Position Title: Program Associate
Date Opened: March 12, 2024
Date Closing: April 21, 2024 ‐ Applications reviewed on a rolling basis
Position Details: Full-time salaried position with benefits
Salary commensurate with experience: $50,000 – $67,000
Based in Chicago or Los Angeles area, with hybrid remote/in-office work location model.
General Overview:
The Shared-Use Mobility Center (SUMC) is a non-profit public interest organization promoting multimodal transportation systems that work for all. Through pilot projects, applied research, capacity-building, and technical assistance, SUMC helps communities realize a vision of an equitable and sustainable mobility future.
SUMC is expanding its technical assistance, capacity-building, research, and convening efforts through partnerships with the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the State of California, and other public partners. Among other activities, SUMC is part of a capacity-building team for the USDOT’s Thriving Communities Program supporting disadvantaged and under-resourced communities, enabling them to advance transportation projects that support community-driven economic development, health, environment, mobility, and access goals. SUMC hosts the Mobility Innovation Collaborative and the Mobility Learning Center in partnership with the Federal Transit Administration to support transit agencies, cities, and regions nationwide in adopting innovative, multimodal mobility solutions, and improvements to transit access and information. SUMC works in partnership with CALSTART as the Program Administrator for the California Air Resources Board’s Clean Mobility Options (CMO) program, delivering approximately $35M in funding and capacity-building resources to disadvantaged and low-income communities across California in pursuit of mobility equity goals through zero-emission shared mobility pilots.
Full description and application available here.
Position Overview:
The Program Associate will work closely with the Program Director and SUMC’s Chicago and California teams to support the organization’s growing technical assistance, capacity-building, and applied research work. The position presents a unique opportunity to work nationwide across the public and private sectors to shape the future of mobility around climate and social equity goals.
SUMC staff are responsible for a wide range of duties in a thoughtful, creative, fast-paced atmosphere. Depending on needs at the time, the Program Associate will be responsible for conducting research, delivering technical assistance, writing and developing tools and resources, facilitating training and peer exchange, and managing administrative tasks. Subject matter is wide-ranging and may include transportation planning, community engagement, procurement, public-private partnerships, accessibility, data management, and innovative technology, such as trip-planning software, multimodal payment, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The Program Associate will have routine contact with transportation leaders and other practitioners doing some of the most innovative work at the intersection of mobility, equity, and climate.
Program Associate Duties May Include:
- Contribute to technical assistance and capacity-building activities delivered to participants communities nationwide
- Conduct research, collect information, and hold interviews with industry stakeholders about mobility and transportation projects
- Organize meetings and other peer exchange opportunities in information-sharing networks
- Contribute to engaging and educational resources such as guidebooks, fact sheets, case studies, videos, and podcasts for inclusion in the Mobility Learning Center
- Contribute to development of analytical tools such as surveys, interactive maps, decision-support tools, and reporting dashboards
- Coordinate and support trainings, workshops, and webinars, including sessions in SUMC’s annual National Shared Mobility Summit
- Track participation in SUMC programs through surveys and data management
- Contribute to program planning and organizational strategy in collaboration with partners and colleagues
- Facilitate and document relationships between SUMC and potential partners
- Contribute to other communications efforts such as blog posts, newsletters, and social media feeds
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as planning, public policy, or business administration AND at least two years experience in related work such as transportation planning or mobility industry operations, service development, or policy/public affairs
OR
- Master’s degree in a relevant field such as planning, public policy, or business administration AND at least one year experience in related work
As well as:
- Experience analyzing and communicating mobility and transportation projects
- Strong attention to detail and independent time management skills
- Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with team members, including colleagues in remote locations
- Ability to travel occasionally to communities participating in technical assistance and capacity-building programs