ELDE - Transportation Planner III

City-of-Oakland,-Ca; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

37.5 hour work weeks

15 paid holidays

2 weeks vacation per year

CalPERS retirement benefits

Health insurance (Kaiser/others)

Dental & Vision coverage

Sick leave & 457(b) + Roth 401(k)

Job summary

City of Oakland (OakDOT) is seeking a qualified Planner to lead planning and inclusive community engagement for major transportation projects. You will work across divisions, engage community stakeholders, and advance equity through thoughtful planning and grant-funded initiatives.

Responsibilities include coordinating with engineers, consultants, and city departments, guiding projects from feasibility to design, and ensuring planning aligns with neighborhood priorities and data-driven insights.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in a relevant field (see Education).
• Experience in transportation planning or related field is required or desired.
• Ability to engage diverse communities and translate data into actionable plans.

Responsibilities

• Oversee development, planning, inclusive engagement, evaluation, and administration of transportation projects.
• Develop inclusive public engagement plans for transportation initiatives.
• Prepare and deliver presentations and conduct public engagement activities.
• Coordinate meetings across departments and with external stakeholders.
• Represent DOT projects in meetings with community members and partner agencies.
• Negotiate and manage contracts with consultants and vendors.
• Ensure decisions are data-informed and well-documented.

Skills

Critical Thinking

Teamwork

Project Management

Communication

Stakeholder Engagement

Public Speaking

Writing

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in transportation, urban planning, public policy or administration, geography, business, economics, engineering, communications, or a related field

Job description

The City of Oakland is an equal opportunity employer that values workforce diversity, inclusion, and equity. Oakland has a long history of activism around issues of justice and equity. Both oppression and this resistance to oppression have shaped the city’s historical roots and the lives of its residents to this day. As public servants in one of the most diverse cities in the nation, we strive to develop employees who understand the harm and impacts of systemic inequity to create lasting, meaningful outcomes for everyone. Oakland strives to establish an environment that embraces the richness of culture, community, and individualism of employees.

Why join the City of Oakland Department of Transportation?

The Oakland Department of Transportation's (OakDOT) works to envision, plan, build, operate and maintain a transportation system for the City of Oakland and assure safe, equitable, and sustainable access and mobility for residents, businesses and visitors. OakDOT is committed to designing transportation solutions that meet the needs of all Oaklanders while addressing and reducing existing inequities. Staff apply strong engineering, planning, policy, and implementation expertise to advance mobility, accessibility, equity, safety, and sustainability across the city’s transportation network.

This position will join OakDOT’s Major Projects Division (MPD) planning team, which collaborates closely with engineers and project managers to conduct planning and engagement, design complex projects, and manage project funding. The team delivers transformative infrastructure that has been identified in longstanding transportation plans and helps connect people and neighborhoods throughout Oakland.

This role will lead the planning and inclusive community engagement for some of Oakland’s largest transportation infrastructure projects, including but not limited to: the 9th Street Corridor Improvements, Embarcadero West Rail Safety and Access Improvements, West Grand Avenue Corridor Improvements, the Coliseum BART to Bay Trail (66th Avenue) Project, and the Hegenberger Complete Streets Plan.

The ideal candidate will work collaboratively across OakDOT divisions, with other City of Oakland departments, partner agencies, design consultants, and a wide range of community stakeholders. You will help advance safety and access improvements from early planning and scoping through final design—and, in some cases, through construction. You will also have the unique opportunity to lead a team of planners and consultants, partnering with community leaders to pursue grant funding and move forward improvements prioritized by the neighborhoods that need them most, supporting equity through inclusive engagement.

We are looking for someone who is:

• Well-organized. You ensure project materials and schedules are clearly organized, deadlines are tracked and met, and deliverables are completed on time.
• A team player. You work collaboratively with others, respect the expertise and judgment of your teammates, and successfully coordinate with other teams and departments.
• Creative. You lead the planning and engagement for transportation infrastructure projects, using innovative approaches in project management, collaboration, grant seeking and administration, community engagement, contracting, and procurement to deliver critical safety improvements for Oaklanders.
• Passionate about community engagement. You build and strengthen relationships with Oakland community stakeholders and play an important role in the development, implementation, and oversight of transportation infrastructure projects.
• A strong communicator. You speak and write clearly and effectively when engaging with community members, partner agencies, stakeholders, and internal teams.
• Adaptable and independent. You are self-motivated, exercise strong independent judgment, resolve technical issues, and communicate effectively with stakeholders, including the public.
• Committed to advancing racial equity. You understand how historic and current social, political, and economic systems have created disparate outcomes in health, wealth, and well-being. You help lead efforts to advance equity and avoid the historical harms of traditional traffic safety enforcement in marginalized Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities.

