Overview
Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)
San Francisco, CA
Principal Planner, Active Transportation―Planning, Policy & Partnerships
Salary: $148,348.30 – $188,141.41 Annually
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is an equal-opportunity, non-discriminatory employer. MTC provides all employees and applicants with an equal opportunity in every aspect of the employment experience regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, physical handicap, medical condition or marital status.
THIS JOB POSTING WILL REMAIN OPEN UNTIL A QUALIFIED POOL OF APPLICANTS IS ESTABLISHED AND MAY CLOSE AT ANY TIME
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, PLEASE APPLY IMMEDIATELY
First round interviews tentatively scheduled for Friday, July 11, 2025
A resume and cover letter are not required with your application, but highly encouraged.
Be ready to rethink your assumptions about the public sector. Dedicated and motivated colleagues? Beautiful, high amenity building for on-site work and collaboration? Flexible schedules and hybrid work options? Yes, yes, and yes!
ABOUT MTC
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is the transportation planning, financing, and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. MTC is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the state designated Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA) for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. MTC provides services to the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). For more information about MTC, visit www.mtc.ca.gov.
ABOUT THE TEAM
The Sustainable Mobility and Operations (SUMO) Section was established in January 2025 and is tasked with advancing an integrated portfolio designed to improve the transportation system’s operational efficiency, safety, and sustainability while also helping customers use the multi-modal system more effectively.
The Active Transportation & New Mobility Unit oversees the agency’s planning and policy efforts related to active transportation, complete streets, trails and supports local governments to plan, design, and deliver walking, biking, and trails projects and programs through targeted technical assistance and convenings. This team also operates shared mobility programs including the regional Bay Wheels bikeshare program.
ABOUT THE ROLE
Under the general direction of the Assistant Director, Active Transportation & New Mobility, the Principal Planner, Active Transportation—Planning, Policy & Partnerships is responsible for planning active transportation projects and programs that connect communities and the regional active transportation network for commute and recreational travel. This position will work collaboratively with the Assistant Director, Active Transportation & New Mobility, and a team of planners and engineers internal and external to MTC in accomplishing these goals.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Under the supervision and direction of the Assistant Director, Active Transportation & New Mobility, specific assignments and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
Plan/Policy Development and Updates
• Develop or update major active transportation plans including, but not limited to, the MTC Regional Active Transportation Plan, MTC Regional Active Transportation (AT) Network and the Bay Trail Gap Closure Implementation Plan (BTGCIP)
• Manage and update MTC’s Complete Streets Policy and Checklist
• Oversee compliance and evaluation of MTC’s Complete Streets Policy and Checklist
• Implement actions identified in MTC’s Active Transportation Plan
• Support internal coordination for MTC’s Transit-Oriented Communities Policy, Vision Zero, Transit Priority Policy, and the regional Active Transportation Program
Convening, Coordination and Capacity Building
• Participate in select local, state, and regional active transportation project or policy-level working groups
• Advance pedestrian and bicyclist data collection, count studies and standardization
• Convene MTC’s Active Transportation Working Group (ATWG), comprised of local agency partners, public health professionals, transportation advocates, and private sector participants from the transportation and mobility sectors
Bay Trail Planning & Coordination
• Conduct Bay Trail outreach and partner engagement and respond to Public Information Requests
• Update the Bay Trail Strategic Plan, Bay Trail Equity Strategy, and Bay Trail Needs, Operations & Maintenance Assessment (NOMA)
• Lead new Bay Trail planning efforts including, but not limited to, Sea Level Rise & Adaptation Planning for the Bay Trail and multi-modal trail access studies
• Lead Bay Area Trails Collaborative (BATC) coordination and Friends of the Bay Trail group
Program Management, Evaluation and Administration
• Manage a variety of large, complex, and high-visibility projects, initiatives, strategies, and studies related to assigned area of responsibility
• Research, strategically identify, and pursue available active transportation funding sources to underwrite projects to close key active transportation and trail gaps
• Conduct research on a wide variety of topics, evaluate alternatives, make sound recommendations, and prepare effective technical staff reports
• Prepare work program authorizations, scopes and funding plans, including allocating and balancing resources using staff and consulting services
• Lead, coordinate, and confer with local agencies and other jurisdictions on active transportation and trails policy development, joint studies, funding agreements and grant applications related to active transportation and trails
• Prepare talking points, briefings, presentations, or other communications materials for executives
• Evaluate team progress on programmatic work and deliverables
