Planning Manager

General Summary

Under general direction of the Senior Director of Mobility Planning and Policy, the Planning Manager is responsible for leading a team of planners in the development and implementation of LTD's planning and policy agenda. This position manages a broad portfolio spanning long-range transportation planning, service planning, service policy, and interagency coordination. The Planning Manager serves as a senior subject matter expert and project director for major planning initiatives, tracks and programs updates to state and federally-mandated planning and policy documents, oversees consultant and contract management, and represents the District in regional and statewide planning forums.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by employees in this job. Employees may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

Team Leadership & Staff Management

• Supervise, develop, coach, and evaluate a team of planners setting performance expectations, providing ongoing feedback, and supporting professional development.
• Assign and manage workload across team members to ensure effective execution of the department's project portfolio.
• Promote a collaborative, high-performing team culture consistent with LTD's organizational values.
• Participate in hiring, onboarding, and retention of Planning department staff.

Planning Portfolio Management

• Maintain a current inventory of the Planning team's active and upcoming projects, ensuring appropriate resource allocation, schedule management, and alignment with organizational priorities.
• Track regulatory update cycles and compliance deadlines for state and federally-mandated planning and policy documents, and program the team's work accordingly.
• Coordinate with the Senior Director to sequence and prioritize the project portfolio in response to funding opportunities, Board direction, and interagency commitments.
• Ensure planning projects are executed in compliance with applicable federal and state requirements, including FTA, FHWA, and ODOT program requirements.
• Monitor federal and state regulatory developments affecting transit planning and policy compliance, and brief the Senior Director on implications for the team's work program.

Long-Range & Strategic Planning

• Serve as Project Director for major planning initiatives, overseeing scope, schedule, budget, stakeholder engagement, and consultant performance.
• Lead or coordinate the preparation of major planning documents, corridor studies, and service development frameworks in alignment with LTD's strategic direction.
• Represent LTD in MPO, regional, and statewide planning processes, including those related to the Regional Transportation Plan and related federal and state planning requirements.
• Coordinate with jurisdictional and agency partners on transportation and land use planning matters affecting transit.

Service Planning

• Provide direct oversight and technical leadership for the Service Planning team, currently consisting of two Senior Service Planners, with anticipated growth to three positions.
• Apply firsthand knowledge of transit service planning principles and methods to guide day-to-day work, review technical products, and ensure quality and consistency across service planning deliverables.
• Oversee the team's scheduling and bid management work, including operator and vehicle needs analysis, bid preparation, and implementation of operational service changes.
• Ensure timely and accurate execution of FTA-required service and fare change analyses, including Title VI equity analyses and triennial program submissions.
• Oversee management of bus stop and service infrastructure, including coordination with jurisdictional partners on stop placement and infrastructure issues.
• Support the integration of service planning work into broader planning and policy processes, including long-range planning, budget development, and Board reporting.
• Coordinate with Operations, Fleet, Finance, and Marketing to ensure service planning work reflects operational capacity and organizational priorities.

Interagency Coordination & External Relations

• Represent LTD on technical and policy committees at the regional, state, and national levels.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with elected officials, planning directors, and senior staff at partner agencies.
• Lead or support grant development efforts, including identifying funding opportunities, preparing pre-applications, and coordinating with Finance on grant administration.

Project & Consultant Management

• Manage complex, multi-year planning projects involving consultant teams, public engagement, and interagency coordination.
• Develop scopes of work, negotiate contracts, monitor deliverables, and ensure compliance with procurement policies and contract terms.
• Prepare Board materials, staff reports, and public-facing documents for planning…