Senior Planner or Planning Analyst, Highway Policy Focus

We are the Metropolitan Council, the regional government for the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area. We plan 30 years ahead for the future of the metropolitan area and provide regional transportation, wastewater, and housing services. More information about us on our website.

We are committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

Metropolitan Transportation Services conducts planning for the regional transportation system that includes highways, transit, aviation, freight, and bicycle and pedestrian connections. The Metropolitan Council is the region's federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).

How your work would contribute to our organization and the Twin Cities region:

The Senior Planner, Highway Policy Focus, will work on projects that involve analysis, research, highway funding work, presentations, policy development, and policy implementation on highway projects.

The Planning Analyst, Highway Policy Focus, will lead highway policy planning activities for the department, including being the manager for highway policy/prioritization consultant studies and being one of the primary communication points of contact for MnDOT, counties, and cities on highway policy and major highway projects.

• Work with Council and MnDOT Staff on assessing GHG and VMT offsets for new interchange and lane expansion projects consistent with 2023 state legislation.
• Participate in the team of planners involved in the development and implementation of highway policies and plans, including the updates of the Highway chapter of the regional 2050 Transportation Policy Plan and amendments as new regionally significant highway projects are added to the plan. The Planning Analyst level would lead this effort.
• Participate in and coordinate with MnDOT staff on major highway-related policy and planning studies, including the upcoming MnDOT Managed Lane System Study and Spot Mobility Implementation Analysis. The Planning analyst will lead this effort.
• Participate in freight planning activities and studies.
• Develop expertise on highway funding and programming, and participate in the Transportation Advisory Board's Regional Solicitation processes to distribute federal transportation funds.
• Use "big data" sets to analyze speed and origin/destination data.
• Participate in the Council's team of planners involved in performance evaluation, measurement, and monitoring, and related studies.
• Serve as the Council's designated representative on selected highway corridor and interchange studies.
• Research new and emerging highway and highway funding-related issues.
• Work on ways to better incorporate multimodal elements and travel demand management initiatives into highway projects.
• Strive to limit the environmental impacts of highway projects through vehicle electrification and other means.

Senior Planner, Grade H

Any of the following combinations of experience in Urban Planning and related and completed education (degree field of study in Urban Planning, or a closely related field):

• High school diploma/GED AND eight (8) years of experience.
• Associate degree AND six (6) years of experience.
• Bachelor's degree AND four (4) years of experience.
• Master's degree AND two (2) years of experience.

Planning Analyst / Grade I

Any of the following combinations of experience in Urban Planning and related and completed education (degree field of study in Urban Planning, or a closely related field):

• High school diploma/GED AND nine (9) years of experience WITH two (2) years of project management or team lead experience.
• Associate degree AND seven (7) years of experience WITH two (2) years of project management or team lead experience.
• Bachelor's degree AND five (5) years of experience WITH two (2) years of project management or team lead experience.
• Master's degree AND three (3) years of experience WITH two (2) years of project management or team lead experience.

What additional skills and experience would be helpful in this job (desired qualifications):

• Master's degree in City, Urban, or Transportation Planning; Civil Engineering; or related field.
• Experience in state or county highway planning, funding, and program development.
• Experience working for/with a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).
• Experience leading and managing highway planning or policy studies.
• Five or more years of transportation planning experience.

• Knowledge of the policy and intergovernmental environment in which the Council works, and how it interacts with the Council's process of development policy.
• Knowledge of GIS.
• Knowledge of evolving transportation trends, including autonomous vehicles.
• Advanced skills in MS Word and Excel, with the ability to perform technical analysis using spreadsheets and database programs.
• Ability to develop, integrate, and maintain multiple programs and policy development efforts.
• Ability to analyze and interpret Council policies, statutes, etc., across program lines and apply the interpretations appropriately in the policy development process.
• Ability to manage complex, diverse, and politically volatile policy development projects in a sensitive and responsive manner so that Council goals are achieved.
• Ability to present to various committees, from technical experts to elected officials.
• Ability to distill complex information into an easy-to-understand format.
• Experience working with diverse populations of internal and external customers.

What you can expect from us:

• We offer the opportunity to make a difference and positively influence the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
• We encourage our employees to develop their skills through on-site training and tuition reimbursement.
• We provide a competitive salary, excellent benefits, and a good work/life balance.

More about why you should join us!

Union/Grade: AFSCME/Grade H
FLSA Status: Exempt
Safety Sensitive: No
Full Salary Range: $42.58- $69.09 hourly / $88,566-$143,707 annually
Anticipated Hiring Range: $45.96- $55.00 hourly/ $95,597- $114,400 annually

Union/Grade: AFSCME/Grade I
FLSA Status: Exempt
Safety Sensitive: No
Full Salary Range: $46.06- $74.71 hourly/ $95,805- $155,397 annually
Anticipated Hiring Range: $52.24 - $64.00 hourly / $108,659 - $133,120 annually