Customer Experience Trainee; Target Class: Transportation Planner

Recruitment #FS-001

Location:

Newington, CT
Date Opened: 7/13/2026 12:00:00 AM
Salary: $58,130 - $80,012/year (
* See salary note below)
Job Type: Open to the Public
Close Date: 7/27/2026 11:59:00 PM

The State of Connecticut, Department of Transportation (CTDOT), is now accepting applications for a Customer Experience Trainee (Connecticut Careers Trainee
- Engineering And Related) position with a target class of Transportation Planner 1 within the Customer Experience unit in the Bureau of Public Transportation in Newington, CT.

• Monday
  - Friday
• Full-time (40 hours per week)
• First shift
• Location:
  
  Newington, CT
• This position is eligible to apply for telework after successful completion of the working test period, and thereafter, in accordance with the Telework Policy. Employees in their initial working test period must work on site in the office.

The Customer Experience unit was established to ensure that transit customers and their experiences are influencing and supporting innovation and decision-making with the state’s public transportation services. The unit oversees CTDOT’s Customer Experience Action Plan, statewide fare transformation initiatives, FTA Title VI Service and Fare Equity Analyses, public outreach and communication with transit customers and stakeholders, and other customer-facing projects and programs.

This role is designed for candidates eager to learn, grow, and contribute to high-impact projects in a collaborative environment. This posting may be used to fill future positions in the Customer Experience unit.

As a Connecticut Careers Trainee, you will receive on-the-job training and mentorship to develop skills in transportation planning. Working closely with experienced transit planners, you will help interpret bus and rail customer feedback data to develop actionable insights.

The length of the development program is determined by the experience and training requirements of the designated class and the prior experience of the incumbent. At the completion of the development program incumbents must meet the experience and training requirements of the designated class. The program cannot be less than one (1) year and cannot exceed three (3) calendar years in accordance with C.G.S. 5-234.

Incumbents in this class will be eligible for reclassification to the designated class without competitive examination upon successful completion of the development program and satisfactory service.

All appointments to this class shall be under terms of a development program and in accordance with a time schedule approved by the Commissioner of Administrative Services. All development programs must be approved by the Department of Administrative Services prior to appointment to this class.

Eligibility for promotion to the target classification of Transportation Planner 1 is earned upon successful completion of your training program:

• Candidates with a bachelor’s degree may be eligible to serve a 2-year development program.
• Candidates with a master’s degree in a closely related field may be eligible to serve a 1-year development program.
• Candidates with three (3) years of professional experience in transportation engineering or transportation, urban, regional or environmental planning may be eligible to serve a 3-year development program.

• First year of training:
  • Bachelor's degree and/or qualifying experience: FS 15 Step 1 ($58,130/year)
  • Master's degree: FS 15 Step 2 ($60,222/year)
• Second year of training:
  • General rate: FS 15 Step 5 ($66,512/year)

The salary for an employee who completes any of the above minimum requirements after initial appointment to the Connecticut Careers Trainee job class will be adjusted commensurate with the schedule above and effective the pay period following the date the master’s degree has been conferred or the pay period following the date the appropriate number of credits as indicated above have earned.

For current state employees, compensation will be in accordance with guidelines for computing salary adjustments set forth by the Department of Administrative Services, Determining Salary Upon Change in Class manual.

As one of…