Regional Planning Director

Join the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA), the largest rural transit agency in the United States, located in the breathtaking Colorado Rockies. Renowned for its innovative and reliable transit services, RFTA connects dynamic communities while promoting sustainability and enhancing the quality of life.

Company Name: Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA)

Title of Position: Regional Planning Director

Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt

Location: Candidate must be able to work onsite in Carbondale, Colorado (or as directed by manager).  Remote work may be considered with regular in-person trips to work onsite.

Pay Range: For this position, the hiring/starting range is $124,600 - $158,850 per year, with the full potential salary range for this role reaching up to $193,100 based on experience and performance.

Benefits: Benefits include (but are not limited to): Paid time off, medical, dental, vision, and hearing insurance with FSA/HSA, short-term disability, long-term disability, life insurance, accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D), 401(a) and 457(b) retirement plans, EAP, ski pass, etc. For more detail - https://www.rfta.com/employment/benefits/

Position Purpose: 

The Regional Planning Director provides leadership in the development, implementation, and oversight of strategic and operational plans for the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA). This includes, but is not limited to, leading the creation and maintenance of the Regional Transit Development Plan (TDP), the Comprehensive Corridor Plan (CCP), Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) extension, Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), service standard development, First Last Mile Mobility (FLMM), and close coordination with local and state jurisdictions on other regional and local planning efforts. The role requires partnership with internal teams, external stakeholders, and government agencies to ensure projects are aligned with the organization’s mission, vision and regional mobility goals. This role will focus on ensuring efficient planning, prioritization, and delivery of transit projects to improve and expand the agency’s infrastructure, services, and customer experience.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

The following duties and responsibilities are illustrative of the primary functions of this position and are not intended to be all-inclusive.

Strategic Planning and Development:

• Lead the development and maintenance of planning documents and efforts including but not limited to a Regional Transit Development Plan (TDP), Comprehensive Corridor Plan (CCP), Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) extension, Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), service standard development, First Last Mile Mobility (FLMM), to align with the agency’s strategic plan and operational goals.
• Ensure that transportation planning and capital improvement initiatives meet regulatory requirements, budget constraints, and operational needs.
• Conduct regular reviews and updates of the TDP, CIP, CCP, and other planning documents to address changes in funding, community needs, customer demands, organizational capacity, and technology.
• Serves as a representative on local and regional planning projects and attends meetings events, and workshops, related to local and regional land use and transportation planning.
• Develop transit service standards. Create, analyze, and revise performance standards and metrics for transit service delivery, including service frequency, reliability, on-time performance, and customer satisfaction. Collaborate with internal and external teams to ensure standards align with agency goals and best practices, supporting equitable and efficient transit operations that meet community needs.
• Evaluate the transportation impacts of land development proposals through the referral process and propose alternatives.

Oversight:

• This position may supervise one to two planning staff.
• Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to track project progress and quality, ensuring alignment with agency objectives.
• Funding and Budget Management:
• Manages budgets for short- and long-term planning projects.
• Manage ongoing department budget and collaborates with leadership to plan and develop annual department and organizational budget.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration:
• Coordinate with internal departments, local governments, community organizations, and other key stakeholders to align project goals with broader community and regional objectives.
• Represent the agency at public meetings, hearings, and community events to provide information on planned and ongoing projects.
• Develop effective communication strategies to update stakeholders on project progress, timelines, and impact.

Team Leadership and Development:

• Position may lead, mentor, and develop a small team of staff fostering a collaborative and high-performance work environment.
• Oversee staff development, including training, career progression, and performance management to ensure a motivated and skilled workforce, as appropriate.
• Policy Development and Compliance:
• Develop and enforce policies, procedures, and guidelines related to transportation planning, community support/engagement, and regulatory compliance.
• Ensure that all planning projects comply with safety, environmental, and accessibility standards and policies.

Other Duties:

• Performs other duties and assumes other areas of responsibility as directed by the CEO, CFAO, and/or COO.
• Responds to internal and external comments and requests for information.
• Coordinates and reports on transit and transportation operating and performance data.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience:

• Strong knowledge of transit and transportation planning, capital improvement planning, community support and engagement, including budgeting, scheduling, and resource allocation.
• Solid ability to maintain positive and effective relationships among internal staff and external staff, decision makers, and the general public, and to respond to complaints and concerns in a positive and proactive manner.
• Expert written and verbal communication skills; ability to make presentations to groups and boards.
• Proficiency in Outlook, Microsoft Word, Xcel and PowerPoint are required.

Qualifications:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Urban and/or Regional Planning, Civil Engineering, Public Administration, Political Science, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
• AICP Certification preferred.

Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years working in the transit industry.
• At least 6 years of progressively responsible experience in transportation planning, or a related field.
• At least 3 years in a leadership role.

Working Conditions:

• This position typically operates in a professional office environment with occasional travel to project sites, public hearings, and community events.
• Light physical effort required by handling objects up to twenty (20) pounds occasionally. 
• Travel would be occasionally required to attend conferences and training.

Supervisory Responsibility:

This position may directly supervise staff. Incumbent has final responsibility for assigning and scheduling work, training, and performance appraisal, and provides input on promotions/transfers, salary recommendations, interviewing and hiring, disciplinary discussions, and terminations.

Application Deadline/Closing Date:

No deadline. Posting will remain until all open positions are filled.

How to Apply:

Please apply via the RFTA website. This position, and all current open positions, are located here - https://www.rfta.com/employment/

Colorado Residents: In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

RFTA is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, age, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.