Transportation Planner III

Job Description:

Transportation Planner III

Description

The Position

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 (OakDot)?
The Oakland Department of Transportation's (OakDOT) mission is 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 traffic and transportation solutions that work to meet the needs of all Oaklanders and reduce existing inequities. OakDOT staff apply strong engineering, planning, policy, and implementation expertise to advance mobility, accessibility, equity, safety, and sustainability in our transportation system.

The City of Oakland is currently recruiting to fill one (1) Transportation Planner III vacancy. The Transportation Planner will assist multiple teams and divisions within the Department of Transportation with achieving its Strategic Plan goals of equity, safety, sound infrastructure and responsible governance. They will contribute to these goals by leading the development and implementation of department plans, policies, projects, and programs, including but not limited to, the Bike & Pedestrian Masterplans, Paving Plan, Zero Emission Vehicle Action Plan, Complete Streets Project Development and Engagement efforts, development review, parking management and shared mobility programs.

The following section describes the various teams and their functions within the Department of Transportation. The eligibility list established from this recruitment may be used to fill vacancies that occur within the teams listed below, but is not limited to these teams.

Planning & Project Development
The Planning and Project Development Program develops long-range, modal, and corridor transportation plans; manages outreach, planning and conceptual design for paving projects and other capital projects; and reviews, coordinates, and leverages major development projects to implement the City’s plans and strategic priorities.
Major Projects Planning
The Major Projects Planning team coordinates closely with engineers and project managers to conduct planning and engagement, design complex projects, and manage funding and advocacy initiatives to deliver transformative infrastructure identified in longstanding transportation plans and projects to connect neighborhoods in Oakland. The team also coordinates on large regional transformative projects, including Alameda CTC’s Oakland Alameda Access Project, BART’s second bay crossing (Link21), and Caltrans’ Vision 980 project.

Funding Strategy
The OakDOT Funding Strategy Team leads policy, budget, and planning analysis in the management and implementation of the department's Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). This team supports the entire municipal funding process, including project scoping, grant applications, and project tracking and implementation.

Mobility Management
With increasing competing uses for curb space and the rise of mobility services like scooter-share and ride-sourcing, there’s never been a greater time to consider parking and mobility services together. The Mobility Management Team is dedicated to actively managing the City’s parking supply through demand-responsive rates, ensuring efficient use of curb space and expanding access to electric vehicle charging and shared mobility services like bike share, car share and scooter share.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Program
The Bicycle & Pedestrian Program facilitates, coordinates, and oversees the implementation of the City's Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans and supports OakDOT in creating, managing, and analyzing transportation data. The Program designs and delivers low-cost/high-impact projects, and provides staff support to the City's Bicyclist and Pedestrian Advisory Commission.

Complete Streets Pavement & Sidewalk Maintenance

The Complete Streets Pavement & Sidewalk Maintenance is responsible for funding, designing, and delivering street rehabilitation and preventative maintenance treatments on Oakland streets. Streets are prioritized for repaving through adopted pavement prioritization plans. Safe, well-maintained streets are the foundation of every neighborhood's local transportation network. In the process of repaving Oakland's streets, Oakland has an opportunity to update newly resurfaced streets with designs that accommodate more users and meet even higher standards for safety and accessibility.

We are looking for someone who is:

• Well Organized: You will be expected to ensure that project or program materials and schedules are well organized, deadlines are recorded and met, and deliverables are completed on time.
• A Team Player: You will be expected to work with others on your team while using and respecting everyone’s best judgment and expertise. You will also be expected to successfully collaborate with other teams and departments.
• A Strong Communicator: You will engage with individuals and organizations within the community and the Department. You will also be expected to speak and write clearly and effectively when communicating with various stakeholders, partner agencies and the public.
• Creative: You will be expected to find and develop innovative and equitable solutions to challenging and technical problems.

What you will typically be responsible for:

• Writing reports, plans, policies and grant applications
• Developing and giving presentations, and conducting public engagement for projects and programs
• Negotiating and managing professional service contracts with consultants and vendors as a part of the development, implementation and administration of plans, programs and projects
• Ensuring plan, program and project decisions are driven by quantitative and qualitative data
• Interpreting and analyzing data
• Representing the Department’s plans, programs and projects in meetings with community, other agencies, and other professionals
• Developing and implementing public engagement plans for programs and projects
• Overseeing the development, planning, implementation and evaluation of transportation plans, programs and projects

Read the complete job description by clicking this Transportation Planner III
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Working for the City of Oakland

A few reasons you might love this job:

• You will have the opportunity to work for an innovative, dynamic department focused on achieving more equitable outcomes for Oaklanders.
• You will have the authority to develop, influence and shape important projects, plans and programs that have tangible, positive effects on the lives of Oaklanders.
• You will have the opportunity to shape meaningful transportation initiatives by writing impactful policies, reports, and grant applications that directly contribute to community improvement.

