The Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) of the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) seeks a passionate, civic-minded leader to provide strategic direction for a team of transportation planning, engineering, and analyst project managers and staff.
The Director of Projects and Partnerships will support and inspire project managers and staff, providing tools and guidance to effectively deliver projects. The Director will also maintain and enhance close connections with stakeholders, such as the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), and municipalities that fund planning for regionally significant multimodal transportation projects. The Director will work with the Director of Policy and Planning and Associate Director of Regional Modeling and Analysis to ensure that Boston Region MPO goals are supported through all project work. The Directors report to the Executive Director.
The successful candidate will join the team during a strategic planning process that is expected to be completed in the spring of 2021. The roles and interfaces of the groups and staff are being explored and could potentially be reimagined. The Director of Projects and Partnerships will collaborate with the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director to implement recommendations of the strategic planning process.
The Director of Projects and Partnerships provides leadership and strategic direction for project management and delivery including communication, budget and schedule management, and incorporating QA/QC. Project work includes transportation-related planning, analysis, and data analytics. Other responsibilities for the Director of Projects and Partnerships include:
Managing overall allocation of staff resources to various project commitments, with attention to staff capacity
Providing strategic direction and support for building and maintaining relationships with MassDOT, MBTA, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), and other state, regional, and local agencies
Coordinating, delegating, and facilitating responses to data requests
Supporting and mentoring project management staff
Representing the organization on committees, task forces, and regional boards as needed; including public presentations
Evaluating planning-related legislation and applicability to projects
As part of the upper management team, the Director of Projects and Partnerships also works with the Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director, and Directors to collaborate on overall operations, agency-wide goals, policies, and procedures.
We welcome applicants with the following qualifications and attributes:
Master’s degree in business, urban planning, transportation planning, traffic engineering, public administration or a related field with at least 10 years of experience; or a bachelor’s degree in business, urban planning, transportation planning, traffic engineering, public administration or a related field with at least 12 years of experience. Five of the 10–12 years of experience must be in a leadership, management, or supervisory capacity
Deep understanding of best practices around project delivery, project management, personnel management, including familiarity with work flow management software
Working knowledge of federal, state and local laws, ordinances and codes pertaining to transportation planning topics
An ability to lead through collaboration and emotional intelligence
Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills to be able to engage with all levels of staff, clients, colleagues, and the public
A commitment to transparency, equity, and public service
Additional desirable skills and qualifications include:
Experience working with MPOs
Experience with federal (NEPA) and state (MEPA) environmental processes
Familiarity with MassDOT’s project development process
Additional Information
This is a full time position and the starting salary range is $110,000–$120,000 annually, contingent upon qualifications and experience.
CTPS offers excellent Massachusetts state employee benefits; a flexible, supportive, and family-friendly work environment; and a commitment to ongoing professional development. Our office is located in downtown Boston in a transit-oriented and bicycle-friendly environment. We are currently working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Candidates must have legal authorization to work in the United States and the ability to arrange transportation to meetings in different parts of the region. A Criminal Offenders Records Information (CORI) request must be completed if offered this position. However, a criminal record is not an automatic bar to employment but will be reviewed in relation to the job applied for.
MAPC is the fiduciary agent for CTPS and legally employs its staff. MAPC and CTPS are Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) employers that take pride in the diversity of their workforces and encourage all qualified persons to apply.
About the Central Transportation Planning Staff
CTPS is a passionate group of transportation planners, analysts, modelers, programmers, and engineers working to address the Boston region’s transportation challenges. The deep transportation knowledge and expertise of this close-knit team is a critical asset to MassDOT, MBTA, regional transit authorities, cities and towns within the region, and other agencies and stakeholders.
How to Apply
This position is open until February 26, 2021 and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. A review of applications will begin immediately. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume online at www.CTPS.org or www.BostonMPO.org.
NOTES:
Additional Salary Information: This is a full time position and the starting salary range is $110,000–$120,000 annually, contingent upon qualifications and experience.
About Central Transportation Planning Staff
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is responsible for conducting the federally required metropolitan transportation planning process for the Boston metropolitan area. This planning process is often called the 3C process because it is continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive. The MPO uses this process to develop a vision for transportation in the region and to decide how to allocate federal and state transportation funds to transportation programs and projects that improve roadway, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure. The vision established by the MPO is integral to each of the certification documents that the MPO is required to produce: the Long-Range Transportation Plan, Transportation Improvement Program, and Unified Planning Work Program.
The Boston Region MPO encompasses 97 cities and towns (pdf map) (html list), covering approximately 1,360 square miles and stretching from Boston to Ipswich in the north, Marshfield in the south, and to approximately Interstate 495 in the west. The region is home to nearly three million people and supports about two million jobs. The communities in the region range from relatively rural towns, such as Do...ver, to large urban centers, such as Boston and Cambridge. Therefore, transportation planning must take into account the demographic, cultural, and environmental diversity of the region, and consider the various means by which residents and visitors travel in the region.
reduced size graphic of MPO organizational chartCooperatively selecting transportation programs and projects for funding is a role of the MPO’s 22 voting members. The membership, which is documented in the MPO’s Memorandum of Understanding (pdf) (html), includes state agencies, regional entities, and municipalities. Each fall, four municipal seats on the MPO’s board are up for election. The chief elected officials of the municipalities in the region vote to elect these members. You can learn more about this process on the election page. The organizational chart illustrates the MPO’s structure.
The work of the MPO is performed by the Central Transportation Planning Staff under the direction of the MPO board. Throughout its work, the MPO promotes a strong public involvement program, collaborating with interested parties on an ongoing basis.
In all of its programs and activities, the MPO complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other federal and state non-discrimination statutes and regulations. Learn about the MPO’s nondiscrimination policy and how to submit a complaint here.
The activities of the MPO are periodically reviewed by the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration. The latest Certification Review Report (pdf) was issued in April 2019.
