Transportation Planning Program Manager

Summary

The Transportation Planning Program Manager leads the work that translates Charlotte's transportation policy and mobility needs into prioritized, fundable projects ready to enter preliminary design. This section is responsible for project prioritization, capital investment plan (CIP) project programming, program eligibility, and performance measurement, and it owns the data and methods that support CIP programs. The Section Manager builds and leads a team of planners, sets the Division's analytical standards, and supports CDOT leadership in preparing prioritization and budget recommendations for City Council. This position reports directly to the Mobility Planning Division Manager.

Responsibilities

• Leads programming and prioritization of transportation projects in the CIP to support the city's policy goals as adopted in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan and Strategic Mobility Plan.
• Coordinates with the Mobility Planning & Policy Section, the Modeling, Analysis, and Design Division, and CIP program implementers to advance projects through the Define-Design-Deliver-Deploy lifecycle and ensure programming decisions are aligned with project readiness.
• Develops and maintains program eligibility criteria and scoring methods that produce consistent, defensible prioritization decisions across bond cycles.
• Oversees preparation of CIP budget process materials, program summaries, and prioritization recommendations for the Division Manager, CDOT Director, and City Council as needed.
• Oversees and defines the process of advancing projects from planning to preliminary design, ensuring that the project purpose and need statement, preferred scope, tier assignment, engagement brief, and other information as necessary are clearly defined.
• Coordinates the Project Validation gate with the Division Manager and relevant partners, ensuring go/no-go decisions are grounded in complete and accurate project information.
• In coordination with the Modeling, Analysis, & Design Division, builds and maintains the analytical foundation that supports project screening, including network and modal hierarchy data, gap inventories, safety performance data, and multimodal needs assessments.
• Develops and oversees Charlotte's transportation system performance framework, including indicator selection, data sources, and reporting cadence aligned with SMP objectives.
• Designs and manages before-and-after studies for completed CIP projects, establishing consistent evaluation methodology, data collection standards, and outcome reporting.
• Applies GIS and transportation data tools to support planning analysis, prioritization scoring, corridor-level needs assessments, and mobility planning study coordination.
• Prepares and presents program summaries, prioritization recommendations, and performance findings to internal leadership, partner agencies, and City Council as needed.
• Supports the Division Manager in responding to City Council, the City Manager's Office, and other city departments on matters related to project programming and transportation performance.
• Collaborates with CRTPO, CATS, NCDOT, and other regional partners on data sharing, performance alignment, and funding program coordination.
• Communicates complex technical and analytical findings clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences in written, graphic, and verbal formats.
• Builds, supervises, mentors, and evaluates a section of transportation planners, providing regular direction, feedback, and professional development support.
• Assigns and manages workload to ensure timely delivery of prioritization, programming, chartering, and analytical products.
• Partners with the Division Manager on work planning, budget tracking, performance evaluations, and section capacity management.
• Represents the section in cross-divisional coordination and contributes to division-wide initiatives as directed by the Division Manager.

Qualifications

Minimum: Bachelor's Degree and seven years of relevant work experience OR Master's Degree with five years of relevant work experience.

Preferred:

• Bachelor's Degree in transportation planning, urban planning, public administration, civil engineering, or a related field and seven (7) years of progressive experience in transportation planning, capital program management, or transportation data analysis in an urban context.
• Certified Planner (AICP) or registered Professional Engineer (PE)
• At least three (3) years of experience supervising, mentoring, or leading professional planning staff.
• Experience designing or conducting transportation performance monitoring, before-and-after studies, or multimodal needs assessment.
• Proficiency with GIS, transportation data tools, and data visualization platforms.
• Or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience that provides the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the essential job duties

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Thorough knowledge of transportation planning principles and multimodal transportation networks
• Considerable knowledge of transportation performance monitoring, data analysis, and evaluation methods
• Considerable knowledge of public capital improvement programs and local government budget processes
• Knowledge of GIS and transportation data tools and their application to planning and programming
• Knowledge of local government administration and policy development
• Ability to build, lead, and supervise a team of professional planners at multiple levels
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent analytical and programmatic workstreams under a deadline
• Ability to design and implement data collection, evaluation, and performance reporting frameworks
• Ability to prepare clear analytical reports, project charters, program summaries, and policy-facing documents
• Ability to communicate technical and programmatic findings to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships across divisions, departments, and partner agencies