• Participate in grant program evaluations such as Regional Measure programs and regional Active Transportation Program
• Lead the preparation, evaluation, and monitoring of the annual work element budget
QUALIFICATIONS
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES
Knowledge of:
• Principles, practices and techniques of active transportation and trails policymaking, planning, design, and development;
• Best practices, guidelines, and standards for street design including, but not limited to, NACTO and AASHTO;
• Understanding of design, economic, environmental, and other factors which impact active transportation and trails project planning and implementation;
• Principles and practices of program development, implementation and evaluation;
• Principles and practices of research, data collection, data analysis and interpretation, and report preparation;
• Relevant Federal, State, and local policies, procedures, rules, codes, and regulations governing transportation planning & engineering, including environmental impact assessment and related regulatory processes;
• A strong understanding of policy and program approaches to advance a fair, just, and inclusive transportation system;
• Principles and practices of budget preparation, public sector procurement, contract negotiation, and administration.
Skills and Abilities
• Plan, direct, select, supervise, train, motivate and evaluate the work and performance of professional and technical personnel and consultant teams;
• Excellent management and decision-making skills as applied to the development, analysis and evaluation of programs, policies, and operational needs of the agency;
• Effective written and verbal communications skills to support the preparation and presentation of transportation plans, studies and reports in a clear and concise manner for diverse audiences—including excellent presentation and public speaking skills;
• Independently organize and manage competing priorities and simultaneous projects involving cross-functional project teams in an effective and timely manner and in a fast-paced working environment, occasionally delivering on short timelines;
• Builds and maintains effective, positive and harmonious working relationships with a variety of internal and external stakeholders, community groups, government agencies, and the general public related to assigned functions, programs, and/or projects;
• Analyze, interpret, summarize, and present administrative and technical information, data, and recommendations in an effective manner;
• Entrepreneurial spirit and strong leadership aptitude to encourage, motivate, inspire, and challenge colleagues and partners to equitably enhance walking and biking in the Bay Area for all ages and abilities;
• Strategic and political acumen, tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment to quickly assess risks and opportunities and to navigate working with elected officials.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
An appropriate combination of education and experience that has provided the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way of obtaining the required qualifications is:
Education: A Master’s degree in an appropriate field related to the area of assignment, such as transportation planning, city and regional planning; transportation engineering or modeling, financial management, economics, business or public administration. Applicants with a degree issued from an institution outside the United States must have their transcripts evaluated by an academic accrediting service and provide proof of equivalency along with their application.
Experience: Three years of increasingly responsible experience in an appropriate field related to the area of assignment.
A Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate discipline and four years of relevant experience is an alternative qualification.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education: A Master’s degree in an appropriate field related to the area of assignment, such as transportation planning, project management, public finance, transportation engineering, civil engineering, economics, urban/environmental/landscape design, business, public administration or public health. Applicants with a degree issued from an institution outside the United States must have their transcripts evaluated by an academic accrediting service and provide proof of equivalency along with their application.
Experience: At least three (3) years of increasingly responsible professional experience in an appropriate field related to the area of assignment, such as transportation planning, project management, public finance, transportation engineering, economics, urban/environmental/landscape design, business, public health or public administration.
License/Certificate: Possession of a valid California Class C driver’s license and a safe driving record, or the ability to provide alternate transportation which is approved by the appointing authority.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS
Successful completion of a background check, professional references and the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9.
DISABILITY
The Human Resources Department will make reasonable efforts in the recruitment or skills assessment process to accommodate applicants with disabilities. If selected for an interview or testing, and you require accommodation, please notify the Human Resources Department when confirming your interview or test.
APPLICATION ASSISTANCE
If you need technical assistance with your on-line application, please contact Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627, available from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (PST) Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
All MTC employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.