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Charlotte Area Transit System · 14 hours ago

Director of Transit Planning

North Carolina, United States

Full-time

Hybrid

Director/Executive

7+ years exp

Charlotte Area Transit System is seeking a Director of Transit Planning to provide senior leadership for all planning functions that shape the transit network and service delivery strategies. This role oversees long-range planning, service planning, scheduling, and the development of policies that guide the growth and performance of the transit system.

Transportation/Trucking/Railroad

Responsibilities

Establish and continually refine CATS' planning vision, priorities, and policies supporting long-term mobility strategy, near-term service delivery, and ongoing system performance

Align planning functions with organizational strategic plans, funding strategies, capital delivery programs, and operational capacity

Foster innovation and forward-looking approaches to system planning, technology adoption, and multimodal network design

Provide leadership and direction to Assistant Directors, managers, supervisors, and planning staff across long-range planning, service planning, scheduling, and service change implementation

Ensure coordination across functional planning units and alignment with Operations, Capital Development, Customer Experience, and Finance departments

Oversee planning-related compliance, including Title VI, accessibility requirements, service equity practices, and federal planning regulations

Develop and manage the planning division’s operating budget, staffing strategy, resource allocation, and capital program support requirements

Oversee consultant contract management, procurement processes, and resource planning necessary to support major studies and capital planning initiatives

Develop or contribute to agency policy documents, system plans, standards, and operating guidelines

Serve as a senior representative to regional planning agencies, councils of government, MPOs, peer agencies, and external partners

Support federal and regional funding applications, project development submissions, and long-range investment documentation

Present planning strategies, recommendations, and updates to executive leadership, governing boards, elected officials, and community stakeholders

Ensure planning efforts reflect transparent communication, comprehensive and high-quality public engagement, and commitment to equity and customer experience

Build and sustain a planning culture centered on continuous improvement, operational excellence, and data-driven decision-making

Support professional development, succession planning, training, and cross-functional learning opportunities across the planning division

Champion employee engagement, accountability, and collaborative work processes

Stay current with evolving transit industry practices, regulatory changes, and technology trends influencing planning

Perform other related duties as assigned

As part of your responsibility to support the CATS Safety Culture, report safety concerns and issues through the various methods established by CATS as outlined in the ASP

Qualification

Multimodal transportation planningTransit service planningFederal transportation requirementsLeading technical teamsProject deliveryBudget managementCommunity engagementOperational understandingCollaborationCommunicationStrategic thinkingLeadershipDecision-making

Required

Bachelor's degree in urban planning, geography, transportation planning, public administration, engineering, or related field

Seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in transportation, urban planning, transit service planning, or related fields

At least three (3) years of experience managing staff, programs, or cross-functional planning initiatives

Demonstrated experience leading planning activities within a public sector, transit agency, metropolitan planning organization (MPO), or comparable organizational environment