This is an advanced professional position in conducting planning research for a dynamic twelve county, four state regional aviation system. As a member of the DVRPC Office of Freight and Aviation Planning, the employee will design, coordinate, manage, and complete technical projects and compile, organize, and analyze data on aviation facilities and systems.

The focal points of the position are a Regional Airport Systems Plan, annual aircraft operations counting program, Regional Aviation Committee (RAC), and aviation program development. Contacts with local governments, airport operators, and state DOT and FAA staff are developed and maintained. Supervision is exercised over field workers, technicians, and clerical personnel in the collection and presentation of data and written material. All work is performed in accordance with general agency policies and professional standards and is reviewed by the Manager, Office of Freight and Aviation Planning during progress and upon completion.

Responsibilities
• Develop working relationships with airport owners and operators, FAA officials, state DOT staff, and other stakeholders.
• Collect and organize data on the functional and structural features of regional airports and heliports.
• Manage and support annual aircraft operations counting program and data collection personnel. Conduct field counts as necessary.
• Analyze data and make computations to determine capacity and demand for ground access time.
• Prepare aviation system plan analysis in conjunction with DVRPC long-range planning efforts.
• Organize, promote, and conduct quarterly Regional Aviation Committee meetings.
• Analyze local land use and zoning issues regarding airports, and present recommendations to municipal officials, including the need for and refinement of an Airport Zoning ordinance.
• Support management in annual work program development and the pursuit of new avenues of project funding.
• Establish connections with other planning areas such as freight, safety, and economic development.
• Develop and communicate annual performance expectations, prepare interim reviews, and year-end evaluations for supervised staff. Review and recommend changes where appropriate.
• Perform related work as required.

Qualifications
• Thorough knowledge of the principles, practices, and objectives of aviation planning and transportation planning.
• Thorough knowledge of the principals and techniques involved in analyzing and projecting aviation needs and facilities.
• Knowledge of the FAA, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania airport capital improvement programs and processes.
• Thorough knowledge of research methods and data analysis techniques, including the demonstrated ability to work with large datasets.
• Ability to perform statistical computations, computer analysis of data, and the operation of counting equipment, both hardware and software.
• Ability to plan, organize and direct complex projects and to supervise the work of subordinate technical and professional personnel.
• Demonstrated experience with the management of planning projects, including management of multiple staff members on a project team.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with DVRPC associates, public and private agency planning officials, consultants, the general public, and airport operators.
• Ability to present project outcomes and deliverables effectively in oral, written, and graphical form. The ability to write and edit effectively with attention to detail is particularly important.

Minimum Experience & Training
Five years of progressively responsible professional experience in transportation planning, transportation engineering, or in social science research work. Specific involvement in aviation planning desired. A master's degree in transportation planning, transportation engineering, or another related discipline from an accredited university, with major course work in disciplines applicable to transportation, may be substituted for one year of professional experience, or an equivalent combination of experience and training.