Senior Manager – Multimodal Planning

Houston-Galveston Area Council • Houston, TX

3d

About The Position

The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) is seeking a Senior Manager – Multimodal Planning to provide strategic leadership and oversight for the Metropolitan Planning Organization's (MPO) regional planning and transportation planning programs. This role involves managing multiple planning teams through subordinate managers and ensuring the successful delivery of essential planning products, regional studies, and multimodal transportation initiatives. The Senior Manager will oversee the development and implementation of the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), multimodal planning programs, resilience planning, federal transportation performance measures, and various subregional planning studies. This position requires ensuring compliance with federal and state transportation planning requirements while fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders. The role also involves providing strategic leadership, directing planning teams, supporting executive leadership in organizational strategies, and interpreting federal guidance to recommend policy changes. A thorough understanding of metropolitan transportation planning principles, practices, and federal requirements is essential, as is the ability to lead, supervise, mentor, and develop staff. Strong knowledge of long-range transportation planning, multimodal systems, corridor planning, mobility planning, resilience planning, and planning studies is also required.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Urban Planning, Transportation Planning, Engineering, Public Administration, or a closely related field.
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible transportation planning experience, including experience managing complex planning programs.
• Thorough knowledge of metropolitan transportation planning principles, practices, and federal planning requirements applicable to MPOs.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, supervise, mentor, and develop managers and multidisciplinary professional staff.
• Strong understanding of long-range transportation planning, multimodal transportation systems, corridor planning, transportation mobility planning, resilience planning, and planning studies.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working for a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).
• Master's degree in Urban Planning, Transportation Planning, Public Administration, Engineering, or a related field.
• American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification.
• Experience managing a federally required Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Regional Transportation Plan; monitoring, reporting and integrating performance measures; and developing transportation planning studies.
• Experience working with FHWA, FTA, TxDOT, local governments, transit agencies, and regional transportation partners.
• At least four (4) years of supervisory experience leading professional planning staff, including experience supervising managers or equivalent leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex transportation planning projects involving multiple stakeholders, consultant teams, budgets, and schedules.
• Extensive knowledge of metropolitan transportation planning regulations and processes.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership and oversight for the Metropolitan Planning Organization's (MPO) regional planning and transportation planning programs.
• Manages multiple planning teams through subordinate managers.
• Ensures the successful delivery of federally required planning products, regional planning studies, and multimodal transportation initiatives.
• Oversees the development and implementation of the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), multimodal planning programs, resilience planning, federal transportation performance measures, and subregional planning studies.
• Ensures compliance with applicable federal and state transportation planning requirements.
• Fosters collaboration among local governments, partner agencies, elected officials, and stakeholders.
• Provides strategic leadership across the Regional Planning and Subregional Planning teams by promoting cross-functional collaboration, integrating planning initiatives, and aligning work efforts.
• Provides leadership, direction, and oversight to multiple planning teams through subordinate managers, fostering a collaborative, high-performing, and customer-focused work environment.
• Supports executive leadership in developing long-range organizational strategies, planning priorities, and policy recommendations.
• Ensures compliance with applicable federal and state statutes, regulations, and guidance governing MPO activities.
• Interprets evolving federal guidance and recommends policy or procedural changes necessary to maintain compliance.
• Coordinates with federal and state partners regarding planning requirements, reviews, certifications, and regulatory compliance.

Benefits

• All employees of H-GAC are required to reside within the agency’s region of service to support our commitment to excellence in serving our region.
• H-GAC is an Equal Opportunity/ADA Employer.
• All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.
• All employees of H-GAC are required to reside within the agency’s region of service to support our commitment to excellence in service of our region.
• H-GAC is an equal opportunity/ADA employer.
• All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, or protected veteran status.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior