Transportation Planner II/III

Mid-America Regional Council • Kansas City, MO

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) is seeking a qualified individual to serve as a Transportation Planner II - III. The planner will provide support for engaging local officials, community stakeholders, and the public in integrating regional transportation and environment planning initiatives, both with each other, and with local government and statewide plans.

MARC, the association of local governments and metropolitan planning organization for the bistate Kansas City region, promotes and supports cooperation on regional issues, including transportation, the environment, our workforce and economy, aging services, community development, quality early learning, public safety communications and emergency services. MARC has a collaborative work environment with a culture based on integrity, innovation, diversity and inclusion, excellence in performance and service leadership.

MARC prepares a long-range Metropolitan Transportation Plan every five years, including elements for all modes of travel, a Transportation Improvement Program every two years allocating federal funds to projects, and other metropolitan planning products. MARC recently developed a Regional Climate Action Plan (CAP), framing a collaborative, integrated, systems-based, equity-focused agenda bridging environment, transportation and other sectors. The planner will work within MARC’s Transportation and Environment department to provide support and assistance for advancing the CAP by developing plans, policies, programs, and related projects. The planner will provide support for MARC committees, regional transportation and environmental performance measures and targets, funding programs and grant writing, among other tasks.

The planner will assist in the support of one or more regional committees or subcommittees that provide oversight to regional planning efforts and funding programming activities. The planner will work with the agency’s public affairs staff to develop information to support a comprehensive community education and engagement process involving local officials, other stakeholders, and the public. The planner will be responsible for collecting and analyzing information about climate and environmental strategies that could affect transportation investments; meeting with local officials and other stakeholders to discuss plans and policies; and identifying potential approaches to enhance the resilience of the region’s transportation infrastructure through supportive policies, programs, and practices.

Requirements

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of urban and regional planning, transportation planning, climate resilience, environmental planning, and community planning and/or other related disciplines.
• Strong project management skills.
• The ability to be effective in working with diverse constituencies, including local government officials, internal and external boards and committees and the public.
• Interpersonal skills necessary to effectively interact with internal staff; effectively communicates with the general public, media, and outside organizations to successfully present information, respond to questions and consult with others.
• Strong attention to detail, ability to handle multiple demands simultaneously, and strong interpersonal skills.
• Excellent oral, written communication and public speaking skills, strong group facilitation skills, and experience with communicating regional climate resilience, land use, and transportation planning concepts.
• Skills in operating computer programs using spreadsheet, database, word processing, geographic information systems, and other similar programs.
• Skills in interpreting complex graphics and/or computer output related to urban and regional planning processes.
• Knowledge of the principles of research, standard statistical procedures, sources of planning information, and techniques used in the preparation of materials for presentation.
• Skill in developing grant proposals and managing grant implementation.
• Depending on the level of Planner, the positions require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in regional, environmental or transportation planning, environmental studies, geography, public administration, or closely related field.
• Demonstrated experience using data and data tools to drive decisions in innovative directions.
• Planner II – 2 to 5 years’ experience and a master’s degree required
• Planner III - 5 to 8 years’ experience and a master’s degree required
• All positions require successful and progressively responsible and related work experience, and project management experience.

Nice To Haves

• Certification from American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead a planning effort to assess the resilience of the region’s transportation system to natural hazards such as flooding, drought, and severe storms
• Lead or support development of transportation and environmental benchmarks, performance measures, modeling applications and targets
• Support activities of MARC committees and roundtables, with a focus on connecting transportation and environmental planning goals
• Support local government transportation and environmental planning studies
• Write and support grant applications for various environmental/transportation opportunities
• Support procurement and management of vendor contracts
• Participate in internal staff workgroups
• Other duties as assigned

Benefits

• MARC offers an attractive team-oriented work environment along with a competitive fringe benefit package.
• MARC offers employees the flexibility to work remotely for up to two days per work week.

What This Job Offers

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