Development Officer – Austin Transportation Department

Job Description

The Transportation Development Officer will serve as the Austin Transportation Department’s administrative decision maker for technical interpretations of the transportation requirements in the Land Development Code and Transportation Criteria Manual. The Transportation Development Officer will represent the department director on transportation-related regulatory issues before City Boards, Commissions and City Council, and serve as a liaison with other City departments, development applicants and agents in the collaborative implementation of the Code and departmental initiatives. The Transportation Development Officer will prepare formal Code interpretations, document process and procedure improvements, and provide training to departmental staff on the application of Code criteria. The Transportation Development Officer will coordinate responses across departmental divisions and programs to establish a coordinated voice for the department with respect to a spectrum of new development applications including, zoning, subdivisions and site plans.

• In addition to the duties outlined above, duties, functions and responsibilities specific to this position will include, but not be limited to, the following:
• Creates and maintains a culture of positive customer service in working relationships with City staff, and other stakeholders including other governmental organizations, consultants, property and business owners and their agents, residents, legal counsel, City boards and commissions, and City Council.
• Responds to and resolves complex and sensitive issues and complaints on behalf of both internal and external stakeholders.
• Ensures all assignments are complete and in compliance with City/departmental policies and procedures, and local, state and federal regulation and laws governing development activity.
• Using independent judgment, performs analysis of development proposals relative to the transportation requirements in the Land Development Code and Transportation Criteria Manual using a variety of inputs including field visits, technical data and City policies.
• Using independent judgement, negotiation and problem solving, develops recommendations to facilitate implementation of department and City priorities.
• Oversees the Development Review Division of the Austin Transportation Department, and establishes and enforces standard operating procedures, training manuals, and policies to assist staff in meeting business goals and objectives and to ensure that the review of development applications conforms to City Code.
• Leads a collaborative professional team that translates program goals and requirements into specific responses to help the development review staff in reviewing new development applications towards outcome oriented solutions.

Preferred Qualifications: This position requires working in a deadline-focused environment, balancing multiple projects and addressing changing priorities while providing leadership, supervision, guidance, and direction for the implementation of the Transportation requirements of the Land Development Code. Highly qualified candidates will possess the required knowledge, skills, abilities and experience and be able to explain and demonstrate, with or without reasonable accommodations, that they can perform the essential functions of the job. At a minimum, qualified candidates will possess the following specific knowledge, skills and abilities:

• A minimum of 10 years of demonstrated progressive experience working in a governmental environment in a transportation-related capacity, or in a private capacity with experience interacting with governmental entities.
• Extensive knowledge of the principles, concepts and theories of transportation demand management, multimodal transportation, and the correlation between transportation and land use.
• Experience with the major tenets of the City of Austin land development process, well developed knowledge of land use and transportation planning elements of the Land Development Code, and corresponding technical criteria manuals.
• Extensive experience preparing and/or analyzing technical analysis, executive summaries, policies and interpretations of complex issues and documents.
• Extensive experience delivering innovative, responsive value-added solutions utilizing collaborative practices in ways that promote integrity, efficient use of government resources and effective risk management.
• Experience working in public/private interactions and negotiations developing transportation solutions to respond to community growth and sustainability needs.
• The ability to exercise good judgment, tact and diplomacy in all dealings and maintain confidentiality as required. Experience demonstrating a high level of mediation and negotiating skills
• Experience preparing and making presentations to city councils, public boards and commissions, the general public, executive management and other stakeholders, or similar.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in a supervisory or management capacity leading professional staff including coaching, evaluations and providing professional feedback.
• Knowledge of real estate development principles and practices.
• Have, or demonstrate the ability to acquire and maintain, a Class C Texas driver’s license.

This position requires graduation with a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in planning, architecture, engineering, law, or a related field, plus seven (7) years of land use planning experience and/or related legal/administrative experience emphasizing land use and development issues, including two (2) years of experience in a lead or supervisory capacity. Graduation with a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in a related field may substitute for up to two (2) years of non-supervisory experience. To be considered for this position, candidates must apply online at: http://www.austincityjobs.org/postings/75416 Please review additional postings with Austin Transportation. The City of Austin has excellent benefits and provides an exceptional retirement system as well as a 457 plan for its employees. About Austin, Texas Austin has long been known as a technologically advanced city, a place where new ideas go to be tested and adopted. Austin has enjoyed a robust and diverse economy for the past 10 years, with economic indicators regularly exceeding national averages. Austin metropolitan area is one of the fastest growing in the country, with a 2.9 percent increase in population in 2016. Austin, Texas has a population of 926,000, making it the 11th largest city in the country. One of the country’s most popular, high-profile “green” and culturally dynamic cities, Austin was selected as the #1 Best Places to Live (US News and World Report 4/2017), # 5 Top 25 Future-Ready US Cities (Convention Management Association Convene Magazine, 2/2016), “Best City for the Next Decade” (Kiplinger), the “Best Places to Live in the US” (US News), the “Top Creative Center” in the US (Entrepreneur.com) and #1 on the “On Numbers Economic Index” as the fastest growing economy. EOE - City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American Disabilities Act