Assistant General Manager, Planning and Development chez San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), CA

About the Department

Non-Represented Pay Band 14

Minimum: $229,100 – Maximum: $347,085 annually

Note: The starting negotiable salary offer will be between $257,590/year - $280,468/year, commensurate with education and experience.

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) is seeking an experienced, strategic, and collaborative leader to serve as the Assistant General Manager, Planning & Development (AGM P&D). This executive will guide BART’s long-range planning, station access, real estate, and transit-oriented development initiatives—helping shape the Bay Area’s sustainable mobility future. The AGM P&D will oversee a diverse portfolio of programs including strategic planning, sustainability, and property development, ensuring they align with regional priorities, operational needs, and the District’s long-term vision.

Reporting directly to BART’s General Manager, the AGM, P&D position is an opportunity for a visionary executive to drive transformative transit growth across one of the nation’s most complex and impactful urban regions.

The successful candidate will bring demonstrated leadership in large-scale transportation planning, real estate/development or sustainability programs, experience overseeing diverse portfolios and teams, and the ability to operate strategically and tactically in a dynamic transit environment.

Key responsibilities include:

• Oversee development and delivery of BART’s strategic and system expansion plans.
• Lead station area and access planning, ensuring safe, equitable, and multimodal connectivity.
• Manage the District’s real estate portfolio and property development, maximizing value and supporting transit-oriented development.
• Direct sustainability and energy initiatives aligned with BART’s climate action goals.
• Collaborate across departments and with regional partners to deliver coordinated, community-supported projects.
• Provide executive-level policy guidance, performance management, and budget oversight.
• Represent BART to local, regional, state, and federal agencies; negotiate and resolve sensitive issues.

Position Duties

1. Manages portfolio of projects and policies, including staff and consultants, and advance items for Executive staff and Board decision making; portfolio includes Strategic Planning, Station Area Planning, Customer Access, Sustainability (energy), Transit-Oriented Development and Real Estate.
   
   
2. Manages programs, contract administration, project finance and administration, strategic planning, real estate, property management and transit-oriented development.
   
   
3. Ensures quality customer service to the public, stakeholders, and other BART departments.
   
   
4. Participates in the development and implementation of executive office and assigned service area goals, objectives, policies and priorities.
   
   
5. Establishes, within District policy, appropriate service and staffing levels; monitor and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery methods and procedures; allocate resources accordingly.
   
   
6. Assesses and monitors workload, administrative and support systems, and internal reporting relationships; identify opportunities for improvement; direct and implement changes.
   
   
7. Oversees and manages assigned projects including setting policies, goals and objectives and determining priorities to meet those objectives.
   
   
8. Oversees the work of consultants; determine scope of project; evaluate project changes and estimated costs; authorize expenditures and payments to consultants.
   
   
9. Participates in the selection and evaluation of assigned personnel; provides or coordinates management staff training; works with employees to correct deficiencies; implement discipline and termination procedures.
   
   
10. Participates in the development and administration of the budget for assigned programs; approves the forecast of funds needed for staffing, equipment, materials and supplies; approves expenditures and implements budgetary adjustments as appropriate and necessary.
    
    
11. Justifies and defends assigned programs, policies and activities; negotiates and resolve sensitive and controversial issues.
    
    
12. Represents the Office to other executive staff, departments, elected officials and outside agencies.
    
    
13. Coordinates assigned activities with those of other departments and outside agencies and organizations.
    
    
14. Provides staff assistance to the General Manager; participates on a variety of boards, commissions and committees; prepares and presents staff reports and other necessary correspondence.
    
    
15. Attends and participates in professional group meetings; stays abreast of new trends and innovations in the field of public transportation development services.
    
    
16. Responds to and resolves difficult and sensitive citizen inquiries and complaints.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Planning, Transportation, or a related field. 
 
Experience:
The equivalent of nine (9) years of transportation or land use planning, engineering, real estate and/or business administration experience which must have included four (4) years of management experience leading large teams with diverse portfolios.
 
Desirable Qualifications:
Master's degree in business administration, public administration, urban and regional planning, or a related field. 

Substitution:
Additional professional experience as outlined above may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis.  A college degree is preferred.

Other Qualifications

Knowledge of:

• Operations, services and activities of a comprehensive, public rail transportation system and development program.
• BART Strategic Plan, policies and goals as articulated by the BART Board and General Manager.
• Priorities and preferences of General Manager, Board and external partners.
• Principles and practices of transportation planning, and/or real estate and property management.
• Methods and techniques of transportation planning, including analysis of economic and demographic factors.
• Methods and techniques for environmental review of projects.
• Knowledge of California sustainability and energy policies, and energy practices.
• Principles and practices of sustainability, resilience, energy conservation, carbon reduction, green building, and green supply chain management.
• Principles and practices of program development, implementation and administration.
• Principles and practices of contract negotiation and administration.
• Principles and practices of budget preparation and administration.
• Principles of supervision, training and performance evaluation.
• Pertinent Federal, State and local laws, codes and regulations.

• Participating in the development of executive office and assigned departmental goals, objectives and procedures.
• Analyzing and assessing programs, policies and operational needs and making appropriate adjustments.
• Identifying and responding to sensitive community and organizational issues, concerns and needs.
• Planning, organizing, directing and coordinating the work of lower-level staff.
• Delegating authority and responsibility.
• Analyzing problems, identifying alternative solutions, projecting consequences of proposed actions and implementing recommendations in support of goals.
• Administering contractor and consultant contracts.
• Preparing clear and concise administrative and financial reports.
• Interpreting and applying applicable Federal, State and local policies, laws and regulations.
• Communicating clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work. Articulating and defending staff position and evaluate Board member suggestions.
• Collaborating and negotiating with internal and external partners, and stakeholders, and consultants / contractors.
• Building trust, diplomacy and tact.
• Establishing and maintaining professional networks.