Transportation Planning Specialist (Planning Specialist II) - Denver

Colorado Department of Transportation; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) seeks a Transportation Planning Specialist to assist in developing statewide and regional transportation plans. The role involves liaison work with CDOT regions and MPOs/TPRs, conducting planning research, and preparing briefs and analyses.

The position requires five years of related planning experience, strong communication, and the ability to work across multiple partners in a hybrid Colorado environment.

Qualifications

• At least five (5) years of experience in regional, transportation or urban planning; business administration; finance; political science; public administration; or other work closely related to the main duties of this position.

Responsibilities

• Provide planning support to assigned geographic areas statewide.
• Represent CDOT at TPR/MPO meetings, technical committees, and public meetings.
• Prepare or assist with the preparation and presentation of materials and documentation of outcomes.

Education

Planning degree

Job description

Department Information

This position is only open to Colorado state residents. New employees to the State will be paid biweekly. There are 26 biweekly pay periods in a year.

About CDOT

CDOT employees make a difference by providing freedom, connection, and experience to the traveling public, while also keeping them safe. The State of Colorado offers competitive medical, dental and vision insurance, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending and health savings accounts. Visit the State of Colorado benefits for details, current premium rates and a summary video about benefits. The state also offers PERA retirement, great optional PERA plans such as 401K, a generous paid time off package of annual, sick, holiday and other leave, strong career growth, tuition reimbursement and professional development. Perks include Colorado Employee Assistance Program (CSEAP) counseling, wellness, credit union membership and employee discount program. Visit CDOT Benefits for details. Some positions may qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

CDOT for All

CDOT’s strength is our people, and our commitment to our people is to shape, support, and sustain the employee experience, and ultimately, create a supportive workplace where everyone, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, education, disability, socio-economic status, or any other identity, has the opportunity to thrive.

The eligible list created from this announcement may be used to fill current and future vacancies for a period of up to 6 months.

Description of Job

About the Unit

The Transportation Planning Specialist works in the Colorado Department of Transportation's (CDOT's) Statewide & Regional Planning Section of the Division of Transportation Development. The Section is responsible for facilitating and directing the Colorado statewide transportation planning process, including the development of the long-range statewide multimodal transportation plan and the integration of the Department’s other modal plans. The Section is also responsible for working with the five Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and ten rural Transportation Planning Regions (TPRs) and assisting them in the development of their Regional Transportation Plans.

About The Position

Under the supervision of the section manager, this position will assist with the development of the Statewide and Regional Transportation Plans, work as a liaison to assigned CDOT Region(s) and TPRs/MPOs, conduct research on planning topics as assigned, write briefs and reports, assist with conducting or conduct data analysis and prepare spreadsheets, perform strategic communications, and assist with the review and production of planning products.

Duties and responsibilities

• Provide planning support to assigned geographic areas statewide.
• Learn to represent CDOT at TPR/MPO meetings, technical committees (internal and external to CDOT) and public meetings.
• Prepare or assist with the preparation and presentation of materials, documentation of outcomes, identification of issues, and communication of this information to appropriate parties.
• Assist with the development of planning and policy presentations and deliver or assist with presentations to CDOT’s planning partners on topics that include and are not limited to the Colorado Transportation Planning Process, TPR administration, funding and grant opportunities, and other statewide planning topics.
• Assist with compilation and analysis of various types of regional information into consolidated statewide summaries.
• Assist in representing CDOT to help the MPOs and /or rural TPRs in the state with carrying out the responsibilities for developing plans and programs, implementing transportation programs and projects, and all other responsibilities identified in state and federal legislation.
• Coordinate and/or assist with coordination and tracking of MPO or TPR documents that need approval from the Governor, Transportation Commission, Department of Public Health and the Environment, FHWA, FTA, or EPA.
• Work with the Statewide and Regional Planning Manager, and other CDOT staff, to assist with the development of the Statewide Transportation Plan and Regional Transportation Plans (RTPs) including helping with meeting coordination, developing meeting materials, and drafting meeting minutes.
• Develop presentations and other support materials for external and internal partnering meetings such as Statewide Transposition Advisory Committee, Statewide Plan Team, and Statewide MPO meeting, and others.
• Assist with writing and editing components of the Statewide Plan and assigned RTPs.

