Kentucky Transportation Planning Department Leader - Transportation Market

Gresham Smith•Lexington, KY

13h

About The Position

Gresham Smith is seeking a Transportation Planning Department Leader to lead transportation planning operations and growth in the Kentucky transportation market. The role supports development and execution of the department’s annual state integrated business plan, aligned with the firm’s Strategic Plan and market business plan. It combines business development, client relationship management, project delivery, departmental operations, and team leadership. The leader will collaborate with State or Area Leaders, other Department Leaders, and Marketing on client plans, proposals, and pursuit interviews; build and maintain client relationships; identify new opportunities; and develop proposals, scopes, and fee structures. The position also provides operational insight for successful delivery, oversees department workload and resources, mentors employees, guides Project Managers and teams, and works across the firm to strengthen transportation planning capabilities. Gresham Smith describes its culture as people-first, collaborative, inclusive, and focused on creating healthy and thriving communities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Transportation Planning, Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
Eight or more years of relevant experience, including experience serving clients in a consulting or managerial capacity.
Professional licensure or certification.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop and deliver persuasive presentations that build client confidence and secure contracts.
Experience managing and delivering multidisciplinary transportation planning projects in collaboration with related disciplines such as engineering design, land use, urban design, or economic development.
Extensive knowledge of state- and federal-level transportation planning, governance, and funding.
Recognized expertise and leadership in transportation planning and related disciplines.
Demonstrated success in business development, client relationship management, and securing new work.
Strong leadership skills, including the ability to mentor, coach, develop, and retain high-performing teams.
Ability to effectively manage departmental operations, resources, workloads, performance, and administrative responsibilities.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification.

Responsibilities

Support development and execution of the department’s annual state integrated business plan, aligned with the firm’s Strategic Plan and market business plan.
Collaborate with State or Area Leaders, other Department Leaders, and Marketing to develop and execute client marketing plans, proposals, and pursuit interviews.
Apply Gresham Smith’s Way to Win protocols to support effective pursuit execution.
Initiate new client relationships and strengthen existing relationships.
Develop proposals, scopes of work, and fee structures to secure new projects.
Identify and pursue new business opportunities to expand the firm’s client portfolio.
Identify opportunities for innovation in transportation planning.
Develop tactical plans to identify strategic clients, cultivate business relationships, monitor client satisfaction, and track pursuit leads.
Monitor market trends and anticipate skills and capabilities needed to meet evolving client expectations.
Maintain client relationships and provide operational insight to support successful project delivery.
Mentor, coach, and develop employees.
Direct and supervise departmental workload, performance, resource planning, and administrative matters.
Collaborate with State or Area Leaders and other Department Leaders to achieve state goals, support growth, and meet performance metrics.
Foster an inclusive workplace that values individual differences.
Communicate frequently and transparently to engage and retain talent.
Supervise the department’s technical functions and ensure adequate resources for effective and efficient operations.
Solicit feedback on departmental performance, methods, effectiveness, and progress toward tactical plans.
Promote communication and collaboration across all organizational levels.
Communicate with corporate management to resolve issues and share personnel, workloads, market leads, and ideas.
Collaborate with Marketing to identify materials and resources that strengthen business development efforts.
Attract, develop, and retain technical specialists to strengthen transportation planning capabilities.
Guide Project Managers and project teams in meeting client expectations.