planning, including congestion management, design and construction of specific highway, pedestrian, and bicycle improvement projects, as well as promotion of transit-oriented development. VTA provides these services throughout the county, including Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga and Sunnyvale. VTA continually builds partnerships to deliver transportation solutions that meet the evolving mobility needs of Santa Clara County. As we continue to implement our VTA Forward Plan, we aim to strengthen and increase our workforce to take on future opportunities and challenges by elevating our people and our services. For more information about our VTA Forward Plan, visit: https://www.vta.org/VTAForward Family-Friendly Workplace Certification Program (FFWCP) The County of Santa Clara FFWCP recognizes VTA as a business that creates supportive workplaces for employees and their families. Family-friendly workplaces improve health outcomes and job satisfaction for employees and increase work productivity and retention for employers. Employers can create a family-friendly workplace by meeting and exceeding state and federal employment laws relating to parental leave, lactation accommodation, and work/family balance.

Requirements

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a four-year degree in communications, public relations, urban or transportation planning, or a closely related field.
Four (4) years of professional level experience in a community outreach/public relations capacity, with emphasis on large capital projects.
Demonstrated lead or supervisory experience is required.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a large transit organization, public agency, and/or the construction industry is desirable.

Responsibilities

Selects, supervises, leads, trains, motivates, assigns, evaluates, counsels, and disciplines staff; supervises consultant staff as assigned;
Oversees and coordinates project planning and access throughout project duration for functional area;
Prepares Board memorandums and official VTA correspondence;
Coordinates public outreach for planning in functional area and implementation of Construction Outreach and Education Program including the Construction Transportation Management Plans;
Prepares and presents items to boards and committees;
Serves as liaison with cities, other local/regional agencies, and community groups regarding transportation, land use, and related issues; assists with responding to media as required;
Develops work plans, schedules, and budget estimates for studies and projects;
Coordinates planning and outreach activities for multiple contracts in functional area involving VTA staff and external partners;
Manages and coordinates community outreach and education programs for transportation and transit capital projects in functional area;
Facilitates and coordinates interactions between the public and planning and design staff, consultants, and construction contractors during project planning, project development, and construction phases;
Develops strategies to engage the public and address community concerns;
Coordinates with planning, engineering, and construction staff to ensure adequate resources are allocated for community outreach and engagement;
Participates in the development of contracts and RFPs to ensure that community outreach requirements are incorporated into capital project and transportation planning initiatives;
Analyzes and evaluates assigned programs for effectiveness; recommends alternatives and implements approved enhancements;
Represents VTA on boards, commissions, and committees as assigned; represents VTA in engagements with outside groups and before community members at public meetings;
Plans, writes, and edits material for presentation to various boards and commissions;
Manages and supervises staff and activities to ensure fulfillment of VTA’s Strategic Plan;
Participates in the development and administration of the annual budget;
Serves as a member of the management team in meetings/negotiations with labor unions;
Prepares confidential reports and correspondence; reviews reports prepared by others;
Ensures compliance with VTA policies and procedures regarding equal employment opportunity, discrimination, and harassment prevention;
Ensures and enforces compliance with capital project communications and community outreach policies and procedures;
Performs related duties as required.