Work Environment

• Your schedule will primarily be 8:00 am - 5:00 pm work hours, Monday-Friday, but we are flexible to meet your work/life balance needs while ensuring CDOT business needs are met.
• You will likely work a hybrid schedule with a combination of in-office and remote work.
• This position is required to travel throughout the State of Colorado to attend TPR and MPO meetings, attend in-person public engagement events, and meetings with regional CDOT staff.
• Required to drive CDOT vehicles.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience Only

• At least five (5) years of experience in regional, transportation or urban planning; business administration; finance; political science; public administration; or other work closely related to the main duties of this position.
• At least one (1) year of this experience must involve regional, urban, and/or transportation planning.

Education and Experience

• A combination of relevant education and experience equal to at least five (5) years.
• Education from an accredited college or university in planning (regional, transportation or urban), business administration, finance, political science, public administration, or another field closely related to the main duties of this position will be considered.
• Experience involving regional, urban, and/or transportation planning will be considered.

Please note: The required experience must be substantiated within the work experience section of your application. “See Resume” statements on the application or resumes in lieu of a complete application may not be accepted. Additional information submitted after the closing date of this announcement will not be considered in the review of your application. In addition, part-time work will be prorated.

College Transcripts

If you are using education to qualify, a legible copy of your official or unofficial college transcript(s) or a foreign credential evaluation report must be submitted with your application. Transcripts must show your name, the name of the school, all coursework and degree(s) conferred. Transcripts from colleges or universities outside of the United States must have been assessed for U.S. equivalency by a NACES educational credential evaluation service. Credential evaluation reports must be official. Failure to provide a transcript or foreign credential evaluation report may result in your application being rejected and you will not be able to continue in the selection process for this position.

Conditions of Employment

• Must pass a pre‑employment screening which may include social security number trace, criminal records check, public court records check, educational records, and driving records checks.
• A current valid driver's license is required for all Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) positions which require operating a state or personal motor vehicle to perform one or more essential functions of the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated success with the duties listed in the Description of the Job section;
• Highest work/personal ethics and integrity;
• Years of State service experience related to the duties of this position;
• Experience with transportation planning;
• Knowledge of, or experience with the transportation planning processes;
• Experience with research, writing reports, and data analysis;
• Knowledge and experience with databases;
• Strong customer service skills and orientation;
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and be adaptable to changing assignments;
• Effective interpersonal and relationship building skills;
• Strong time and project management skills, including prioritization;
• Excellent reasoning, analytical, and problem‑solving ability;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills including presentation skills;
• Strong attention to technical detail and accuracy;
• Ability to work effectively in both independent and team situations;
• Fluency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Adobe Acrobat, Google Applications, Gmail, SAP, Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and the ability to quickly learn other software systems.

Supplemental Information

Applicant Checklist

• A complete CDOT Application for Announced Vacancy.
• A complete Supplemental Questionnaire.
• A cover letter that describes your interest in this position, how your experience aligns with the minimum and preferred qualifications of this position.
• A detailed chronological resume.
• If you are using education to qualify, a copy of your official or unofficial transcript showing completed coursework and credit hours, that your degree has been conferred (if applicable), your name, and the name of your school, or your official NACES accreditation report.
• If you are a veteran, a copy of your DD214.

Only complete applications submitted by the closing date for this announcement will be given consideration. Every effort must be made to submit all application materials by the announcement close date. Where unusual circumstances prevent timely acquisition of transcripts, they must be submitted within five business days of the announcement close date. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application. Failure to submit properly completed documents by the closing date of this announcement may result in your application being rejected.

The State of Colorado strives to create a Colorado for All by building and maintaining workplaces that value and respect all Coloradans through a commitment to equal opportunity and hiring based on merit and fitness.

The State is resolute in non-discriminatory practices in everything we do, including hiring, employment, and advancement opportunities.

All correspondence regarding your status in the selection/examination process will be via email. Include your current working email address on your application and check your email frequently as you could receive time sensitive correspondence regarding this position. We highly recommend that you set up your email to accept messages from "state.co.us" and "[e-mail]" addresses. It is your responsibility to ensure that your email will accept these notices and/or review your junk mail and spam filtered email. Immediately after you submit your application you should receive an email that confirms that you successfully submitted an application for this position. If you do not, try submitting again until you receive the confirmation email. Be sure to also check your junk folder for email communications from the State of Colorado's website.

ADAAA Accommodations

CDOT is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability as defined by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre‑employment testing, or participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to Lynn Livingston at [e-mail]

Former State Employees

Former employees of the Colorado Department of Transportation System or any other State of Colorado Department or Agency, who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination, must disclose this information on his/her application.

LL (SAP #50003378/PCR #68319)