Supervising Transportation Planner

King County•Seattle, WA

23h•Hybrid

About The Position

The King County Department of Local Services’ Road Services Division is seeking a Supervising Transportation Planner (Transportation Planner IV) for its Grants, Planning, and Strategy Unit. The position oversees the division’s transportation planning team and provides professional guidance and supervision. It sets strategic direction for multimodal transportation planning of or affecting roads in unincorporated King County and supports technical plans, reports, special projects, and studies that serve the division’s operations and capital improvement programs. The role works with engineers, environmental scientists, maintenance professionals, budget and finance staff, and other subject matter experts, as well as partners across King County agencies, regional authorities, and governmental and non-governmental entities. The division designs, builds, operates, and maintains roads and bridges in unincorporated King County and is committed to a safe, efficient transportation system for all uses and travel modes. The position directly supervises three planners, leads complex planning efforts and project teams, and serves as a subject matter expert on transportation planning, policy, multimodal practices, and community engagement. The work requires combining technical, fiscal, environmental, safety, equity, legal, political, strategic, mobility, and land-use considerations and communicating findings to decision-makers and the public. The role is based at King Street Center in Seattle and requires working in the office at least three days per week. Employees must reside in Washington State within a reasonable distance of their King County worksite. The normal workweek is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; work outside normal business hours may sometimes be required. The position is exempt from overtime pay and is designated Mission Critical in an Emergency.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in transportation planning, urban or rural planning, civil engineering, or a related field, and at least five years of progressively responsible transportation planning experience; alternatively, an equivalent combination of education, skills, training, and experience that demonstrates ability to perform the duties.
Advanced knowledge of transportation planning principles.
Experience supervising staff, evaluating staff performance, managing conflict, and leading with purpose and vision.
Expert research and data analysis skills, with exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and quantitative reasoning skills.
Experience with performance management frameworks, including selecting meaningful metrics.
Project management experience managing multiple complex projects and developing scopes, schedules, and budgets.
Exceptional oral and written communication skills, including the ability to present information and convey ideas to diverse audiences.
Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines when goals and interests may conflict.
Strong organizational and time-management skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365, SharePoint, and Teams, and a variety of technologies.
Superior attention to detail and strong follow-through.
Must reside in Washington State within a reasonable distance of the King County worksite.
Must work in the office at least three days per week.

Nice To Haves

Working knowledge of transportation planning across multiple disciplines, including multimodal and climate planning; road infrastructure and asset management; project delivery and planning-level cost estimating; and policy and regulatory frameworks such as the Washington State Growth Management Act.
Working knowledge of GIS or similar tools for basic geospatial analysis and map production.
Experience editing legislation, reports, and other communications.
Experience preparing visual management boards using simple, concise visual approaches and developing and maintaining reports and dashboards.
Comfort and skill using technology for data gathering and technical analysis, including SharePoint, PowerBI, Airtable, and other internet-based data-sharing and project-management tools.
Experience using LEAN principles and continuous-improvement methods to minimize waste and maximize value.

Responsibilities

Oversee and lead high-profile transportation and strategic planning efforts, including updates to the Comprehensive Plan transportation element, Transportation Needs Report, division strategic plan, subarea plan transportation elements, and ADA Transition Plan.
Oversee and conduct research and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, including asset condition, socioeconomic, transportation pattern, natural systems and hazards, geospatial, traffic, and financial data.
Analyze transportation needs at multiple scales and in rural, suburban, and urban contexts.
Identify and prioritize maintenance, operational, capital project, and process-improvement needs and solutions.
Develop, interpret, analyze, and write policy, legislation, and code.
Directly supervise three planners, including staff performance evaluation and conflict management.
Lead project teams of consultants and internal subject matter experts; manage project scope, schedules, and budgets.
Serve as a subject matter expert on transportation planning and policy, contemporary multimodal planning practices, and community engagement.
Conduct cross-disciplinary analysis incorporating safety, political, strategic, fiscal, environmental, mobility, equity, legal, and land-use considerations.
Synthesize technical information and communicate it clearly and accurately to decision-makers and the public, in writing and orally.
Produce and contribute to reports, proviso responses, grant applications, budget proposals, and responses to complex questions from political leaders and the public.
Represent the division on interdepartmental teams, external workgroups, and committees.
Develop and implement performance measurement strategies and reporting.
Perform other duties as assigned.