Assistant Director, Transit Initiatives Program Implementation

Salary : $164,940.67 - $219,760.94 Annually
Location : San Francisco, CA
Job Type: Regular/Full-Time
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number: 769
Section: Regional Network Management Section
Opening Date: 12/07/2023
Closing Date: 1/7/2024 11:59 PM Pacific
DESCRIPTION
DEADLINE TO APPLY IS SUNDAY, JANUARY 7, 2024 AT 11:59 PM
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, PLEASE APPLY IMMEDIATELY
First round interviews tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, January 23, 2024
A resume and cover letter are not required with your application, but highly encouraged
Be ready to rethink your assumptions about the public sector. Dedicated and motivated colleagues? Beautiful, high amenity building for on-site work and collaboration? Flexible schedules and hybrid work options? Yes, yes, and yes!
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. MTC is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the state designated Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA) for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. MTC provides services to the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). For more information about MTC, visit .
The Assistant Director, Transit Initiatives Program Implementation is a key member of the Regional Network Management (RNM) team. The RNM Section has a cross-functional portfolio and works collaboratively with staff within MTC and across multiple transit agencies in support of the RNM mission, vision, and program delivery. This position will be centered on advancing the implementation of customer facing improvements, including fare integration policy, mapping and wayfinding, and bus transit priority. This recruitment effort seeks top quality applicants that possess strong management, problem-solving, analytical, communication and transit operating and program/project delivery skills, and a track record of establishing and maintaining trusted and collaborative working relationships with partner agencies, with a focus on Bay Area transit agencies.
All employees at MTC are classified as Disaster Services Workers.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
The ideal candidates will have the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
Knowledge

• Strong knowledge of the San Francisco Bay Area transit network, including knowledge of operators and key transit corridors.
• Program delivery and/or project management
• Strategic planning and policy.
• General understanding of fare policy and implementation; mapping and wayfinding design and implementation; bus transit priority planning, design, and project delivery; and other key action areas included in the Bay Area's Transit Transformation Action Plan.
• Familiarity with communication and marketing and branding in support of customer relations, and communications activities for a public agency.
• Performance-based program monitoring including tracking and reporting of key performance indicators.

Skills and Abilities

• Strong, proven ability to bring disparate parties to consensus;
• Strong time management and organizational skills;
• Experience with delivering and implementing programs and projects;
• Strategic, innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to problem solving;
• Cultural intelligence and curiosity to understand various perspectives;
• Lead high-performing teams and effective staff management including the ability to motivate staff;
• Able to navigate in a fast-paced, robust environment;
• Demonstrated ability to grow into new roles and responsibilities;
• Critical and analytical thinking;
• Excellent communication, presentation, and listening skills; and
• Commitment to the mission, vision, and goals of the organization and the importance of the Bay Area transit system.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
An appropriate combination of education and experience that has provided the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way of obtaining the required qualifications is:
Education: A Master's degree in an appropriate field related to the area of assignment, such as transportation planning, project management, public finance, transportation engineering, economics, business or public administration. Applicants with a degree issued from an institution outside the United States must have their transcripts evaluated by an academic accrediting service and provide proof of equivalency along with the application.
Experience: Three years of increasingly responsible experience in an appropriate field related to the area of assignment.
A Bachelor's degree in an appropriate discipline and four years of relevant experience is an alternative qualification.
Preferred Qualifications

• Completion of a Master's degree from an accredited college or university in an appropriate discipline, such as public administration, business or related discipline is preferred.
  
• Minimum of five (5) years of increasingly responsible experience effectively leading and managing a team or division doing related work. Experience should include a minimum of three (3) years of management experience in agency administration, operations, or similar position.
• Additional professional experience should include elements related to project management, business, sustainability, social equity, and other quality of life issues.
• Specific and considerable experience with public transit operations, planning, funding, policy, and transportation and mobility issues is critically important as well as experience with the unique Bay Area transit landscape and system interconnectedness and autonomy is preferred.
• Prior experience working with Bay Area transit agencies.
• Specific experience with businesses and technologies that support public sector operations is desirable, and experience with similar sized or larger organizations preferable. Experience should also include three (3) years supervising, mentoring, and coaching professional and technical staff and contractors.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Specific assignments and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Support the Regional Network Management (RNM) Council and Customer Advisory Group.
• Provide complex strategic and management support to the Regional Network Management Director and as appropriate to MTC and Transit Partner Executives.
• Manage staff and work cross-sectionally with internal MTC staff and externally across multiple transit agencies in support of the Regional Network Management mission, vision and program delivery.

