The Bellevue Transportation Department is America Public Works Association-Accredited with a professional staff that aspires to our vision of “Keeping Bellevue Moving Forward.” With services in planning, operations, review, design, construction, and maintenance, we work with our regional partners to provide a safe multi-modal transportation system for those who live, work, and play in Bellevue.
We are currently seeking an experienced Assistant Director to lead our Transportation Planning Division. The Assistant Director is a member of the Transportation Department’s executive, management, and strategic teams, collaborating to lead the department in achieving its strategic, operational, and planning goals. The Planning Assistant Director is responsible for overseeing long range transportation planning, transportation/traffic modeling, facilities planning, transportation demand management, capital programming, grant procurement, mobility planning/solutions, and is also responsible for ensuring the Transportation Commission fulfills their role of advising the City Council on Transportation related topics and issues. The position is very involved in preparing or assisting in preparation of Council and Commission presentations, and commonly attends and presents at these meetings. The position oversees a staff of 20 planning, engineering, and administrative professionals in four work groups to support these responsibilities. This position manages highly complex planning and policy work, and the successful candidate will demonstrate an innovative, results oriented performance history while working in collaboration with others, both within their home organization as well as with businesses leaders, other agencies, and the public.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Transportation Department Leadership:
- Serve on the executive, management, and strategic teams to determine and implement short- and long-term actions to advance the department’s vision and workplans.
- Identify and resolve major departmental issues.
- Model and create a collaborative work environment and open communication.
- Promote City core values and support department culture.
- Participate in decision making by expressing opinions and options, and support leadership decisions once made regardless of individual opinions. Focus on the good of the entire organization, not assigned workgroups.
- Act as the Department’s Director or Deputy Director, when necessary, as assigned.
Planning Division Management:
- Oversee Planning Division functional areas including long range transportation planning, transportation/traffic modeling, transportation demand management, capital programming, grant procurement, vision zero, and mobility planning/solutions.
- Manage a staff of 20 including four direct reports.
- Oversee the recruiting, hiring, training, evaluation, and development of planning division staff.
- Oversee the Transportation Commission including the staff support lead to ensure the Commission fulfills their role of advising the City Council on transportation related topics and issues.
- Provide leadership and direction in the development of short- and long-range plans; gather, interpret, and prepare data for studies, reports and recommendations.
- Work with staff to prepare Council and Commission agenda memos and presentations for study session items or legislation. Ensure technical information is presented in understandable ways for decision makers.
- Use performance data objectively to maintain and improve Planning functions. Establish and lead results-oriented innovation and continuous process improvement projects.
- Plan, develop and implement programs; identify program outcomes, budgets, processes and priorities; obtain resources via budget, contracting, inter-local agreements, etc.
- Negotiate and administer contracts and professional services agreements with consultants.
- Coordinate department activities with other departments, community organizations, advisory boards, citizens, businesses and other agencies on planning-oriented issues.
Reporting Structure:
The Assistant Director for Transportation Planning works under the general supervision of the Transportation Department Deputy Director, and often works directly or in collaboration with the Director. The position exercises supervision over professional planning and engineering staff, either directly or indirectly through supervisors and managers.
Qualifications
Knowledge of:
- Transportation planning, design, administration or engineering.
- Land use planning and zoning.
- The basics of traffic engineering, transportation demand management, and transportation modeling.
- Capital facility programming, budget development, and program delivery monitoring.
- Leadership, management and supervisory practices.
- Quality improvement methodologies.
Skill in:
- Identifying emerging issues and implementing new approaches or organizational structure to generate desired results.
- Conflict resolution and negotiating.
- Representing politically sensitive or otherwise high-profile Transportation issues to Council and City Executives.
- Presenting technical, difficult to understand, and/or controversial information in an understandable way.
- Applying diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) principles and practices for both internal staff and external customers.
Ability to:
- Express self clearly, completely, and concisely, orally, and in writing.
- Listen and question effectively to better understand customer/employee needs to ensure mutual understanding.
- Prepare and deliver presentations to various audiences and present technical information in understandable ways.
- Communicate and model positive attitudes towards organizational or process change to reassure others.
- Serve as the City’s representative to Commissions, committees and organizations concerned with transportation issues and other Transportation Department functions.
- Interpret legislation, rules and regulations.
- Anticipate and resolve problems before a crisis ensues.
- Understand and function effectively in political environments.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with department employees, other City departments, Council, Commission, stakeholders, and regional partners.
- Successfully negotiate terms for collaboration with other jurisdictions/entities.
- Successfully conduct and oversee public engagement.
- Plan, assign, review, and supervise the work of direct reports.
- Provide leadership, counsel, motivation and constructive performance reviews to staff, securing their respective commitments to the department's goals.
- Lead, as confirmed from input from past subordinates, peers, and supervisors.
- Create a team environment in which information and trust flows freely throughout the workforce.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
- Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor’s degree in transportation planning, urban planning, civil engineering or other related fields. A master’s degree is preferred.
- Eight or more years of progressively responsible related experience in transportation planning including management experience.
- Certification as a Professional Transportation Planner (PTP) or a certification from the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) is preferred.
- Or any equivalent combination of education, experience and training that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Supplemental Information
Flexible/Hybrid Working:
A hybrid work schedule is available for this position following an orientation period working in the office after hire. Remote work for this position is subject to the department's operational needs and will be discussed with candidates during the selection process. Full-time remote work is not an available option. Once hired, employees must reside in the State of Washington and within reasonable commuting distance to Bellevue City Hall.
WORKING CONDITIONS & PHYSICAL DEMANDS
- The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Work involves walking, talking, hearing, using a computer, using hands to handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls, and reaching with hands and arms. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
- The noise level in the work environment is usually moderately quiet while in the office or moderately loud when in the field.
This is a full-time, exempt, at-will, non-union position.