What you will typically be responsible for:

• Overseeing the development, planning, inclusive engagement, evaluation, and administration of various transportation projects.
• Developing and implementing inclusive public engagement plans for transportation projects.
• Preparing and delivering presentations and conducting public engagement activities for multiple transportation initiatives.
• Coordinating and facilitating meetings across City of Oakland departments and with external stakeholders to support project development and implementation.
• Representing the Department’s projects in meetings with community members, partner agencies, and other professionals.
• Negotiating and managing professional service contracts with consultants and vendors to support project planning, engagement, evaluation, and administration.
• Ensuring project decisions are informed by quantitative and qualitative data.
• Writing reports, memos and grant applications.

What’s in it for you?

• Work/Life Balance: 37.5 hour work weeks
• 15 paid holidays
• Vacation: 2 weeks per year minimum with the ability to accrue more depending on public sector years of service
• Retirement: CalPERS (California Public Employees' Retirement System) with a pension formula of 2.5% @ 55 (for Classic CalPERS members) and 2% @ 62 for new CalPERS members. Classic Employees contribute 8% of pre-tax wages. The City of Oakland does not participate in Social Security
• Health: The City of Oakland pays the full cost of employee and eligible dependent coverage at the Kaiser rate. Other plans include Anthem, Blue Shield, United Health Care, and other HMO and PPO plans
• Dental: Delta Dental full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Vision: VSP full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Sick leave: Employees accrue 12 days per year
• Deferred Compensation: 457(b) pre-tax plan and an after-tax ROTH 401(k)plan
• Other benefits include a Flexible Spending Account, Wellness Program, Employee Assistance Program, Tuition Reimbursement, Life Insurance up to $200k & Employee Training.

Competencies Required:

• Critical Thinking. Analytically and logically evaluating information, propositions, and claims.
• Legal & Regulatory Navigation. Understanding, interpreting, and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations.
• Professional & Technical Expertise. Applying technical subject matter to the job.
• Action & Results Focused (Taking Initiative). Initiating tasks and focusing on accomplishments.
• Attention to Detail. Focusing on the details of work content, work steps, and final work products.
• Displaying Ownership and Accountability. Holding self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results.
• Innovative Problem Solving. Identifying and analyzing problems in order to propose new and better ways of doing things.
• Presentation Skill. Formally delivering information to groups.
• Writing. Communicating effectively in writing.
• Building & Maintaining Relationships. Establishing rapport and maintaining mutually productive relationship.
• Involving Others (Engaging Teams). Engaging others for input, contribution, and shared responsibility for outcomes.
• Teamwork. Collaborating with others to achieve shared goals.
• Leading Cross-Functional Collaboration. Demonstrating cooperation and teamwork while working within and across divisions, functions, or teams.
• Project Management. Ensuring that projects are on-time, on-budget, and achieve their objectives.
• Strategic Thinking & Perspective. Evaluating immediate actions in context of achieving long range objectives.

Education:

A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in transportation, urban planning, public policy or administration, geography, business, economics, engineering, communications, or a related field.

Experience:

Four (4) years of progressively responsible experience in transportation-related planning or another relevant field.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Knowledge of best and evidence-based practices for engaging diverse communities including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), seniors, and people with disabilities.
• Knowledge of best and evidence-based practices for reducing and eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
• Knowledge of public agency contracting, procurement, and grant reporting requirements and procedures.
• Experience in public speaking.
• Knowledge of best practices in project management.

License or Certificate / Other Requirements

Individuals who are appointed to this position will be required to demonstrate the ability to travel to various locations in a timely manner as required in the performance of duties. Possession of American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Certification is desirable but not required.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS Work a flexible schedule that may include weekends and evenings.

Exempt Limited Duration Employee (ELDE)

This is an at-will position, exempt from the provisions of the City of Oakland Civil Service Rules, per Charter Section 902f. Exempt Limited Duration positions may not exceed a period of one year.

All applications received will be forwarded to the Oakland Department of Transportation for further consideration.

Meeting the minimum qualification requirements may not result in further consideration, only the most qualified candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Applicants are required to submit criminal history information upon request after receiving a conditional offer of employment. If the requested information is not furnished in a timely manner, applicants will not qualify for further consideration and will be removed from the eligible list.

Disaster Service Workers

All employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

Additional information can be found here: Working for Oakland | City of Oakland, CA.