Key Member of the RNM Team in Support of RNM Activities

• Lead a team in support of the vision and mission of the Regional Network Management and be responsible for RNM activities including management of staff and oversight of consultants to ensure that results are accomplished efficiently and in accordance with acceptable standards for quality and technical integrity, and in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Implementation of an initial set of focus areas established for the RNM include fare integration policy; mapping and wayfinding; accessibility; bus transit priority; rail network management; and connected network planning.
• Ensure interactive communication and feedback through meetings with staff, collaborative projects, and measured outcomes.
• Direct and oversee the preparation of staff reports, administrative and technical reports, contracts, and other correspondence to ensure that applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures are adhered to.
• Respond to key performance indicators (KPIs) established to gauge program performance and benefits and make course adjustments as needed in support of continuous improvement and evolution of the RNM.

Support the RNM Council, RNM Customer Advisory Group and MTC Committees

• Provide staff support to the RNM Council, which is comprised of approximately 10 GM-level Operators and MTC representatives who understand transit operations and can represent the interests of their stakeholders and provide leadership and critical input on regional policies.
• Provide staff support to the RNM Committee, which is a standing Committee of MTC that includes MTC Commissioners as well as several ex-officio transit representatives and a state representative. Provide support to other MTC Committees as needed.
• Provide staff support to the Customer Advisory Group, which is comprised of a group of stakeholders who represent the customer and can help inform decision-making with the customer in mind. The Group will have approximately 20 members with roughly half from MTC's Policy Advisory Council and half representative of stakeholder groups.
• Coordinate and oversee staff support of meetings including agenda setting, packet production, and staff reports and follow-up.

Strengthen Regional Partnerships and Collaboration

• Coordinate with other staff at MTC to ensure an integrated approach to RNM key focus areas.
• Work collaboratively with staff of the Bay Area's transit agencies and other key partner agencies in support of the RNM mission and implementation of customer facing improvements for transit.
• Cultivate and maintain effective working relationships with business community leaders, stakeholder groups, and partner agency staff.

THE FOLLOWING ARE AMONG THE BENEFITS OFFERED TO MANAGEMENT STAFF OF MTC:

• Public Employees Retirement System (PERS); employee contributes a portion of gross salary on a pre-tax basis.
  • MTC is subject to California Pension Reform and as of January 1, 2013 will offer two pension plans. The plan employee will receive will be based on the individual's historical pension plan membership. HR will discuss this directly with all final candidates.
• Health Benefits Insurance through the Public Employees' Retirement System (premiums are shared between agency and employee).
• Agency-paid Dental Insurance (dependent coverage shared by the employee and MTC).
• Agency-paid Vision Care Insurance, employees only (dependent coverage is paid in full by employee).
• Agency-paid Life, AD&D, Short Term and Long Term Disability Insurance.
• Eleven paid holidays per year.
• One day per month paid vacation leave; for each year of service, an additional day per year is granted to a maximum of 25 days per year.
• One day per month paid sick leave, with no limit to the amount of sick leave that can be accumulated.
• Personal Business leave; up to three (3) days per year depending upon date of hire.
• Monthly Transit/Parking Subsidy.
• Alternative employee paid payroll savings plans available (tax-deferred compensation plans).
• Two employee-paid voluntary participation programs which are pre-tax, dependent care and flexible spending accounts.
• Voluntary Supplemental life insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program.

01
Travel patterns continue to evolve in a post-pandemic environment. As the transit industry grapples with these changing trends, what do you see as key challenges and opportunities? Specifically, are there key shifts and transformative changes needed for transit to stay relevant and support climate goals?
02
How can transportation agencies enhance the transit rider's customer experience in the Bay Area?
03
Please describe your experience working with multi-disciplinary, cross-functional teams, either internally or externally with partner agencies on an initiative or set of programs. In your experience, what are key elements to developing a good team?
04
MTC is also hiring for an Assistant Director, Strategic Policy and Partnerships position. Please indicate if you will be applying to that position and indicate which position is your first and second choice.
Required Question