Director, Capital Programming

Title: Director, Capital Programming

Department: NJTPA

Reports To: Senior Director, Information Systems

Position Type: Staff

Position Summary:
The Director, Capital Programming is responsible for the development and management of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and the supervision of the professional technical staff needed to support its capital programming efforts. The TIP is a multi-year capital investment program that prioritizes federal funding for all modes of surface transportation in northern New Jersey. The TIP includes state and locally sponsored transportation projects; federal discretionary grants and congressionally designated projects listed in annual federal appropriations bills; and various federally funded transportation programs.

In addition to working with state transportation agencies and other external stakeholders in the development of the TIP, the Capital Programming Director is responsible for updating the TIP to reflect changes in project schedules and costs through formal revisions, project monitoring and status reporting, and year-end authorization and obligation reporting. Extensive interaction with the NJTPA Board, standing committees, state and local transportation agencies, and the public is also essential to help them understand the process required to obtain federal funding for their projects.

Other components of the role include internal coordination and contribution to the development and implementation of the NJTPA’s Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and its Regional Capital Investment Strategies (RCIS) as they relate to the TIP. The incumbent works under deadlines and handles multiple assignments concurrently. All duties will be performed per university policies, procedures, and core values.

Essential Functions:

• Supervises Capital Programming staff in completion of required tasks.
• Develops and manages the cyclical multi-year capital program, including creating the TIP document.
• Ensures compliance with federal and state requirements and regulations concerning transportation funding.
• Develops and manages project prioritization methodology and selection criteria in partnership with the NJTPA Board and Regional Technical Advisory Committee for the evaluation and selection of state and local project proposals.
• Prioritizes and negotiates the inclusion of projects in the capital construction program and TIP with all NJTPA member agencies before recommending projects to fund for NJTPA Board approval.
• Engages the public in the TIP development process and responds to public comments.
• Monitors and tracks federally funded transportation projects identified in legislation, appropriation bills, discretionary grants, and other related federal funding that can be used by local governments and implementing agencies to ensure projects are properly incorporated into the TIP.
• Reviews annual financial plans for federally funded projects with costs over $ 100 million and provides comments and recommendations for TIP revisions.
• Coordinates with state and local public agencies to track the status and funding needs for project development, engineering, design, and construction.
• Develops and maintains databases for projects in the TIP and the Study and Development program.
• Develops and maintains NJTPA’s Online Transportation Information System (NOTIS) and other web assets as key channels for sharing TIP information to internal/external stakeholders and the public.
• Analyzes TIP project information and prepares various reports, including the TIP financial plan, annual obligation reports, project tracking and information reports, project programming analysis, and GIS analysis and project maps.

Additional Functions:

• Establishes regular communication and maintains cooperative working relationships with representatives of federal, state, and local governments, member agencies, the public, and other stakeholders and interested parties.
• Documents and communicates Capital Programming processes.
• Delivers detailed presentations on the NJTPA capital programming process and projects to senior leadership, elected officials, local agencies, and the public.
• Represents the NJTPA at interagency transportation meetings and related conferences.
• Collaborates with staff on the development of TIP related work products: LRTP, RCIS, Air Quality Conformity Report, Transportation Asset Management, and Unified Planning Work Program.
• Supports NJTPA planning studies and programs by providing capital programing information and policy guidance, analyzing project data, identifying potential funding opportunities, and offering subject matter expertise.
• Performs additional related duties as assigned.

Prerequisite Qualifications:

• Graduation from an accredited college with a master’s degree in engineering, transportation planning, environmental studies, regional planning, or related technical field.
• Eight (8) years’ experience in transportation programming, engineering, or planning, including three (3) years’ experience in a supervisory role.
• Demonstrated expertise in the federal metropolitan transportation planning and capital programming regulations, processes, and practices – including financial planning and phases of project development and delivery.
• At the university's discretion, the education and experience prerequisites may be exempted where the candidate can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the university, an equivalent combination of education and experience specifically preparing the candidate for success in the position.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Knowledge of the project development and capital programming processes employed by New Jersey Department of Transportation or NJ TRANSIT.
• Knowledge of federal and state environmental laws and regulations, as they pertain to transportation projects.
• Demonstrated program management and organizational skills.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal and cross-departmental collaboration skills.
• Ability to be flexible, work under pressure and within strict timelines.
• Detail and results oriented.
• Strong analytical/critical thinking skills and decision-making abilities.
• Strong computer background with proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite including Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Word – Adobe Acrobat Pro DC a plus.
• Working knowledge of database software applications, including Esri ArcGIS.

Bargaining Unit: Non-Aligned

Range/Band: 8

FLSA: Exempt Full-Time

Special Instructions to Applicants:
Please submit a cover letter, along with your resume. This is a grant funded position that is not eligible to applicants who require sponsorship.