Customer Experience Trainee

Introduction

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

• Monday – Friday
• Full‑time (40 hours per week)
• First shift
• Location:
  
  Newington, CT
• Eligible for telework after successful completion of the working test period, following telework policies.

The Customer Experience unit is responsible for ensuring transit customers and their experiences influence and support innovation and decision‑making in state public transportation services. The unit oversees the 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.

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

• Contribute to the development of the Bureau of Public Transportation Customer Comment Clearinghouse – an initiative to automate, centralize, and analyze all transit customer feedback data.
• Assist with responding to transit customer and stakeholder inquiries and maintain a communications log to ensure timely responses.
• Help develop and maintain reports, visualizations, and dashboards to communicate insights to staff, leadership, and stakeholders.
• Contribute to the development of metrics and key performance indicators aligned with the Bureau’s mission and strategic goals.
• Assist with the implementation, evaluation, and future updates to CTDOT’s Customer Experience Action Plan.
• Assist with public engagement activities with transit customers and stakeholders.
• Support other unit initiatives, including statewide fare transformation, FTA Title VI Service and Fare Equity analysis, and customer‑facing transit technology projects, as needed.
• Perform related duties as required.

• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to acquire knowledge and skills required for the target classification.
• Analytical skills: evaluate and solve problems, perform basic arithmetical computations, interpret charts, graphs, and tables.
• Proficiency with computer software, including Microsoft Office and similar productivity tools.
• Capacity to learn and reason, establish and maintain cooperative relations with superiors, associates, and the general public.

Candidates must be able to meet the experience and training requirements of the designated job class upon completion of the development program.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Public Administration, Public Policy, Urban or Regional Planning, Data Science, Computer Science, Data Analytics, Business Analytics, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Marketing, Communications, or a closely related field.
• Experience or training with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) or similar software.
• Experience or training in data collection, databases, data analysis, and data visualization.
• Experience or training in communicating in writing and verbally with members of the public.
• Experience or training working in a high‑volume, deadline‑driven environment while managing multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Experience utilizing public transportation services or training in public transportation planning and operations.

First year of training:
Bachelor’s degree – 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).

• Professional growth and development opportunities.
• Healthy work/life balance for all employees.

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages applications from women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

As defined by Sec. 5‑196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. A job class is not meant to be all‑inclusive of every task or responsibility.