Transportation Planner 2 (40 Hour)(Safe Routes to School Coordinator)

Introduction

Do you have a passion for finding solutions and working collaboratively toward increasing the safety on our roadways for children?

 If so, this is the opportunity for you!

TheState of Connecticut, Department of Transportation (DOT), is recruiting for a Transportation Planner 2 position dedicated to our Safe Routes to School Program. If you're a team player who values accessibility, equity, and safety for our most vulnerable road users, this could be the role for you!  This position is located within a newly formed Active Transportation Unit, part of the Office of Strategic Planning and Projects at our headquarters, located in Newington, Connecticut. The focus of this unit is dedicated to active transportation and complete streets to aid the Department in bringing about a more robust multimodal transportation system. 

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU:

• Visit our newState Employee Benefits Overview page!
• The opportunity to work for a Forbes top company: 'Forbes' State of Connecticut Ranked One of the Best Employers of 2023 - State of CT Receives National Recognition for Offering Job Growth, Competitive Benefits, and Flexible Schedule
• Professional growth and development opportunities
• A healthy work/life balance to all employees
• Join an award winning agency! CTDOT was recently awarded the Employer of the Year award by the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers (CSCE)!

POSITION HIGHLIGHTS:

• This position is full-time, 40 hours per week, and is in the P-4 (Engineering and Scientific) bargaining unit. This position will report to a Transportation Supervising Planner or employee of a higher level. 
• This position might required incumbents to work overtime.
• This position is eligible to apply for telework after successful completion of the working test period, and thereafter, in accordance with the Telework Policy. The Policy can be found here

THE ROLE:

• We are seeking a dynamic, motivated candidate for this opportunity to enable and encourage all children, including those with disabilities, to walk, bicycle and roll to school and to make active transportation for students safe, accessible and sustainable.  This includes work to encourage, educate and evaluate in an equitable manner the planning, development and implementation of activities that will improve safety, and reduce traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution in the vicinity of schools. 
• This position will aid a newly formed Active Transportation Unit and will be responsible for assisting in systems planning for the Safe Routes to School Program, Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordination efforts, as well as Active Transportation and Complete Streets planning within the Department.  
• This Transportation Planner 2 position requires knowledge of the principles involved in transportation planning and engineering with a focus on active transportation modes, as well as the ability to read and interpret design plans, estimates and specifications.  The position requires experience working with policies and methodologies regarding Complete Streets and in overall project management. 
• This position will assist in planning level project scoping with a focus on coordinating the Department’s Safe Routes to School program.  Duties may include but are not limited to providing expertise for corridor studies and milestone project reviews with a focus on Active Transportation modes.  The selected candidate will be responsible for developing effective, efficient communication and working relationships, internally, as well as with other State and Federal agencies and other external stakeholders;  acting as a liaison with Department personnel from various technical disciplines and administrative areas,  local officials, regional planning agencies, and other major stakeholders; preparing summaries of program activities; planning, coordinating and attending events and activities at sites state-wide and presenting at public meetings; and performing related duties as required. 

Examples of Duties:

• Performs complex tasks and assignments in developing, coordinating, and supporting transportation planning programs. Prepares written materials, graphic design materials, and maps, assembles and summarizes data, and creates charts, in a manner that communicates complex information effectively. Provides project management of projects and studies, supervision of task based assignments utilizing a consultant, including scope development, preparation for and participation in negotiation of agreements, project oversight, review of deliverables, review of invoices, and contract administration to ensure compliance with Department policies and standards, as well as state and federal laws and regulations. Compiles, analyzes, and communicates demographic, environmental, economic data and information. Coordinates activities such as Encouragement, Education and Evaluation events at schools with local, regional, state and federal agencies, consultants, elected officials and stakeholders frequently. Performs related duties as required.  

• Travel primarily within the State is frequently required for site visits, events, education lessons, walk audits and meetings with municipal and school district officials.  Work outdoors to perform walk audits is required and overtime may be necessary.   

ABOUT US:



As one of Connecticut’s largest State agencies, DOT employs approximately 3,300 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. DOT 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.

Visit our website to learn more about the Connecticut DOT!

Learn more about what it's like to be an employee at the State of Connecticut:

Selection Plan

• These positions will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules. Applications to this recruitment will be used to meet collective bargaining requirements. Once any collective bargaining requirements have been met, all other applicants may be considered.
• For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.

To Apply:


• 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.
• Please select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift.
• In order to receive educational credits toward qualification for this job posting, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the Talent Acquisition Professional listed on this job posting.
  
• 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.

FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:


• Please read or watch our Applicant Tips on How to Apply.


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.
• Read through this helpful link to prepare for your interview.
• The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
• Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees which is available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
  

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 Brittney Woodley at brittney.woodley@ct.gov 

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In the Department of Transportation and the Connecticut Airport Authority this class is accountable for acting as a working lead and/or for performing the most complex tasks in transportation planning studies, programs and related activities.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

WORKING LEAD LEVEL: 

• As assigned by a supervisor, distributes, prioritizes, oversees and reviews office unit work; 
• Provides staff training and assistance; 
• Conducts or assists in conducting performance evaluations; 
• Acts as liaison with operating units, agencies, consultant staffs and other outside officials regarding unit office policies and standards; 
• Prepares correspondence; 
• Performs related duties as required.

ADVANCED LEVEL: 

• Performs complex tasks and assignments in developing, coordinating and reviewing transportation planning programs; 
• Recommends, coordinates or participates in transportation demonstration projects; 
• Participates in preparation and negotiation of agreements and contracts; 
• Oversees and participates in corridor studies; 
• Prepares and reviews reports, studies and surveys in compliance with department standards and needs and state and federal laws and regulations; 
• Coordinates activities or projects with local, regional, state and federal agencies, consultants and stakeholders as required; 
• Reviews consultants’ work; 
• Investigates and responds to public inquiries and complaints regarding transportation plans, programs and/or projects; 
• May make presentations at legislative or public hearings; 
• Performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

• Considerable knowledge of multi-modal transportation planning theory, practices and methodologies; 
• Knowledge of environmental considerations involved in transportation planning; 
• Skills
  • interpersonal skills; 
  • oral and written communication skills; 
• Ability to
  • develop and use computer software including planning models and other programs related to planning process; 
  • forecast trends based upon empirical data; 
  • comprehend and interpret laws and regulations; 
• Analytical ability; 
• Lead ability.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Seven (7) years of professional experience in transportation civil engineering or transportation, urban, regional or environmental planning.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SPECIAL EXPERIENCE

One (1) year of the General Experience must include individual responsibility for the coordination of complex planning projects in a relevant planning area.

NOTE: For state employees this experience is interpreted at the level of a Transportation Planner 1 or Transportation Engineer 2.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED

• College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree.
• A Master's degree in a closely related field may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Transportation,  Regional,  Urban Planning or Studies, Civil Engineering, or a closely related degree.
• Experience in transportation, land use planning or engineering.
• Experience applying Active Transportation and Complete Streets policies and practices to projects.
• Experience working with school-aged students at education and encouragement events.
• Experience reading and interpreting design plans.
• Experience reading, interpreting state and federal statutes, regulations, guidance and reviewing for impact to an agency.
• Experience in program and project management.
• Experience analyzing data and demographic information.
• Experience providing presentations and training to various audiences as well as to staff.
• Computer skills including experience with software such as Microsoft Office 365 including Excel, SharePoint, Teams, Adobe Acrobat, ESRI ArcGIS, Bentley Bluebeam and MicroStation. 

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and retain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator’s license.
• Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.

Conclusion

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.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

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.