Senior Planner, System Plans - TransLink

Type: Full-Time

Location: Greater Vancouver, BC

Apply here.

Responsibilities

PRIMARY PURPOSE
In pursuit of making the region a better place to live for everyone, built on transportation excellence, this role provides advanced transportation planning expertise, leadership and project management to programs/projects of moderate to high impact, risk, and complexity, that can be highly visible and sensitive in nature.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

To advance Enterprise and regional goals, provides advanced transportation planning expertise, leadership and project management to lead the development of transportation planning policies, plans and strategies, ensuring compliance with Enterprise standards, policies and procedures, and legislative requirements for work of moderate to high impact, risk and complexity.

In support of evidence-based decision-making, identifies analytical research needs, conducts research and analysis and oversees the development of advanced methods, techniques, and models to ensure successful delivery and execution of work that is of moderate to high impact, risk and complexity.

Contributes as a member of a program/project team to manage projects of moderate to high impact, risk, and complexity in designing and developing project scope, schedules, and work plans; defining and prioritizing deliverables; preparing and monitoring project budgets, ensuring compliance with department standards, policies and procedures, and the alignment to program, Enterprise, and regional goals, identifying and recommending/taking action on planning and project risks and opportunities, based on analysis of transport data, trends, and issues. Alerts management to critical issues and risks.

Identifies and resolves project issues such as those related to scheduling, resourcing, cost-overruns, conflicting agendas and technical issues.

Seeks to understand the lived experience and transportation needs of people and businesses in Metro Vancouver, and especially of disadvantaged and marginalized groups. Identifies opportunities and recommends for action to integrate this understanding in plans/projects.

Collaborate with and provides advanced technical expertise and stewardship to leaders and professionals across the organization with a view to optimizing planning services and project outcomes.
Presents to and facilitates interactive discussions with Executives, elected and appointed officials, including the Board and Mayors’ Council.

Nurtures collaborative relationships with internal colleagues and external stakeholders including advisory committees, staff at other government and public agencies, and other organizations and interest groups, to understand needs, maintain open communication and proactively resolve issues of moderate to high impact, risk and complexity. These issues can be highly visible, and often with no previous precedent or set parameters.

In support of advancing Enterprise and regional goals in open, inclusive and collaborative ways, collaborates with internal stakeholders  to design and lead public, stakeholder, and partner consultation processes;  represents TransLink to external audiences on issues of lower to moderate to high impact, risk and complexity, including presentations to the public; oversees the development of feedback report from the public consultation.

Oversees the work of contractors and consultants; provides work direction and monitors contract compliance to ensure service standards, budgets and project deliverables are adhered to. Recommends remedial actions to address non-compliance practices.

Manages reporting staff, including selection, development, performance management and other people practices.

Qualifications

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Typically requires a Master’s degree (in Planning, Engineering, Public Policy or a related discipline), plus six (6) years of related experience with progressively increasing levels of responsibility.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

Advanced knowledge of the principles, theories, concepts and practices of transportation planning

Advanced knowledge of plans, products, roles and responsibilities of government agencies, NGOs and relevant associations.

Sound understanding of the regional transportation authority, transportation and land use planning, social planning, related engineering process, modelling, finance mapping, legal and statutory processes, political structures and governance.

Solid leadership skills with the ability to communicate and provide a advanced level of technical guidance and expertise to other transportation planning professionals and to lead projects.

Strong oral and written communication skills to develop and deliver reports and presentations and to facilitate meetings.

Excellent critical thinking, analytical, problem-solving and conflict resolution skills to identify and assess impact of transportation planning and project-related risks and opportunities in an integrated, multi-disciplinary, highly sensitive environment.

Strong Interpersonal skills to build trust by consulting with internal and external contacts and applying a team approach and negotiation skills to make refinements to contracts and to conflict resolution at a basic level of risk and complexity.

Solid decision-making skills to make recommendations/resolve transportation planning and project-related issues, and conflict resolution skills to mitigate and minimize project risks and issues

Other Information

This is a Senior Planner position within the System Plans team, which is situated within TransLink’s larger Transportation Planning and Policy Division. Key areas of responsibility for the System Plans team include:  

Planning and design of regional transportation networks related to walking, cycling, transit, and roads, including the Reliable and Fast Transit Network and Major Bikeway Network featured in Transport 2050;  

Development and management of policies, standards, and guidelines that support the planning and operations related to different components of the regional transportation system (e.g. Transit Service Guidelines, Park and Ride Guidelines, guiding elements for the Major Bikeway Network);  

Development of sub-regional area transport plans that identify changes to transit and transportation networks that are needed over the near- and longer-term to support changing patterns of land use and travel; and 

Program design for local government cost-share funding programs related to walking, cycling, and roads, including supporting local governments with identifying and developing projects that advance regional objectives (e.g. implementing the Major Bikeway Network, improving walking connections to transit).   
 

This Senior Planner position reports to the Manager of the System Plans team. As a Senior Planner, you would be responsible for leading assignments of moderate to high complexity and scope, and you would help to direct and oversee the work of other team members on larger assignments. Previous experience with planning processes, multi-modal network planning and street design, managing consultants, coordinating with internal stakeholders, and engaging with external stakeholders and the public are expected. 

Work Schedule

37.5 hours per week.

Work Designation

Hybrid

 This position offers the flexibility of working both on-site and remotely within B.C. 

Rate of Pay

Salary: $97,441- $121,800 per annum (Actual salary offered will be commensurate with education, experience and internal parity).

The Total Compensation Package includes Extended Health, Dental, Transit Pass and enrollment in the Public Service Pension Plan. Focus on your development through tuition reimbursement, training, and mentorship programs. Enjoy a variety of health and wellness programs, including access to gym facilities. Speak to us to know more about what we offer.