A few challenges you might face in this job:

• You will need to solicit, assess, and understand the varied, and sometimes contradictory, needs and desires of citizens, businesses, stakeholders, elected officials, partner agencies and community groups.
• You will have to adapt and learn City procedures that may not be well documented but are needed to advance work.
• You will encounter a demanding workload due to current vacancies which the City is actively working to fill.

Competencies Required:

• Critical Thinking: Analytically and logically evaluating information, propositions, and claims
• Decision Making: Choosing optimal courses of action in a timely manner
• 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 accomplishment
• 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 relationships
• 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

Minimum Requirements for Application

This recruitment will produce two eligible lists. The restricted list will be for full-time, permanent part-time, or part-time City and Port of Oakland employees who maintain employment for the duration of the recruitment and pass all stages of the recruitment process. The open list will be for all other applicants who pass all stages of the recruitment process.

Any combination of education and experience that is equivalent to the following minimum qualifications is acceptable. Note: Experience may be substituted for education to allow for less typical patterns of qualification.

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

A Master's degree from an accredited college or university in city or regional planning, transportation engineering or a related field is desirable and may substitute for experience.

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

Desirable Qualifications:

• Possession of American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Certification is desirable but not required.

License or Certificate / Other Requirements
Successful incumbents in this position are expected to operate automotive vehicles in the performance of assigned duties. Due to the nature of the assignment and the hours worked, public transportation may not be a cost effective or efficient method for traveling to the various locations required. Individuals who are appointed to this position will be required to maintain a valid California Driver's License throughout the tenure of employment OR demonstrate the ability to travel to various locations in a timely manner as required in the performance of duties.

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

Supplemental Information

The Recruitment Process:

The City of Oakland works with a Civil Service system. Applicants apply online, and HR staff reviews their experience, education, and training listed on the application against the “minimum qualifications” listed for each position.

Candidates who demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualification requirements are then invited to participate in an assessment process (or testing) to measure their knowledge, skills, and abilities in job-related areas.

Candidates who do not demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualification requirements will have an opportunity to request a final review. Candidates must request a final review within 5 business days of being notified that they did not meet the minimum qualifications. In the final review, candidates may clarify information already provided on their application. No additional work history, education, or certifications will be accepted. Any decisions made during this review process will be final.

For this recruitment, all qualified applicants will be sent a writing exercise, which will then be evaluated and rated by subject matter experts. The tentative date that the writing exercise will be sent to you for completion is the week of November 11, 2024.

For some recruitments, more than one type of assessment may be used. Depending on the number of candidates who pass the first assessment (multiple-choice test, structured interview, writing exercise, performance exam) you may be asked to complete a secondary assessment before the recruitment is finalized. If a secondary assessment is scheduled, you will be notified by email with specific details. If a secondary assessment is not scheduled, department hiring interviews will occur during this time frame.

Candidates who pass each stage in the process will be placed on an eligible list. Some candidates may receive extra points, for example, if you are a Veteran with an honorable discharge, or if you are a current City of Oakland resident. If you’re applying to a “restricted” posting and you are eligible as a current City employee, you may also receive additional points for your City service. Extra points are only applied to passing scores, so if you do not pass every element of the testing process, you cannot use extra points to pass.

The City of Oakland reserves the right to modify the selection process and date of examination as necessary to conform to administrative or business necessity. The information contained in this announcement is subject to change and does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.

What’s in it for you?

• Work/Life Balance: 37.5 hour work weeks, and a flexible/hybrid remote schedule
• 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.

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.

How to Apply
Apply prior to the closing time of the job announcement and allow at least two to three hours to submit your application if you are a new user of the system. APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED ONLINE ONLY. You may apply and view current openings by visiting our employment opportunities webpage at:
http://agency.governmentjobs.com/oaklandca/default.cfm.

If you do not have access to a computer, there are computer stations available at any City of Oakland Public Library. There are also workstations at the Human Resources Management Department, 150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 2nd Floor, Oakland, CA 94612. Workstations are available during regular business hours (normally 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).

Our online application system is provided by GovernmentJobs. If you have problems while applying online, please contact GovernmentJobs Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday. You may also call the City of Oakland Human Resources Management Department during regular business hours at (510) 238-3112 for information; however, we are unable to provide technical support for the online application system. For recruitment-specific questions, please contact Mary Ann Gonzales at mgonzales@oaklandca.gov.

The City of Oakland is committed to the wellbeing of its employees and offers comprehensive health and wellness services along with an array of other benefits for most positions. Benefits may include*:

• CalPERS Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Medical Waiver Plan - Cash-In-Lieu
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Commuter Benefits
• Group & Supplemental Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH)
• Pension Benefits
• Deferred Compensation

* Specific benefits may vary depending on the assignedspecific bargaining unit. Information regarding most benefits can be reviewed here: Employee Benefits Information Current MOUs may be reviewed here: City of Oakland Labor Agreements

Closing Date/Time: 11/17/2024 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$109,299.00 - $134,205.96 Annually