Principal Planner

Work, Serve, Thrive. With the City of Durham

Advance in your career while making a real difference in the community you serve.

The Transportation Department plans, builds, and maintains a safe and vibrant multi-modal transportation network that supports safety, mobility, and environmental sustainability to provide a superior quality of life for our residents, businesses, and visitors. If you’re interested in helping bring innovative, community-focused transportation solutions to our community while growing in your career, come to Durham!

Salary Range: $77,507 - $. Work Day/

Hours:

40 hours/week, Monday-Friday.

This position provides planning and project development functions for multi-modal transportation infrastructure improvements in the City of Durham. The position works closely with the Durham County, NCDOT, Triangle West Transportation Planning Organization, GoTriangle, and other City Departments to plan multi-modal improvements to be funded through the Durham County Transit Plan, and other bicycle, pedestrian, safety, and roadway improvements funded through either federal, state, or local funding sources.

A primary focus of this role will be planning and project development for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Durham.

Responsible for managing plan and project development, including consultant oversight, visioning, plan direction, public outreach, and the plan adoption and amendment process; coordinating implementation of capital infrastructure projects; participating in the Durham County Transit Plan Staff Working Group; maintaining records and databases; coordinating with stakeholders to develop and implement engagement events and initiatives including marketing and outreach; coordinating with regional planning organizations and federal/state agencies;

and making complex presentations to diverse audiences, including the public and elected officials.

Decision-making includes providing input into management objectives, incorporating Vision Zero goals, establishing work goals and objectives of a unit to carry out management direction, and selecting the method to address a problem or issue, subject to the constraints established by management objectives and direction.

• Manages planning and project development for transportation infrastructure improvements; oversees project evaluation, selection and implementation; supervises or leads staff as assigned; applies for project funding; convenes and facilitates meetings; evaluates project risks and opportunities; performs transportation planning analyses; develops and makes recommendations; coordinates cost estimates; serves as the primary project contact; ensures adherence to project schedules and budgets, and other applicable regulations, policies, and procedures;
  
  collaborates with peers, planners from partner agencies and consulting firms to develop and evaluate plans; and facilitates plan adoption and amendments.
• Manages consultants working on transportation planning studies and project development; coordinates the RFP process and selection of consultants; directs project methodology; negotiates and administers contracts; develops project parameters; reviews deliverables and provides recommendations for improvement; serves as a liaison to the public, coordinating the public input process; advises on final plan product to address multiple interests; develops and presents planning recommendations to elected officials.
• Collaborates with stakeholders, regional planning organizations, federal or state agencies, and other City departments; convenes and leads meetings; plans and facilitates public engagement and outreach events; provides technical transportation planning assistance and consultation; prepares and delivers presentations; and responds to inquiries from the public and other planning staff.
• Prepares, maintains, reviews, and/or approves reports, plans, grant applications, and other documents; prepares and conducts complex presentations to diverse audiences; oversees the maintenance of records, websites, and databases; researches, reviews and analyzes information and data; develops and makes recommendations; and reviews work and the work of others to ensure accuracy, completeness and compliance with applicable regulations, policies, and procedures.

• Master’s degree in planning, engineering, or a directly related field,
  OR equivalent experience.
• Three years of professional planning and/or project management experience in area of assignment.

• Licensed as an AICP
• Experience/knowledge with Federal and/or State funding requirements;
• Experience in planning or project management for transportation projects.