Senior Planner, Regional Partnerships and Funding (Transportation Planner III)

Since 1977, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) has served the Fairfax County community by enhancing mobility, safety, and the quality of life of residents, businesses, and visitors through planning, coordinating, funding, implementing, and sustaining a multimodal transportation system. FCDOT’s Coordination and Funding Division is seeking a Senior Planner with experience in regional partnerships. This position performs transportation agency liaison duties with regional partners, budgeting, and capital project programming. The position also pursues transportation funding opportunities from various funding sources and ensures compliance with related requirements. In a dynamic and quickly evolving environment, this position will provide a challenging and rewarding experience for an individual invested in achieving the county’s ambitious active transportation goals.

Responsibilities include:

• Facilitating interagency coordination at the federal, state, and regional level on planning, projects, and policies
• Managing the county’s relationship with one or more of the following commissions, boards, authorities and/or jurisdictions: Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC), Virginia Railway Express (VRE), Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG), Transportation Planning Board (TPB), Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), and other local jurisdictions; providing technical input and recommendations to those regional agencies; meeting with their representatives to develop policy and agreements on service levels and coordinating efforts
• Providing guidance to staff, citizens, and officials on procedural and policy matters
• Assisting in securing funding for transportation capital and operating projects
• Preparing and communicating reports, recommendations, meeting summaries, letters, official items for Board of Supervisors’ consideration, and other documents, as required
• Analyzing transportation issues; preparing presentations for and serving as a subject matter expert at project-related public meetings, briefings for senior leadership and/or elected officials, and other audiences, as required to meet specific audience needs
• Performing other duties as assigned

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following:
(Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, urban, regional or transportation planning, or a closely related field; plus four years of professional experience in civil engineering, urban, regional or transportation planning, or a closely related field.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:
Valid driver's license

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a driving record check to the satisfaction of the employer.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Strong analytical skills with experience analyzing transportation and policy issues at the state or federal level.
• Experience coordinating with state and regional transportation funding agencies, such as the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Virginia Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC), Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA), or others.
• Strong written communication skills, including ability to prepare presentations, technical memoranda, non-technical memoranda, letters, and other correspondence.
• Strong oral communication skills, as well as experience presenting to and providing subject matter expertise for and engaging with elected officials, staff, and the community.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others, including citizen's groups, community, county, and state officials.
• Knowledge of the principles and methods of transportation/transit funding.
• Experience developing grant applications related to transportation projects/transit services and the ability to pursue grants and help develop funding strategies.
• General knowledge of transportation planning/analysis software, finance, and budgeting.
• Ability to manage complex projects independently or to serve as team lead.
• Ability to independently conduct complex transportation/transit studies and develop sound conclusions and recommendations.