Manager, Planning & Service Development

At the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) we take our mission statement – “Empowering People to Make Connections” – very seriously. With every opportunity, we aim to exceed our stakeholder’s expectations. We’re looking for a personable, yet highly professional, “service extraordinaire” to join us in delivering our mission to our customers and stakeholders.

Working Environment: The work environment characteristics described herein are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. These include temperature, noise level, inside or outside, etc.

Standard office environment with frequent internal and external contacts. Some work will be done outside the office environment.

Travel Expectations:

Possibility of out-of-state travel, mostly local travel.

SYNOPSIS OF POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the direction of the Chief Customer Experience & Mobility Officer, the Manager of Planning and Service Development will manage TARTA’s professional planning and scheduling staff, consultants and functions. As a part of the Customer Experience & Mobility leadership team, he/she will direct short- and long-range service planning, scheduling and customer amenity planning, budget development and special projects in order to improve TARTA services. This includes land development planning, mobility service integration, strategic and policy planning, short- and long-term planning related capital programs and projects.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provides leadership in accordance with Core Values and establishes performance standards as outlined in the Strategic Plan.
• Translates TARTA-wide goals and strategies into operational objectives with action plans. Provides high level direction in terms of department goals strategic management supporting the goals and objectives.
• Develops, coordinates and implements the annual work program for the expenditure of planning and Service Development funds.
• Plans, designs and implements strategies that foster increased community awareness and involvement for TARTA planning and Service Development related programs and projects.
• Directs planning and scheduling personnel in the review, presentation and implementation of service changes and the data supporting the changes.
• Develops and maintains positive, close working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, governmental agencies, jurisdictional planning and Service Development
  personnel and the general public for the optimization and advancement of TARTA services, projects and programs.
• Directs scheduling activities, including preparation of run picks and related material.
• Responsible for compliance of federal, state and local laws, ordinances, codes and regulations related to transportation planning and Service Development such as Title VI, Charter, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), National Transit Database (NTD) and
  other Federal Transit Administration (FTA) programs.
• Maintains awareness of new trends and developments in the fields related to area of transit planning and Service Development; incorporates new developments as appropriate; ensures processes policies and practices are interpreted and applied consistently and effectively.
• Other duties as assigned.

Leadership Duties and Responsibilities:

• Actively coaches employees to continually meet or exceed in their job performance.
• Develops team building and recognition strategies for staff.
• Ensures all employees are aware of TARTA’s Core Values, policies and procedures, departmental rules and procedures, and have received proper instructions, orientation, and training.
• Develops and maintains oversight of the orientation and training of personnel.
• Meets with employees to discuss the problem and the performance standards that were expected and gain his/her agreement to correct the problem.

Competencies – Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Considerable knowledge and experience with the following planning, and Service Development topics:
  1. Federal, state and local laws, ordinances, codes and regulations pertaining to a wide variety of transportation planning matters such as Title VI, Charter, ADA, NTD and other FTA programs.
  2. Methods, techniques and application of fixed route planning, scheduling, such as run-cutting and rostering.
  3. Application of Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) as it relates to the scheduling of transit work schedules.
  4. Principles of budgeting and finance as it relates to Service Development, planning and implementation of services.
  5. Computer applications including Microsoft Office, transit planning and scheduling software Trapeze FX and Blockbuster, Remix, Automated Passenger Counters (APC), Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and Geographic Information System (GIS).
• Significant experience making presentations to internal and external stakeholder groups.
• Significant experience interpreting and applying federal, state and local transportation planning processes, regulations, and grant programs.
• Experience managing complex transportation projects.
• Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with the ability to comprehend written directions and instructions.
• Significant knowledge of locations, streets and highways in Lucas County area preferred but not required.

Required Qualifications and Attributes:

• Bachelor’s degree in Planning, Business, Public Administration, or closely related field.
• Five (5) years progressively responsible experience with urban/transportation management, planning and scheduling, project management, oversight of planning capital projects or closely related projects, including two (2) years of management experience.

EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) Statement: Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. TARTA does not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, or any other consideration made unlawful by applicable federal, state or local laws.