Transportation Planning Director

The State of Connecticut, Department of Transportation (DOT), is recruiting for a Transportation Planning Director in the Bureau of Policy and Planning, at our headquarters, located in Newington CT. This position offers the opportunity to shape statewide transportation planning in Connecticut during an unprecedented time of investment in infrastructure. We are seeking candidates who excel in team development, communication and relationship building to lead us into the future.

About Us: As one of Connecticut’s largest State agencies, DOT employs approximately 3,000 individuals statewide in five distinct bureaus. It is our mission to provide a safe, accessible, and efficient multimodal transportation network that improves the quality of life and promotes economic vitality for the State and the region. We have a significant transportation infrastructure system that is essential to maintaining mobility for Connecticut residents and businesses and supporting economic and community development while preserving the State’s resources. The Department of Transportation is committed to cultivating a diverse staff that is representative of the communities we serve. Applications from individuals having diverse backgrounds and life experiences are strongly encouraged.

The Role: The Bureau of Policy and Planning collects critical data, conducts planning studies and associated activities to support the movement of people and goods for all modes of transportation. The Bureau is responsible for numerous federal and state mandates and compliance and is responsible for documentation, analyses, as well as acquiring necessary approvals for all proposed projects in support of Department project delivery. The Bureau interacts with Legislative and Congressional members and staff, USDOT funding agencies, State and federal regulatory and cooperating agencies, Regional Councils of Government, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, as well as nationally recognized transportation organizations on various transportation bills including major authorizations and appropriation bills.

The Bureau is comprised of multiple offices, including but not limited to; roadway inventory, environmental planning, sustainability and resiliency, strategic project planning, travel demand and air quality modeling, performance management, project prioritization and research.

The Transportation Planning Director Position is essential to aid the Bureau Chief in: setting goals and objectives for various programs; directing and coordinating the activities of the various offices; managing State Planning and Research funds, building and maintaining relationships with local, regional, state and federal agencies and stakeholders, and ensuring that all state and federal requirements are met on time and in a fiscally responsible manner. Additional management responsibilities include serving as a technical advisor to the Chief of Policy & Planning on matters involving the Department’s plans and policies, interpreting and adhering to pertinent laws and regulations including the recently passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (previously referred to as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)), preparing and monitoring office budgets, and directing the preparation of plans in accordance with Bureau, Department, State and federal policies. All offices within the Bureau of Policy & Planning directly impact the agency’s mission of providing safe and accessible transportation and ensuring compliance with state and federal law and regulations, including those that ensure availability of federal funding to the Department.

This position is full time, 40 hours per week and will report to the Bureau Chief of Policy & Planning.

To Apply:

• In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on this job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.
• The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
• Ensure that your application is complete and detailed before submitting it. In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process. You will not be able to make revisions once your application is submitted into the JobAps system.
• All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.

Important Information After You Apply:

• This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the questionnaire's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.
• Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
• Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
• Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position.
• The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.

Connect With Us:

Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process. Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account. Should you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact jennifer.neumann@ct.gov.

In the Department of Transportation, Bureau of Planning this class is accountable for directing the administration and operation of one of the Bureau offices.

Ten (10) years of professional experience in transportation, urban, regional, or environmental planning or engineering project management.

Two (2) years of the General Experience must have been in a managerial capacity in transportation, urban, regional or environmental planning or engineering project management.

NOTE:

• Managerial capacity is defined as full time managerial responsibility for major programs. Position will have supervisory responsibilities, but the emphasis should be on management activities: planning, organizing, directing and controlling resources of a major subdivision of an agency or organization.
• For State employees, this experience is interpreted at the level of a Transportation
  • Assistant Planning Director 
  • Transit Manager
  • Division Chief
  • Assistant District Engineer
  • Or an Executive Director of State Traffic Commission.

• Experience in a transportation planning leadership role.
• Experience handling transportation planning and emerging issues.
• Experience leading a multi-disciplinary professional team to deliver large projects or programs.
• Experience in organizational and staff development, and collaboration.
• Experience in legislative and government budgeting processes.
• Experience interacting and coordinating among high-level stakeholders across various levels of government.
• Experience building relationships with relevant stakeholders.
• Experience with complex negotiations.

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of 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.  As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.