POSITION SUMMARY

Under direction, manages strategic analysis of various data sources and maintains/builds models and tools to estimate and project customer patterns, including existing and new impacts from proposed projects or changes. Assists with all areas of Planning in support of developing transportation plans.

Qualifications

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Performs highly complex analytical tasks in support of transportation planning.
• Builds and/or updates automated models to estimate and predict customer travel patterns.
• Builds and/or updates tools and reports that process raw data to produce summarized analytics for use by Planning staff, automating where possible.
• Assists in the onboarding of data streams and tools provided by third-party vendors.
• Conducts technical analysis using economic, demographic, and ridership data to advise on current issues and trends that may affect ridership, service, or use of property.
• Assists in the development of operational performance and quality of service analyses.
• Prepares materials for reports, memos, and/or presentations including statistical charts, maps, and other documents to illustrate findings and recommendations.
• Extracts and validates data from the appropriate sources, including developing source to target mappings for data lineage and documenting source architecture to include data flows. Assists with implementing the architectural vision and strategy for Planning related data and analytical platform solutions.
• Researches best practices, recommends changes to improve efficiencies, assists in revising processes and procedures, and establishes enterprise data strategies.
• Identifies and analyzes trends and opportunities in internal areas such as service adjustments, pricing, and Marketing/ and external areas such as parking, employment, population, and competing and complementary modes.
• Succinctly communicates findings to internal and external customers.
• Routinizes existing and new trend reporting using business intelligence tools.
• Serves as knowledge expert and liaison on behalf of the Planning department.
• Helps respond to internal and external inquiries, including those from the general public, media, CTA Board, and elected officials related to data not provided by other Authority departments, including vehicle speeds, service levels, and customer travel patterns.
• Works with various departments to diagnose and resolve data issues and needs to ensure data used in planning decisions is accurate and available.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Reporting to this position are the following jobs:

Job Title

None

CHALLENGES

• Developing and maintaining effective working relationships with various levels of Authority personnel and outside contacts.
• Keeping abreast of advancements in the field of transportation and data analytics as they relate to the needs of this position.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Programming, Transportation, Urban Planning, or a related field, plus at least two (2) years of experience using SQL and Python or an equivalent combination of education and experience related to this position.
• Master’s degree preferred.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Occasional fieldwork.
• Requires remaining in a stationary position for extended periods of time and constantly operating a computer and other office productivity machinery.
• Service Area Requirement: Exempt (Non-Union) employees must live within the boundaries of the CTA Statutory Service Area either at the time of employment or within 6 months of beginning employment at CTA.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Detailed knowledge of research, data collection and modeling, and presentation methods and techniques.
• Working knowledge in the utilization of PL/SQL programming in Oracle and Python.
• Working knowledge in the methods and principles of large dataset analysis and use.
• Working knowledge of transportation analytics principles and effective use of logic and data models.
• Working knowledge of regression analysis.
• Working knowledge of Oracle internals and performance tuning.
• Working knowledge of optimization algorithms preferred.
• Working knowledge of machine learning techniques.
• Advanced skill using statistical, GIS, and programming in Microsoft Excel and Access.
• Strong research, organization, and analytical skills.
• Intermediate web development skills preferred.
• Strong research, organization, and analytical skills.
• Intermediate web development skills preferred.
• Ability to correctly apply linear regression modeling estimation and recognize model limitations.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with Authority personnel.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• General office environment.
• Subject to existing weather conditions when working in the field.

EQUIPMENT, TOOLS, AND MATERIALS UTILIZED

• Standard office equipment.
• Personal computer and related planning, statistical, and design software.
• Application development using PL/SQL & Python.