Principal Developer/Analyst at Metropolitan Transportation Commission, CA
Metropolitan Transportation Commission, CA · San Francisco, United States Of America · Onsite
- Senior
- Office in San Francisco
About the Department
HOWEVER, THIS JOB POSTING MAY CLOSE EARLIER IF WE RECEIVE 75 APPLICATIONS BEFORE THE 9/28/25 CLOSING DATE, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST
Be ready to rethink your assumptions about the public sector. Dedicated and motivated colleagues? Beautiful, high amenity building for on-site work and collaboration? Flexible schedules and hybrid work options? Yes, yes, and yes!
ABOUT MTC
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is the transportation planning, financing, and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. MTC is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the state designated Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA) for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. For more information about MTC, visit www.mtc.ca.gov.
ABOUT THE TEAM
The Principal Developer/Analyst will lead the Application Services unit within the Data Strategy and Analytics (DSA) section, overseeing the development, deployment, and maintenance of custom applications, APIs, dashboards, and infrastructure that power regional planning tools and public-facing digital products. The DSA section provides strategic data services, tools, and platforms to support evidence-based decision-making across the agency and in partnership with local jurisdictions. The Application Services team, specifically, is responsible for building and operating digital solutions that enable access to key datasets and support agency-wide goals for transparency, equity, and innovation.
ABOUT THE ROLE
This role serves as the technical architect and team lead for Application Services, managing internal and consultant developers, ensuring security and accessibility standards are met, and maintaining the Section’s cloud infrastructure and DevOps pipelines.
Position Duties
This position is responsible for leading the overall direction and execution of DSA web visualization and development initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and enhancing user experience. The role will be crucial in shaping the technical framework and ensuring the successful delivery of applications. Key responsibilities include:
General Administration and Project Management
- Lead the strategic development, implementation, and continuous improvement of application services supporting data-driven tools and public-facing web platforms.
- Coordinate with partner teams to ensure digital solutions support cross-departmental and regional planning goals.
- Develop project plans, scopes, and budgets for technical initiatives, including application modernization, dashboard deployment, and API integration.
- Manage procurement processes and vendor contracts for software, cloud services, and consulting support where appropriate.
- Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and aligned with agency security, accessibility, and usability standards.
Staff Supervision and Capacity Building
- Supervise and mentor junior developers, technical analysts, and contractors, ensuring high-quality development practices and consistent progress toward team goals.
- Provide technical guidance and performance feedback to foster skill-building and professional growth.
- Establish coding standards, documentation protocols, and development workflows in collaboration with the broader DSA Section.
- Build team capacity in cloud-based application development, DevOps practices, and accessible web design.
System Administration and Technical Implementation
- Oversee the development, deployment, and maintenance of custom applications, dashboards, and APIs that integrate regional datasets for internal and external users.
- Architect and manage cloud infrastructure (primarily AWS) including containerized deployments using Docker and related DevOps tools.
- Ensure compliance with security, accessibility, and performance standards in collaboration with the Technology Services Section (TSS).
- Guide the development of reusable front-end components and templates as part of the DSA Web Design System.
- Manage troubleshooting, version control, and maintenance of internally developed applications and services.
Minimum Qualifications
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
The ideal candidate will have the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
- Extensive experience designing and deploying web applications and APIs using modern frameworks and DevOps practices (e.g., Docker, Git, Next.js, Node.js).
- Strong working knowledge of AWS services (e.g., EC2, RDS, S3, ECS) and cloud architecture best practices.
- Experience with dashboarding and data visualization platforms (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, or custom JavaScript frameworks).
- Familiarity with modern web development standards, accessibility (WCAG), and secure application development practices.
- Strong leadership and team management skills, with experience supervising technical staff and consultants.
- Ability to translate stakeholder needs into technical specifications and user-friendly tools.
- Excellent organizational, verbal, and written communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to present complex systems clearly and effectively to non-technical audiences.
- Ability to work across disciplines, including close collaboration with planning, policy, and technology teams.
- Experience with budget and resource planning for technical initiatives.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities listed. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:
Education and Experience: Equivalent to a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in planning, civil engineering, environmental science, communications, business or public administration, or a related field and seven (7) years of increasingly responsible professional experience in a field related to assigned area of responsibility. Applicants with a degree issued from an institution outside the United States must have their transcripts evaluated by an academic accrediting service and provide proof of equivalency along with the application.
Education: Completion of a Master's degree from an accredited college or university in a relevant major such as Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field. Alternately, a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in a relevant major, as noted above, with an equivalent combination of education and experience is acceptable. Applicants with a degree issued from an institution outside the United States must have their transcripts evaluated by an academic accrediting service and provide proof of equivalency along with the application.
Experience: Minimum five (5) years of progressive experience in application development, cloud-based infrastructure, or data systems engineering, with at least three (3) years of experience supervising technical teams and/or managing digital platforms in a public sector or mission-driven organization.
Other Qualifications
EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS
Successful completion of a background check, professional references and the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9.
DISABILITY
The Human Resources Department will make reasonable efforts in the recruitment or skills assessment process to accommodate applicants with disabilities. If selected for an interview or testing, and you require accommodation, please notify the Human Resources Department when confirming your interview or test.
APPLICATION ASSISTANCE
