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Program Manager, Capacity Building - NACTO - New York City


Job Title: Program Manager, Capacity Building Start Date: Early October 2022

Salary: Starting at $73,000

Location: NACTO is based in NYC and is in the process of developing a remote work policy that allows for flexibility and collaboration. Staff based in NYC are provided with office space, but utilizing this office space is not mandatory. All staff, regardless of location, will be required to visit the office throughout the year for in-person meetings. NACTO is primarily interested in candidates from the NYC area, but is open to strong applicants from other parts of the country who are willing to work within an EST schedule. Please note that NACTO is only able to accept applications from candidates based in the United States.

 

The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) is seeking a relationship-oriented convener to join our team as a full-time Program Manager, Capacity Building.

 

Capacity Building at NACTO

NACTO’s Capacity Building program provides support and professional development for public sector staff in city transportation departments and transit agencies. Our objective is to provide city staff with the tools, resources, and inspiration needed to lead effective, transformative projects and programs. We focus on Capacity Building to strengthen the government's ability to deliver safe, sustainable, equitable transportation systems for communities across the country.

 

Our Capacity Building strategies include workshops, trainings, fellowship programs, affinity groups, and cohort learning experiences. Our Capacity Building team works to develop and maintain a comprehensive, effective approach to NACTO curricular design and delivery while also coaching internal staff in best practices for implementation of a suite of programmatic offerings. This Program Manager role will work in collaboration with the Senior Program Manager, Capacity Building to provide operational support for NACTO’s fellowships, affinity groups, and cohort learning experiences that serve to advance our goal to connect, challenge, and champion the city transportation professionals working towards equitable, sustainable mobility policy and people-centered street design.

 

A strong candidate will excel in creating space, both virtual and in-person, that encourages NACTO members to build authentic relationships and stimulate change and progress toward a common goal. The Program Manager will drive the operations for NACTO’s fellowships, affinity groups, and cohort learning experiences with strategic direction from the Senior Program


Manager, Capacity Building. A strong candidate will be excited to manage programming while contributing thought partnership for the design of future programming alongside the Senior Program Manager. Strong candidates will be skilled at building and maintaining relationships internally with colleagues and externally with partners, managing projects and programs with collaborators and members with unique needs, and will be committed to iteration and learning as part of strong collaboration. The role will report to the Senior Program Manager, Capacity Building and requires up to 10% travel throughout the United States, not expected to exceed six travel engagements per year.

 

Who we are

NACTO is a nonprofit association of 90 major North American cities and transit agencies, formed to exchange transportation ideas, insights, and practices and cooperatively approach national transportation issues. Our members include cities such as Philadelphia, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Houston, and transit agencies such as Portland Tri-Met and Chicago Transit Authority. Our mission is to build cities as places for people, with safe, sustainable, accessible, and equitable transportation choices that support a strong economy and vibrant quality of life. Our staff team is passionate, outcomes-oriented, and committed to challenging the status quo in transportation and raising the bar for city streets.

 

To be successful in this job, you will excel in the following key areas:

 

      Convening a peer network: You have past experience owning and driving membership cohorts and/or peer learning networks with a goal of connecting members, inspiring action, and keeping people committed to a mission. You have an awareness of how to connect with members with equity, accessibility, and inclusivity in mind and understand the difference between supporting members as well as creating spaces for peer building that can happen between them.

      Managing projects and processes: You are organized, tech savvy, and comfortable managing timelines. You know how to collaborate and delegate tasks to an internal team and external consultants, while also knowing when to ask for guidance, clarity, and support. You understand when to move with urgency versus when to slow down and move at a more measured pace. Your goals and actions are always tied to the larger programmatic mission and organizational vision.

      Relationship-building and emotional intelligence: You’re relational in your approach to work and your ability to build connections is a core part of how you operate. You are able to build trust and practice diplomacy with a wide range of people, including internal staff, NACTO members, and consultants, and across lines of race, gender, class and other identities. You are confident, clear, and thoughtful when delegating and

cross-collaborating both internally and externally.

      Thought partnership: You have past experience sharing constructive thoughts and feedback and feel comfortable managing a large body of work. You practice the balance of stepping up, stepping back, and holding the vision of the greater organizational mission.


      Strong written and verbal communication: You excel in synthesizing information and contributing to writing projects. You communicate clearly and effectively with NACTO members in person, via email, and in virtual meetings.

 

Responsibilities include:

 

      Peer Network Management: Maintaining strong relationships with NACTO members and consultants in order to manage NACTO’s fellowships, affinity groups, and cohort learning experiences in collaboration with the Senior Program Manager, Capacity Building, the Director of Engagement, the Senior Events Manager, the Events and Operations Associate, the Design Team, the Director of Strategy, and the Communications Team on occasion.

      On a weekly basis, this work looks like:

      Envisioning programs and formats for connecting and engaging the member network and conveying these ideas to the Senior Program Manager, Capacity Building for potential execution

      Developing content for the Transportation Equity Peer Network listserv

      Administering operational logistics for the Transportation Justice Fellowship program

      Supporting the development of fellowship curriculum with consultants

 

      Project management: Designing, delegating, and implementing project plans for NACTO’s fellowships, affinity groups, and cohort learning experiences. Developing a scope of work, managing budgets, coordinating meeting logistics, coordinating cohort event logistics including travel with events team, and serving as initial point-of-contact for cohort members. Seeing a project through from its inception to its completion in collaboration with the Senior Program Manager, Capacity Building.

      On a weekly basis, this work looks like:

      Writing individual or group emails to members regarding trainings, case studies, etc

      Writing emails to consultants regarding the deliverables of their work scopes within their projects at NACTO

      Researching and sourcing information and photos needed for working papers

      Taking notes and creating source libraries for sharing information internally

      Creating and maintaining organizational systems for documenting and saving the work associated with your projects and programs

      Using Monday and other relevant project management and organizational apps in order to cross collaborate with team members on Capacity Building projects.


      Ideation of Capacity Building efforts: Brainstorming and consideration of workshops, Roundtables and other member events which enhance and maintain NACTO’s capacity to deliver direct, consultant, and cohort-based curriculum-driven experiences across program areas.

      On a weekly basis, this work looks like:

      Participating in weekly NACTO staff meetings

      Attending Engagement team meetings to review, troubleshoot and plan current programming

      Sharing updates on Capacity Building work with the NACTO team as requested during monthly meetings

      Meeting with the Senior Program Manager, Capacity Building weekly in order to stay in alignment with one another regarding peer network management programming

      Taking notes and documenting relevant information during meetings so that action steps are brought to fruition in the project management process

Qualifications

NACTO does not have minimum requirements for education or professional experience. We encourage all candidates with relevant and differing experiences and professional backgrounds to apply. Generally, we expect qualified candidates would have the following baseline experience for a Program Manager:

      6 years of relevant professional experience; OR

      4 years of relevant professional experience with an undergraduate degree; OR

      2 years of relevant professional experience with a relevant master’s degree

 

How to Apply

Send a cover letter and resume as one PDF file to hr@nacto.org with the subject “Program Manager, Capacity Building.” Resumes received by July 20, 2022 will receive first consideration, though this position is open until filled, and we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. No calls please. Due to the high volume of applications that we receive, we are unable to share feedback on individual applications.

 

NACTO is committed to workplace diversity and inclusion. We are equal opportunity employers and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. We offer competitive salaries based on a nonprofit scale and commensurate with experience. Benefits include accrued PTO and family leave; healthcare, dental and vision insurance; expanded disability and life insurance; retirement savings plan; and pre-tax commuter benefits.