Engineering Program Manager #2307-230700-01

The Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) includes a talented staff of over 400 employees organized into five divisions with an operating budget of $67 million. CDOT develops and maintains a dynamic multi-modal transportation system across 300+ square miles, including more than 5,300 lane miles of streets, 850+ traffic signals, 2,250 miles of sidewalks, 190 miles of bicycle facilities, and 200,000 traffic signs.

Charlotte is the 15th largest city in the country, with a population of over 850,000 in a metropolitan region of 2.3 million.  Charlotte enjoys a vibrant, balanced economy that encompasses many sectors and companies that help make Charlotte’s economy one of the strongest in the nation. 

The City of Charlotte is recruiting an experienced manager and transportation professional to lead the broad work of the Traffic Safety Section of the Engineering and Operations Division.  This is an exciting opportunity to support Charlotte’s fast-paced growth and enhance the transportation network by being a visionary leader for Charlotte’s nationally recognized Vision Zero program.

In 2022, the city adopted the Strategic Mobility Plan, which is centered on the goal of Safe and Equitable Mobility.  Vision Zero is the pillar of the plan's safety objective and the goal to reduce crashes and eliminate traffic-related deaths and severe injuries.  City Council endorsed this vision, and funding to support Vision Zero initiatives has been approved by voters multiple times.

The Traffic Safety Section Manager is a prominent position that leads a diverse staff of approximately ten (10) professional and technical employees engaged in a wide range of activities that support, maintain, and expand the traffic safety elements of the transportation network with the goal of zero fatalities and serious injuries on our streets.

This position oversees the city’s Vision Zero capital improvement program budget and the Neighborhood Traffic Calming program, the city’s crash data storage and analysis system, and the development of the High Injury Network based on that data.  Crash data and the High Injury Network are important factors in guiding transportation investments across all parts of CDOT.

The Traffic Safety Section Manager requires a high level of independent judgment, initiative, and the ability to exercise great organizational and communication skills.  This position involves extensive public contact and occasional interaction with City Council and requires political astuteness to act as lead spokesperson for Charlotte’s Vision Zero Strategy.  Strong candidates will be visionaries and leaders in their field who bring out the best in their team and work well in a collaborative environment.

This position frequently represents CDOT on multi-departmental teams and regularly collaborates with other city departments to implement Charlotte’s vision of a safe transportation system for all modes.

• Proactively identifies and tracks critical projects, budgets, and issues, regularly communicating to the Division Manager topics that require input or direction from Department Leadership.
• Build and maintain partnerships with NCDOT and other external partners, as the transportation network in Charlotte is a blended system of City and State assets.
• Model excellent customer service, ensuring that all internal and external customers are treated promptly and professionally.
• Work closely with CDOT’s Development Service Division on land development projects where traffic safety elements are included in the development project scope.

• Build and foster a professional environment that reflects a high value on customer service, collaboration, preparation, work quality, and appropriate professional behavior.
• Mentor and supervise staff, identifying and targeting areas of growth and development and empowering staff to manage their work and make decisions at the lowest level possible.
• Recruit and hire skilled and motivated professionals to create and sustain a working environment that supports staff retention, professional growth, and development.

• Depending upon the qualifications of the successful candidate, may serve as the CDOT subject matter expert on current standards and practices for traffic safety analysis and deployment of infrastructure.
• Ensure that the proposed infrastructure complies with the latest version of the MUTCD. 
• Prepare and/or review new and reconfigured traffic safety concepts for public and/or private projects.
• Work closely with other Sections on installing, maintaining, and modifying traffic safety elements of the City’s traffic management system.
• Represents the Department’s traffic and safety initiatives on FHWA’s Highway Safety Information System and various committees as appropriate.
• Perform before and after safety studies as needed.

• Oversees field services functions including but not limited to obstructions in the right-of-way, traffic calming, residential street lighting, and many other neighborhood transportation issues.
• Advise other Divisions and Departments on traffic safety concepts.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Ability to act as a visionary leader, build consensus, empower employees, be flexible, manage conflict, and meet deadlines.  
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences. Act as a public advocate while enforcing good traffic/transportation engineering standards for access, safety, design, construction, and improved traffic operations.  
• Requires strong interpersonal skills in communication, leadership, decision-making, and innovation.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of transportation engineering.
• Knowledge of the principles and problems involved in planning, managing employees and resources, and financing traffic/transportation engineering programs and projects.
• Knowledge of intergovernmental laws and procedures relating to traffic/transportation engineering.
• Knowledge of municipal government administration and the subsequent role of traffic/transportation engineering.
• Knowledge of crash analysis and common calculations, including crash modification factors and benefit/cost. 
• Ability to use productivity, asset management, and financial software packages such as Microsoft Office Suite, CityWorks, and Munis.
• Ability to prioritize and organize work independently and without supervision.
• Ability to plan, direct and manage the preparation of the designs, estimates, and specifications.
• Ability to relate engineering principles to land use and city planning principles.
• Ability to make recommendations to address traffic/transportation engineering problems.
• Ability to exhibit and model good customer service skills. 
• Ability to facilitate and provide leadership for staff, committees, and resident groups.
• Ability to communicate with tact, active listening, respect, and calmness
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships by being proactive and diplomatic with other city employees, outside agencies, and the public, both verbally and in writing.

• Preferred seven (7) years minimum of experience in transportation engineering, transportation planning, administration, customer service, and managing teams.
• Minimum three years of supervisory experience
• Registration as a Professional Engineer or AICP in North Carolina 

Sensory Requirements (with or without accommodations):

• Normal hearing or hearing correctable with the hearing aid.
• Vision necessary to maintain a valid NC Driver's license.
• Insight to prepare and analyze data.
• Effective communication both verbally and in writing.

Physical Requirements (with or without accommodations):

• Job is primarily sedentary, sitting up to 8+ hours a day.
• Job may require occasional field time and site visits.
• Ability to maintain a valid NC Driver's license.
• Operate computer.
• Prepare presentations and facilitate group meetings.