Position Description

Vision: Seattle is a thriving and equitable community powered by dependable transportation.

Mission: To deliver a transportation system that provides safe and affordable access to places and opportunities.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is a nationally recognized municipal transportation agency at the leading edge of multi-modal transportation. In our quickly growing city, accessibility, safety, affordability, and reliability are top of mind for us every day! Our core values drive our work toward creating an equitable, sustainable, and vibrant city for all. SDOT’s core responsibilities include maintenance and operations of the city's transportation right-of-way, expansion of the city's bicycle and pedestrian network, care of over 240 bridges, permitting use of public spaces and enhancing access to the regional transit system. With approximately 1100 dedicated staff, SDOT maintains an operational presence 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in all weather conditions to serve and ensure Seattle’s public mobility.

SDOT's Policy & Planning Division has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Urban Designer (Senior Transportation Planner) within our Urban Design section. This Urban Designer will manage and support a variety of tasks related to light rail station area design and planning, particularly for the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions (WSBLE). Tasks may be citywide in scale or focused on specific neighborhoods, station areas, or streets. Representative projects include high-capacity transit station public realm design, station area street design concept development and guidance, project development, outreach and engagement coordination and facilitation, and policy and design guidelines updates. The person in this position will serve as part of the interdepartmental ST3 City Team led by the SDOT Sound Transit Program and provide a conduit between SDOT Urban Design, other SDOT divisions and City departments, and agency partners.

The ideal candidate will be a person with broad urban design and transportation planning experience who can work on a variety of projects. The successful candidate will also strive to embed the City's Race and Social Justice priorities in processes and outcomes. This position reports to the Principal Urban Designer within the Urban Design section.

Job Responsibilities

• Serve as project manager or participate in technically complex, difficult, and sensitive interdisciplinary urban design studies and plans.
• Develop and track project budgets, scopes, schedules, and performance measures; procure consultant services; manage staff and consultant teams; work with agency partners; manage risks.
• Analyze transportation systems and policies; identify problems and potential solutions; evaluate alternatives; recommend policies, plans, and projects; prepare reports of findings; and support implementation.
• Develop street design concepts for light rail station areas; coordinate technical review of concepts; document final design decisions for management approval and adoption.
• Ensure adherence to public realm design guidelines; support the Seattle Design Commission in their review of streets and public realm improvements at stations and along alignment.
• Conduct, manage, or collaborate on transportation modeling and financial analyses.
• Support updates to transportation design guidelines, standards, and policies for station areas (e.g., Streets Illustrated); identify needs and potential revisions; and recommend updates.
• Brief and deliver presentations to the public, management staff, and elected officials; provide information for various public information materials.
• Ongoing participation in WSLBE Workgroups including planning, engineering, and engagement workgroups and contributions towards deliverables as appropriate across workgroups.
• Support station area access planning around existing and future light rail stations; design and develop access and streetscape improvements for various funding sources.
• Provide technical and policy guidance to staff, other departments, and agencies.
• Lead and support community outreach related to above work products; develop engagement materials; may organize and lead community meetings and events; track and analyze community input and how it was employed to shape and revise recommendations.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:
Education:

• 
  Bachelor’s degree in Transportation Planning, Urban Planning, Landscape Architecture, Civil Engineering, or related field.

Experience:

• Three (3) years of full-time experience with urban design, landscape architecture, civil engineering, or transportation planning projects.

OR: An equivalent combination of education and/or training and/or experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the position duties.

Though not requirements, strong candidates will have some of the following experience or are able to describe comparable experience:

• Three (3) years of experience managing urban design and/or transportation projects. This could include corridor designs or studies, street and public space designs for public rights-of-way, transit station access plans, or citywide or subarea plans or urban design studies.
• Three (3) years of experience briefing and making recommendations to senior management, elected officials and representatives of other public agencies; communication skills (written and oral) that are effective and persuasive with a wide diversity of people; superior writing skills, including grant writing experience.
• Analytical experience with transportation models such as VISSIM, Synchro, travel demand models, transportation impact analysis.
• Master's degree in Urban Design, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Civil Engineering, Transportation Planning, Urban Planning or relevant subject area.
• Experience serving as representative of agency on multi-agency committees and leading staff teams.
• Experience organizing and leading public engagement plans and activities.
• Experience developing street designs and access projects from concept to 30% design. Familiarity using street design standards like NACTO, PROWAG, or other national or international best practices.
• Knowledge of best practices for designing streets and public spaces around high-capacity transit and at mobility hubs.
• Ability to design for multi-modal streets and networks, including experience designing for people walking, bicycling, and taking transit. Experience designing for freight and urban goods delivery, and emerging mobility options.
• Demonstrated ability to independently set workload priorities; plan, direct, coordinate and review the work of assigned team members; and work with demanding and competing deadlines.
• Ability to handle sensitive issues with diplomacy and poise, and the ability to gain management confidence.
• Ability to use word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, database, and analysis software to prepare plans, reports, track and administer grants, and develop briefing materials.
• Proficient with ESRI ArcGIS and the Adobe Creative Suite. Comfort developing sketches and drawings to support design discussions.
• Ability to effectively work in a multi-cultural workplace with a diverse customer base.

Other Requirements:
Work Environment / Physical Demands:

• Work is typically performed in a hybrid work environment in which a minimum of 2 days of the work is completed in a City office, and up to 3 days is completed remotely in a regular work week.

Additional Information

Applications are reviewed after the posting closes. Qualified candidates must submit the following to be considered:

• 
  Completed NEOGOV online application.
• Supplemental questionnaire responses.
• Cover letter describing how your skills and experience align with the stated job responsibilities and qualifications.
• Current résumé indicating relevant experience and education.

Offers of employment are contingent on verification of information provided by the applicant as part of the application process, including a potential background check.

The full salary range for this position is $ 51.22 - $ 59.55 per hour.

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents.
More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and-covered-family-members/most-employees-plans

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents.