Transportation Planner I

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) invites applications for the position of:

Transportation Planner I

SALARY: $52,000 - $62,000

OPENING DATE: 11/05/2020

CLOSING DATE:                            

DESCRIPTION:                  

Position Overview:

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) seeks a Transportation Planner who will work on a wide variety of projects and policies in Greater Boston to encourage more of the region’s trips to involve public transit, bicycling, walking, and electric vehicles. The Planner will report to the Assistant Director of the Transportation Department, and will work on a variety of topics, including transportation demand management, parking (and alternative uses for parking spaces), transportation finance, climate change, dedicated bus lanes, and other activities. The individual will represent MAPC in public forums, manage projects, facilitate working groups, conduct research, author reports and technical memoranda, and maintain and advance relationships with numerous stakeholders.

We seek an individual who is innovative, mission-driven, and committed to advancing smart growth, regional collaboration, and equity. This is an opportunity to work in a dynamic and interdisciplinary environment with professionals who are committed to building a more sustainable future.

About MAPC:

MAPC is the Regional Planning Agency (RPA) serving the people who live and work in metropolitan Boston. Our mission is to promote smart growth and regional collaboration. We are guided by MetroFuture: Making a Greater Boston Region, our regional policy plan for a more sustainable and equitable future, which was adopted in 2008. We are currently working on a successor regional plan, MetroCommon2050: Shaping the Region Together, which we expect to complete by 2020. MAPC’s staff includes approximately 100 full-time employees located in downtown Boston in a transit-accessible and bike-friendly office.

We encourage all our staff to develop new ideas to make MAPC’s planning and policy work more relevant and impactful, and to adapt to changing times. We strongly support the professional development of each and every staff person, believing their growth to be consistent with the best interests of MAPC and the region. This is an opportunity to work in a dynamic, interdisciplinary, and innovative environment with professionals who are committed to building a more sustainable and equitable future for everyone who lives and works in Greater Boston. For more information about MAPC, MetroFuture, and MetroCommon, please visit www.mapc.org.

During the COVID emergency, almost all staff are working from home.  MAPC is deeply committed to on-boarding new staff in ways that integrate them fully into our team of professionals, and maintaining close contact among existing staff, new staff, and external stakeholders.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

• Work with municipalities and the private sector to adopt best policies and practices in Transportation Demand Management;
• Review new development sites for their impact on the transportation system and provide mitigation recommendations, as part of local and state permitting processes;
• Collect and analyze data for downtown parking management studies and bus improvement corridors;
• Research, analyze, write, and present on a variety of subjects, which may include sustainable transportation funding mechanisms, solutions to reduce the climate impact from the transportation sector, COVID-19 impacts on commuting trends, means based transit fares, congestion pricing, economic and safety benefits of shared streets, accurately predicting trips of new development sites, and how changes in land use can reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions;
• Conduct research and oversee projects focused on improving equity in the distribution, quality, and reliability of the transportation system, especially in regard to Environmental Justice populations, transit-dependent individuals and households, and rural communities;
• Support other MAPC staff to conduct planning studies, municipal master plans, and research;
• Maintain and expand relationships between MAPC and relevant stakeholders, including municipal partners, community and advocacy groups, the private sector, academia, and state agencies; and

Perform other duties as necessary to advance the goals of MAPC and MetroFuture, or in the future, MetroCommon2050.

TYPICAL QUALIFICATIONS

The successful applicant will demonstrate the following skills:

• Deep understanding of transportation and land use planning concepts, including public transit, transportation demand , and climate issues;
• Strong interpersonal and public speaking skills;
• Ability to foster and maintain collaborative relationships with local, state and regional officials, agency heads, civic groups, and the public;
• Strong ability to convene, coordinate, and facilitate meetings and events with a diverse group of stakeholders;
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, including ability to manage projects and to handle multiple tasks simultaneously;
• Strong writing skills in both memo and report formats;
• Strong research and presentation skills, including research design, data collection and analysis, and presentation of results in an effective and accessible format;
• Ability to collaborate and work as part of a project team, as well as to work independently and meet project deadlines;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and the Adobe Suite, including Illustrator;
• Familiarity with GIS, including creation of shapefiles and spatial analysis.

Minimum Educational Requirements

Candidates are required to have a Master’s degree, or Bachelor’s degree plus 2- years of relevant work experience in transportation planning, city/regional planning, civil engineering, public policy or management, or a related field.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

Compensation and Benefits:

Starting salary ranges from $52,000 – $62,000 depending on experience. MAPC offers excellent Massachusetts state employee benefits as well as a flexible, supportive, and family-friendly work environment.