Principal Planner, Bikeshare & New Mobility Partnerships presso Metropolitan Transportation Commission, CA

About the Department

 
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. MTC is committed to being an equitable and inclusive workplace. MTC provides services to the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). For more information about MTC, visit www.mtc.ca.gov.

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Sustainable Mobility and Operations (SUMO) Section was established in January 2025 and is tasked with advancing an integrated portfolio designed to improve the transportation system’s operational efficiency, safety, and sustainability while also helping customers use the multi-modal system more effectively.

The Active Transportation & New Mobility Unit oversees micromobility programs at MTC, which primarily consists of managing the Bay Wheels regional bikeshare program. Other staff in the unit also oversee planning and policy efforts related to active transportation, complete streets, trails and supports local governments on walking, biking, and trails projects and programs.

ABOUT THE ROLE
Under the general direction of the Assistant Director – Active Transportation & New Mobility, the Principal Planner, Bikeshare & New Mobility Partnerships will be primarily responsible for leading and managing the bikeshare program and team at MTC. Bay Wheels bikeshare launched in 2017 and the field has quickly and constantly evolved ever since. Shared electric bikes have demonstrated they present a unique opportunity to improve urban mobility and complement regional transit but also require additional capital and operating costs. In 2023, MTC made a transformational $20 million public investment to expand e-bikes to all Bay Wheels cities, add new stations, pilot electrified stations, as well as fund other supportive programs–resulting in two years of strong ridership growth and recently reaching new records.

This Principal Planner position will lead MTC’s bikeshare efforts at a pivotal moment as we build off the first public investment in the program to continue to work towards a more effective, equitable, and sustainable structure. They will lead efforts to inform MTC and our partner agencies on bikeshare business models, contract structures, and unit economics to strategically plan for and implement the future of bikeshare in the Bay Area.  To accomplish these goals this position will coordinate and collaborate with staff across MTC, Bay Wheels partner cities, other interested agencies and organizations, the current Bay Wheels operator (Lyft), and the broader bikeshare industry to update and refine a vision for MTC’s growing role in bikeshare in the region, as well as a strategy for implementation. 

Additionally, this Principal position will help MTC adapt to its increased role in the Bay Wheels system, which recently expanded to a new city for the first time, added e-bikes throughout the system, and began electrifying stations to improve operations and system sustainability. The Principal Planner will manage the Associate Planner - Bikeshare and consultant teams to deliver several Bay Wheels bikeshare projects and initiatives, including: scaling station electrification, developing institutional partnerships, and exploring opportunities to integrate bikeshare into the regional transit network including coordination with Clipper and regional mapping & wayfinding efforts. The Principal Planner will provide oversight to these initiatives to ensure they are aligned with MTC’s vision for Bay Wheels and contributing to the sustainability of the system.

The Principal Planner may also work on other related efforts that require micromobility knowledge, public-private partnership expertise, and outreach and engagement competencies. This may include, but is not limited to, the following: working to understand the role and impact of dockless scooter programs on the regional transportation system; expanding access to e-bikes through alternative structures such as rebates and lending libraries; and building off the team’s experience with Bay Wheels to explore opportunities to work with other emerging mobility services on partnerships to strengthen last mile connectivity to regional transit.

Position Duties

The Principal Planner will lead and/or manage projects/tasks that require micromobility knowledge, outreach and engagement competencies, attention to detail, project management skills, and strong coordination, mediation, and negotiation skills. The individual may work on tasks that include:

• Contract procurement, negotiation, management, and administration
• Coordinating with external and internal partners
• Presenting to MTC Committees
• Strategic planning
• Outlining program development, structure and frameworks
• Identifying metrics and ways to assess success in projects
• Data analytics and visualization
• Data driven, both qualitative and quantitative, policy making
• Prepare analysis and documents to educate partners and inform policies
• Implement and monitor equity initiatives
• Monitor industry trends and best practices to drive continuous improvement
• Mentor and development of skills and abilities of direct reports
• Foster a culture of innovation and accountability

Minimum Qualifications

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES

The ideal candidate should possess an understanding of transportation economics and planning principles, micromobility and public-private partnership concepts, and demonstrate proficiency in the knowledge, skills and abilities listed below: 

Knowledge

• Deep understanding of micromobility systems, transportation economics, and first/last mile solutions 
• Experience with public-private partnerships, including risk allocation and contract structures 
• Knowledge of bikeshare business models, governance approaches, and industry best practices 
• Principles and practices of project management to support delivery of complex initiatives
• A strong understanding of policy and program approaches to advance a fair, just, and inclusive transportation system 
• Principles and practices of budget preparation, public sector procurement, contract negotiation, and administration

Skills and Abilities

• Plan, direct, select, supervise, train, motivate and evaluate the work and performance of professional and technical personnel and consultant teams
• Build and maintain effective, positive, and harmonious working relationships to facilitate consensus across diverse stakeholders and advance agency goals
• Strategic thinking combined with attention to operational details 
• Effective written and verbal communications for technical and non-technical audiences, including elected officials 
• Strategic and political acumen, tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment to quickly assess risks and opportunities and to navigate working with elected officials
• Analytical capability to interpret, summarize, and translate data into actionable insights 
• Strong leadership aptitude that encourages, motivates, and inspires colleagues and partners and drives innovation
• Entrepreneurial spirit to increase access, affordability, and utilization of bikeshare

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

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:

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.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience: A Master's degree in an appropriate field related to the area of assignment, such as transportation planning, transportation engineering, civil engineering, economics, finance, business, or public administration and at least three (3) years of increasingly responsible professional experience in an appropriate field related to the area of assignment, such as transportation planning, transportation engineering, civil engineering, economics, finance, business, or public administration. 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.

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

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