Strategic Transportation Funding Lead

Orange County Transportation Authority; Orange (CA); On-site; USD 89,000 - 154,000; Full time

Job summary

Orange County Transportation Authority seeks a Transportation Funding Analyst to administer complex multi-modal funding programs and coordinate with federal, state, and local agencies. The role involves monitoring funding, eligibility, compliance, and developing financial programming documents.

Senior and Principal levels require broader leadership, mentorship, and advisory responsibilities, with oversight of local agency grant-funded projects and strategic process improvements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Professional experience in transportation, financial analysis, grant writing, grant management, or a related field.
• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local transportation funding programs, regulations, and compliance requirements.
• Ability to interpret complex funding requirements and translate them into practical strategies and recommendations.
• Strong financial, analytical, research, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple complex projects, funding requirements, schedules, and deadlines.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and stakeholder communication skills.
• Ability to develop productive relationships with local agencies, funding partners, consultants, policymakers, and internal teams.
• Experience preparing reports and presentations for executive, policy, or governing-board audiences.
• Ability to provide technical guidance and collaborate effectively across organizational and agency boundaries.

Responsibilities

• Administer and manage complex multi-modal transportation funding programs and projects involving federal, state, and local funding sources
• Manage project funding, monitor implementation, and track project scope, schedule, cost, expenditures, and funding requirements
• Administer or support calls for projects and assist local agencies in navigating funding requirements and eligibility criteria
• Assess projects and agencies for funding eligibility and ensure continued compliance with program guidelines, grant requirements, and funding terms and conditions
• Research and interpret transportation funding legislation, regulations, formulas, and program requirements and communicate impacts to appropriate stakeholders
• Prepare funding applications, allocation requests, financial programming documents, agreements, reimbursement requests, and required reports
• Develop and maintain program manuals, guidebooks, procedures, training resources, templates, and tools
• Prepare cash-flow analyses and support development of programs of projects to ensure funding availability and alignment with transportation priorities
• Develop and present reports, analyses, recommendations, presentations, maps, charts, and other materials for executive management, the Board of Directors, policy committees, local agencies, and other stakeholders
• Serve as a liaison among OCTA, local jurisdictions, funding agencies, consultants, project managers, and other stakeholders
• Provide technical guidance to local agencies and internal teams regarding funding requirements, project delivery, reimbursement, cooperative agreements, and compliance
• Support financial and grant-related audits and reviews and help resolve complex funding and project delivery issues
• Develop scopes of work, participate in consultant selection, and monitor consultant and contractor performance
• Identify opportunities to improve, streamline, or automate funding administration and payment processes
• Build and maintain relationships with funding agencies to maximize available revenues and promote continued cooperation
• Support annual budget development and other department funding and programming initiatives

Skills

Communication skills

Financial analysis

Analytical skills

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Planning, Engineering, Public or Business Administration, Economics, Management, Social Sciences, Communications, Finance

Job description

Orange County Transportation Authority seeks a Transportation Funding Analyst to administer complex multi-modal funding programs and coordinate with federal, state, and local agencies. The role involves monitoring funding, eligibility, compliance, and developing financial programming documents.

Senior and Principal levels require broader leadership, mentorship, and advisory responsibilities, with oversight of local agency grant-funded projects and strategic process improvements.