TIP Analyst or Senior TIP Analyst

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is seeking to hire an experienced professional to lead and/or contribute to Federal Transportation Funding Program projects within the Research, Analysis, and Programming (RAP) division. This program is responsible for developing and managing the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO’s) annual Unified Work Program for transportation planning and for developing and managing multi-year, multi-agency programs of federally funded transportation capital projects that support the implementation of ON TO 2050 and other regional plans. The federal transportation funding program team closely coordinates with and contributes to the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Coordination program and contributes subject matter expertise to other agency program areas.

All candidates should demonstrate knowledge of transportation planning and funding principles, federal MPO requirements, and an understanding of state and federal regulations that apply to transportation project implementation. The ideal candidate will have advanced knowledge and/or demonstrated experience in several of the following areas:

• Development of data-driven and/or performance-based project selection methodologies that balance the regional needs and the competing interests of a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Execution of calls for projects and/or development of a program(s) of projects.
• Development and enforcement of policies and procedures to ensure program goals are met and funding is utilized in a responsible, timely, and appropriate manner.
• Understanding the requirements of federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ), Carbon Reduction Program (CRP), Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), and/or Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) funding programs.
• Development of an MPO Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP).
• Building relationships based on trust and transparency to successfully facilitate regional or multi-jurisdictional collaboration.
• Presenting complex technical concepts to a variety of audiences, including technical experts, elected officials, and the public.
• Development of an MPO or State Transportation Improvement Program (TIP/STIP).

Work is typically performed under the supervision of a Principal. This position requires regular travel throughout the region, with infrequent over-night travel throughout the state or nation. Candidates must have the ability and willingness to work with communities across the region and to exemplify the agency’s Core Values by serving with passion, fostering collaboration, leading with excellence, pursuing equity, and driving to innovate.

The selected candidate may be hired into an analyst or senior level position based on their demonstrated professional experience. Candidates with education and experience in transportation planning, engineering, and/or public administration are welcomed.

Duties and Responsibilities

Key functions the employee will be expected to perform regularly:

• Manages or supports multiple staff-led and/or consultant-led projects from inception to completion.
• Establishes objectives and timelines to ensure effective completion of projects or project tasks and continuing completion of operational functions.
• Builds and maintains positive relationships with external partners, stakeholders, and communities. Serves on committees, task forces, and other bodies where CMAP representation is needed.  
• Serves as an expert internal and external resource on issues related to transportation project selection and active program management.
• Staffs and supports CMAP’s committees ensuring compliance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act and CMAP’s Public Participation Plan.
• Prepares and maintains complete project and program reports and records to ensure transparency for the public and all stakeholders.
• Supports colleagues and others to meet federal and state requirements and further the implementation of ON TO 2050 and subsequent regional plans.

Required Skills and Abilities

Minimum knowledge and skills necessary to perform the role:

• Specialized knowledge in transportation project selection and programming.
• Understanding of federal and state transportation planning and project implementation regulations.
• Understanding of relational databases and skills or familiarity with statistical and/or geospatial analysis.
• Ability to effectively and efficiently use intermediate level spreadsheet functions and tools (e.g. VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, IF, OR, AND, IFERROR, conditional formatting, data validation, pivot tables, etc.) to organize, analyze, and/or summarize large data sets.
• Excellent writing and communication skills; effectively communicate complex technical information to external and internal audiences orally, in writing, and in presentation form.
• Understanding of general principles of research, data collection and analysis, technical writing and data visualization.

Education and Experience

Required: Bachelor’s degree in transportation planning, engineering, public administration, political science, urban planning, urban affairs, or a related field, and the following.

Minimum Requirements for Analysts: a minimum of 2 years of directly applicable professional experience (not including research assistantships or internships) with transportation planning, project selection, programming, and/or policy and procedure development.

Minimum Requirements for Senior Analysts: a minimum of 5 years of directly applicable advancing professional experience (not including research assistantships or internships) with transportation planning, project selection, programming, and/or policy and procedure development AND a minimum of 2 years of advancing project management experience leading and supporting aspects of the same.

Preferred: Master’s degree in transportation planning, engineering, public administration, political science, urban planning, urban affairs, or a related field and directly applicable professional experience with a large or medium-sized MPO, a state department of transportation, a local, regional, or state government, or an organization serving governments.

Hiring Range for Analysts: $69,769.35--$85,467.39

Hiring Range for Senior Analysts: $77,087.78 -- $98,286.78