Director of Transit Planning

Welcome to the City of Charlotte

Charlotte is Americas Queen City opening her arms to a diverse and inclusive community of residents businesses and visitors alike. Here you will find a safe family-oriented city where people work together to help everyone thrive. The mission of the City of Charlotte is to deliver quality public services and promote the safety health and quality of life for all residents.

Our guiding principles include:

• Attracting and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce

• Valuing teamwork openness accountability productivity and employee development

• Providing all customers with courteous responsive accessible and seamless quality services

• Taking initiative to identify analyze and solve problems

• Collaborating with stakeholders to make informed decisions

SUMMARY

Major Duties and Responsibilities

The following duties are standard for this position. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar related or a logical assignment for this classification.

Strategic Leadership and Direction

• Establish and continually refine CATS planning vision priorities and policies supporting long-term mobility strategy near-term service delivery and ongoing system performance.
• Align planning functions with organizational strategic plans funding strategies capital delivery programs and operational capacity.
• Foster innovation and forward-looking approaches to system planning technology adoption and multimodal network design.

Program Oversight and Coordination

• Provide leadership and direction to Assistant Directors managers supervisors and planning staff across long-range planning service planning scheduling and service change implementation.
• Ensure coordination across functional planning units and alignment with Operations Capital Development Customer Experience and Finance departments.
• Oversee planning-related compliance including Title VI accessibility requirements service equity practices and federal planning regulations.

Governance Policy and Budget Administration

• Develop and manage the planning divisions operating budget staffing strategy resource allocation and capital program support requirements.
• Oversee consultant contract management procurement processes and resource planning necessary to support major studies and capital planning initiatives.
• Develop or contribute to agency policy documents system plans standards and operating guidelines.

Regional Collaboration and Representation

• Serve as a senior representative to regional planning agencies councils of government MPOs peer agencies and external partners.
• Support federal and regional funding applications project development submissions and long-range investment documentation.

Stakeholder Engagement and Communication

• Present planning strategies recommendations and updates to executive leadership governing boards elected officials and community stakeholders.
• Ensure planning efforts reflect transparent communication comprehensive and high-quality public engagement and commitment to equity and customer experience.

Organizational Leadership and Workforce Development

• Build and sustain a planning culture centered on continuous improvement operational excellence and data-driven decision-making.
• Support professional development succession planning training and cross-functional learning opportunities across the planning division.
• Champion employee engagement accountability and collaborative work processes.

Other Responsibilities

• Stay current with evolving transit industry practices regulatory changes and technology trends influencing planning.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.
• As part of your responsibility to support the CATS Safety Culture report safety concerns and issues through the various methods established by CATS as outlined in the ASP.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Systems Thinking Sees the organization as an integrated system; anticipates future mobility needs emerging industry trends and structural implications of policy or funding decisions.
• Leadership & Talent Development Builds high-performing teams; coaches and develops leaders; fosters accountability transparency and a positive culture.
• Collaboration & Influence Builds productive internal and external partnerships; navigates diverse interests to achieve alignment and shared outcomes.
• Decision-Making & Judgment Applies sound analysis risk assessment and prioritization; makes informed decisions in ambiguous evolving or politically sensitive environments.
• Community & Customer Focus Ensures planning strategies reflect community needs promote equitable access and improve customer experience.
• Communication & Public Interface Communicates clearly with technical and non-technical audiences; presents confidently to executive leadership elected officials boards and community stakeholders.

Supervision Given to:

• Manager of Long-Range Planning
• Manager of Service Planning and Manager of Scheduling
• Administrative Assistant II

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

Knowledge

• Multimodal transportation planning transit service planning regional planning frameworks and scheduling principles.
• Federal state and regional transportation planning requirements including Title VI equity frameworks funding programs and MPO processes.
• Project delivery organizational change management and governance structures common to public transportation agencies.

Skill

• Leading diverse technical teams and aligning multiple interdependent work programs toward shared outcomes.
• Managing large-scale planning studies operational programs consultant teams and budgets.
• Clear persuasive communication across technical and nontechnical audiences including high-level policy forums.

Ability

• Balance strategic thinking with operational understanding and implementation readiness.
• Build relationships and navigate complex political interagency and community environments.
• Lead through collaboration inspire high-performance cultures and guide decision-making in dynamic and evolving contexts.

Qualifications

Minimum:

• Bachelors degree in urban planning geography transportation planning public administration engineering or related field.

• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in transportation urban planning transit service planning or related fields.

• At least three (3) years of experience managing staff programs or cross-functional planning initiatives.

• Demonstrated experience leading planning activities within a public sector transit agency metropolitan planning organization (MPO) or comparable organizational environment.

Preferred:

• Masters degree in transportation planning public policy engineering or related field.

• Ten (10) or more years of experience leading planning or operational functions in a mid- to large-sized multimodal transit system.

• Experience overseeing scheduling service planning long-range planning or regional mobility strategies.

• AICP PTP PE or equivalent relevant credential.

• Experience in federal funding processes NEPA-linked planning and/or leading Title VI analyses and service equity reviews.

Working Environment and Physical Demands

Work is performed in a hybrid office and field environment. The role requires the use of computers data visualization tools and standard office equipment. Occasional work in operational or construction environments may require the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). The position may require attendance at evening or weekend public meetings board sessions and stakeholder events.

The employee must be able to:

• Sit or stand for extended periods.
• Travel locally within the service region and occasionally out of region for conferences coordination meetings and project reviews.
• Lift up to 15 pounds occasionally (e.g. documents laptops or presentation equipment).

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

The Citys Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes but is not limited to: reference checks social security verification education verification criminal conviction record check and if applicable a credit history check sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.

Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidates written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.

Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. During the selection process candidates may be asked to take a skills test and/or participate in other assessments.

The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race religion color sex national origin marital status age disability sexual orientation political affiliation or on the basis of actual or perceived gender as expressed through dress appearance or behavior.

Our culture is to serve the community honorably.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online.

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.

You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby where self-service application kiosks are available. They are located in our office at 700 East 4th Street Suite 200 Charlotte NC 28202. We are open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (EST) excluding official City holidays.

For questions about your application or the hiring process please email .

The City of Charlotte is committed to making our services and programs accessible to all. Upon request auxiliary aids written materials in alternate formats language access and other reasonable accommodations or modifications will be provided. To make a request please fill out the Innovation & Technology ADA request form or call 704.336.4120.

BENEFITS

The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees.

Clickhereto learn more about the City of Charlottes benefits.

The City of Charlotte is a drug and alcohol-free workplace.