Senior Technical Planning Program Manager

The Senior Technical Planning Program Manager will primarily be responsible for:

– Managing the National Highway Freight Program (23 USC 167: NHFP), a program that includes an approximately $15 million per year Federal-Aid Highway Program funding source.

– Serving as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) and the Department’s primary freight planner, which requires continuous engagement on the topic, attending professional development opportunities, including conferences, and representing the Department in freight-related matters, including at relevant American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Committees. This duty may also include assisting others in the department with freight-related inquiries, such as legislative analysis and committee presentations.

Key responsibilities of this position will include:

Managing the National Highway Freight Program (NHFP):
To maintain the Department’s eligibility for the funds, this position will complete all the federally mandated work products including the State Freight Plan, the Freight Investment Plan, the Commercial Motor Vehicle Parking Facilities Assessment, and the designation of the Critical Urban and Rural Freight Corridors. This includes reviewing and satisfying all federal requirements, coordinating with internal and external stakeholders such as the Freight Advisory Committee, procuring and working with consultants to complete required analyses and work products, responding to freight related inquiries and sharing of relevant information, and engaging with national freight-related committees and groups to stay up to date on the state of the practices.

Managing the Functional Classification System for the Department:
This will include responding to District and Tribal/Local Public Agency (T/LPA) inquiries and applications for Functional Classification System changes. Working with consultants and spatial roadway data to analyze the overall system to ensure it matches the federal requirements as closely as possible and working with the affected parties to process any changes to the Functional Classification System, including the FHWA.

Managing federally mandated performance measure processes for transportation system reliability:
Continual monitoring of data, tracking the Department’s performance, and the bi-annual setting of targets for the mandated measures. This also includes coordination with the Department and Metropolitan Planning Organizations on the data and target setting, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on reporting the targets and progress. This will include the LOTTR metrics and the TTTR Index. Using external data sources to track performance and progress, coordinating with the Department and Metropolitan Planning Organizations on data sharing and target setting, and ultimately working with the FHWA to report on performance, progress and target setting on a bi-annual basis.

The ideal candidate will have preferred experience and/or education in the following:

* Master’s Degree in Transportation, Community, Urban or Regional Planning; Public Administration; Public Policy; Political Science; or Geography.
* At least four (4) years of experience working as a Planner, Program Administrator or Policy Analyst for a governmental entity.
* Proficiency with spatial data analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
* Multimodal transportation planning, including freight.
* Proficient verbal and written communication skills, to include comfort with public speaking in front of diverse audiences such as the freight industry or legislative committees.
* Managing federal grants and familiarity with the requirements contained in 2 Code of Federal Regulations 200 (2 CFR 200).

As a valued new employee to NMDOT, you may be eligible to receive three (3) days of administrate leave upon your start date. This is applicable to external hires not within the State of New Mexico Government.

Salary range is $66,880 – $100,320 annually.