Planning Strategy Consultant (Planning Analyst)

Metropolitan Council•Minneapolis, MN

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Metropolitan Council is the regional government for the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area, planning 30 years ahead and providing regional transportation, wastewater, and housing services. Metro Transit, one of the country's largest transit systems, has formed a new unified planning group called Planning & Project Delivery. This group integrates four business units: Arterial BRT, Facilities Planning & Administration, Service Development, and Transit-Oriented Development. They are responsible for planning the transit network, including bus routes, BRT and LRT transitways, bus stops, stations, mobility hubs, and facilities supporting Metro Transit employees. The group integrates transit, land use, and infrastructure, guides transit-oriented development, and develops short- and long-range plans in coordination with various partners. The Planning Strategy Consultant is a newly created position that will act as a force multiplier and strategic doer for the Planning & Project Delivery group. This role will drive a portfolio of planning projects and initiatives to support strategic focus areas such as strengthening shared foundations, developing new workstreams for integrated capital planning and financial modeling, and evolving the group's structure, communications, and culture. The position will focus on business process improvements, organizational change management, and planning-aligned budget processes to link Metro Transit’s 25-year financial model to capital and service planning.

Requirements

Any of the following combinations of progressive planning related experience which must include two (2) years of project management or team lead experience and completed education in planning, political science, public administration or a related field:
High school diploma/GED with at least nine (9) or more years of progressive experience including two years of project management or team lead experience.
Associate degree with seven (7) or more years of progressive experience including two years of project management or team lead experience.
Bachelor's degree with five (5) or more years of progressive experience including two years of project management or team lead experience.
Master's degree or higher with three (3) or more years of progressive experience including two years of project management or team lead experience.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading or supporting complex, cross-departmental or interagency initiatives.
Experience in program budgeting and financial analysis, with the ability to develop, manage, and interpret financial modeling tools.
Proficiency in principles of transit service planning and route / network design.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to create clear and compelling written and presentation materials for executive leadership, elected officials, and public stakeholders.
Ability to take initiative and drive results in dynamic environments, managing ambiguity, competing priorities, and tight deadlines effectively.
Proficiency in data analysis and visualization, with advanced skills in Excel, PowerBI, and/or other analytics platforms and tools.
Ability to promote an equitable, positive, and respectful work environment that values cultural diversity among all employees.

Responsibilities

Develop, maintain, and improve planning-aligned financial modeling tools to tie service and capital investment scenarios to resources.
Provide project management, including facilitating meetings, tracking action items and the identification of clear deliverables, for a range of planning initiatives and topics.
Develop a range of communication materials, including written reports, presentations, and compelling data visualizations, to clearly articulate goals, processes, and outcomes for both internal and external audiences on a range of key planning initiatives or topics.
Complete a range of research projects to analyze data and business processes, clearly articulate the problem and possible solutions, and recommend improvements for implementation.
Develop and maintain standard business processes and tools for staff to track, update and report progress on deliverables associated with a range of topics.
Collaborate with key agency stakeholders on a range of planning issues, encouraging cooperative action and problem resolution while coordinating work and managing dependencies with other Metro Transit projects and efforts.