Civic Analytics Task Manager (Associate I)

Alta Planning + Design; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical: PPO or HSA

Dental/Vision: PPO

Life Insurance: Alta pays premium

401(k): Company match

PTO: 21 days

Holidays: 11 days

Parental Leave

Wellness reimbursement

Alta Gets Around

Travel award

Professional development

Job summary

Alta Planning + Design in Seattle, WA seeks a Civic Analytics Lead to guide geospatial transportation analytics, applying Python/R, GIS, and data science to inform active transportation projects. You will mentor junior staff and collaborate with planners, engineers, and stakeholders.

The role emphasizes leadership, technical excellence, and client communication in a hybrid work setting, shaping safe, equitable communities through data-driven planning.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or bachelor’s degree in related fields with strong geospatial analytics background.
• 5+ years of geospatial analysis experience for transportation/planning; at least 2 years in lead roles.
• Proficiency with Python/R, ArcGIS Pro, and Excel; strong database and statistics knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Manage tasks from start to finish, including scoping, scheduling, and budgets.
• Lead technical work: develop methods in Python/R, GIS, and data analysis solutions.
• Communicate with clients, lead project meetings, and present findings to stakeholders.
• Support proposals and scope work by contributing analytical language and pre-analysis tasks.
• Develop new tools and methods and integrate them into scoping and training at Alta.
• Mentor junior staff, review work, and lead trainings as needed.
• Share knowledge through webinars and staying current with technologies.
• Own one or two data science specialization areas as Alta’s go-to expert.

Skills

Python

R

Geospatial analysis

Leadership

Communication

Education

Master’s degree in core discipline

Bachelor’s degree in statistics, engineering, math, or social sciences

Tools

ArcGIS Pro

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Description

Department: Planning

Location: Seattle, WA

Compensation: $90,000 - $115,000 / year

About Alta

Alta is a mission-driven company working to mitigate climate change and advance safety and social justice by shaping sustainable, people-centered communities. We bring together expertise across planning, design, engineering, education and encouragement programs, and community engagement to help communities thrive. Our work is grounded in the belief that how places are designed and experienced has a profound impact on equity, health, and opportunity—and that people should always be at the heart of those decisions.

Founded in 1996, Alta was at the forefront of the active transportation movement and has spent nearly 30 years partnering with communities to imagine a more connected, resilient, and inclusive future. Today, with more than 225 staff across the United States and beyond, we are a global leader in creating environments that support everyday life, strengthen human connection, and respond to the challenges of a changing world. Alta offers the opportunity to collaborate across disciplines, contribute to meaningful work at every scale, and be part of a team committed to making lasting, positive change for people and the places they call home.

Day to Day

In this role, you will serve as a technical expert and project leader for Alta’s Civic Analytics work across disciplines, project types, and regions. You will:

• Manage tasks. Oversee advanced technical tasks from start to finish, including providing scope guidance, tracking staff progress, and reviewing work products. You will also work with planners, engineers, and program specialists to develop analytics scopes, schedules, and budgets that deliver.
• Lead technical work. Develop methods in R, Python, and GIS and design analysis solutions that range from evaluating the accessibility benefits of a trail to building predictive models of demand for new mobility services or active transportation.
• Communicate with clients. Routinely work with clients, officials, and partners, lead project meetings, and make presentations. Support a wide range of projects. Work on active transportation plans, complete streets, safety action plans and Vision Zero, new mobility planning (including curbside management and mobility hubs), Transportation Demand Management, and economic benefit studies, always keeping a community-focused perspective.
• Support proposals and scope work. Lead development of analytical scope language and coordinate Civic Analytics contributions to proposals, using standard scope language where possible and completing or delegating pre-analysis as needed.
• Develop new tools and methods. Advocate for advanced technologies where they fit, build tools that help staff deliver better work, and make sure new approaches are integrated into scoping, implementation, and training at Alta.
• Mentor and review. Advise junior staff on good analysis practices, review their notebooks and scripts, lead trainings, organize team effort, and, as needed, supervise staff.
• Share knowledge. Lead company-wide webinars, stay on top of emerging technologies and trends and help close knowledge gaps companywide.
• Build expertise. Own one or two areas of data science specialization and become Alta’s go-to expert in them.

Qualifications

Required

• Master’s degree in one of Alta’s core disciplines, or a bachelor’s degree in statistics, engineering, math, or the social sciences
• 5+ years of relevant experience with geospatial analysis for transportation and/or planning; at least 2 years of leading tasks or projects
• Advanced proficiency with Python/R, ArcGIS Pro, and Microsoft Excel
• Advanced knowledge of databases, geospatial analytics, urban informatics, social science methods, and statistics, and familiarity with transportation planning
• Experience overseeing technical work, tracking progress, and reviewing work products on projects
• Advanced oral and written communication skills, including leading project meetings and making presentations
• Ability to work independently with minimal direction

Preferred

• AICP and/or GISP licensure
• Leadership position in a professional organization
• Experience presenting at professional conferences
• Peer-reviewed or other recognized publications
• Experience supervising or mentoring staff

What We Offer

Flexible Schedule

Alta offers a flexible, hybrid work schedule where most employees work from home three days per week. In-office days support our collaborative culture, one of our core values.

Compensation

The base salary range for this role is indicated in the posting. This range reflects the company’s good faith estimate of the compensation for this position at the time of posting. Final compensation will be determined based on factors such as experience, skills, qualifications, internal equity, and geographic location.

Benefits

• Medical: PPO or HSA medical plans
• Dental/Vision: PPO
• Life Insurance: Alta pays 100% of the premium for life and AD&D, equal to your base compensation
• 401(k): Alta provides a match up to 3%
• PTO: 21 days accrued annually to start
• Holidays: 11 total company paid holidays
• Paid Parental Leave/Short-Term Disability
• Additional Benefits: Wellness reimbursement up to $800 annually, Alta Gets Around benefit of up to $900 annually, 5-year travel award, and professional development opportunities