Programs Principal ( Hybrid Schedule) #0854

Alta Planning + Design seeks a new leader for our national Programs Lead in our Seattle, WA office. This principal-level position will lead business development, project strategy and delivery, and team growth for Alta’s unique seven-person Programs Team, which plans, implements, and evaluates multimodal transportation behavior change projects and programs. If you are looking to join an innovative organization and do work that connects people to places while advancing social justice, safety, and environmental resilience, apply with Alta today!

While this position is posted for candidates in Seattle, we are accepting candidates in other states where there are established Alta offices.

About Alta

Alta Planning + Design is a sustainable transportation company dedicated to creating active, healthy communities through planning, landscape architecture, engineering, and education/encouragement programs. Alta was founded in 1996 when communities were calling for safer streets for people walking and bicycling as the non-motorized transportation movement developed into a profession in the United States. We pioneered the field of active transportation, evolving our planning and design work into a visionary global practice that empowers people to live active, healthy lives and gets them to where they need to go.

Our core values and work bring about positive change by creating places that are geared toward moving people rather than cars, connecting community members to daily needs and human experience, and empowering every person to live an active healthy life. As a global leader in mobility innovation for over 26 years with 180 staff and 22 offices, we are dedicated to connecting people to places by working across disciplines and scale to address social justice, safety, and environmental resilience.

Day to Day

The right candidate is a recognized leader in the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) industry, and can provide senior strategic direction for projects and clients. Their expertise in TDM programs, policy, and strategic planning will be valued by Alta’s public agency clients, and will support the professional development of team members.

As a programs lead, a major responsibility of this role is to bring in new work, mainly through proposals to public agencies. We are looking for candidates with a strong existing network and expertise in marketing and business development.
The right candidate will believe in Alta’s mission, and should have good team and people management skills.

The essential priorities of this position are:

  • Marketing/business development activities (25%): This may include tracking leads, responding to RFPs, creating and updating marketing plans, writing and editing blog and social media posts, and attending and presenting at conferences and speaking engagements.
  • Project delivery (60%): This may include negotiation and contracting, research, client interface, budget and schedule management, project initiation, QA/QC, and setting strategic direction.
  • Staff and team management (10%): This may include supporting professional development, mentoring and training, hiring and performance management, developing systems, and change management.
  • Corporate leadership (5%): This may include Practice Area team involvement, NW Leadership Team participation, and internal communications between senior leadership/Board and Programs Team members.

Responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:

  • Leading business development strategy and strategic planning for the Programs Team.
  • Serving as Principal in Charge and/or Project Manager on projects.
  • Leading meetings, trainings, presentations, and research projects.
  • Performing a variety of writing, logistics, planning, and quality control tasks independently.
  • Directing the technical work of other staff members (e.g., writing, research, program design, and program evaluation tasks). This may include client-directed technical tools, such as ridematching platforms or project management software.
  • Participating in the development, refinement, and use of internal systems for project management, workload tracking, and so on, including but not limited to Deltek software.
  • Serving as liaison between Programs Team and Alta leadership.

Qualifications

Required

This position requires a combination of skills, experience and education including, but not limited to:

  • 15+ years of experience in Transportation Demand Management (TDM), behavior change/marketing, transportation planning, or similar fields, and positive reputation/reach in the industry
  • 5+ years of team management experience
  • 5+ years of project management and delivery experience
  • 5+ years of business development, marketing, or similar experience, such as proposal writing
  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication, and analytic skills, including public speaking
  • Proficiency in Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or similar applications
  • Ability to manage competing priorities and multiple simultaneous projects involving cross-functional project teams within budgetary and schedule constraints
  • Ability to guide staff members and manage internal team expectations
  • Demonstrated understanding of project management principles, methods, and techniques
  • Strong initiative and the ability to work independently with little or no supervision
  • Ability to travel for frequent project site visits, meetings, presentations, interviews, and so on
  • Interest in active transportation and healthy communities

Preferred

There are a number of additional skills, experience, and education that would be beneficial to this position including, but not limited to:

  • Master’s degree
  • Experience consulting/contracting for public agencies
  • Experience with Deltek or similar accounting or ERP software
  • Experience with project management software (e.g., Trello)
  • Experience writing or presenting white papers or providing expert-level presentations at conferences and other events promoting the field of Transportation Demand Management
  • Active participation in industry-relevant professional associations and committees

What We Offer

Flexible Schedule
Alta offers a flexible, hybrid work schedule where most employees work from home three days per week. In-office days support our collaborative culture, one of our core values. The Seattle office is located in the heart of downtown Seattle and accessible to bike and public transit.

Compensation
The pay range for this job in Seattle is $150,000-$180,000 annually. Placement within the range is based upon experience, skill-sets, and qualifications.

Benefits
Alta offers comprehensive benefits to all full-time employees:

  • Medical: PPO or HSA medical plans, Alta pays 75% of the cost
  • Dental/Vision: PPO, Alta pays 90% of the cost
  • Life Insurance: Alta pays 100% of the premium for life and AD&D, equal to your base compensation
  • 401(k): Alta provides a safe harbor match up to 4%
  • PTO: 21 days accrued annually to start
  • Holidays: 11 total company paid holidays
  • Paid Parental Leave/Short-Term Disability
  • Additional Benefits: Wellness reimbursement up to $800 annually, Alta Gets Around benefit of up to $900 annually, 5-year travel award, and professional development opportunities

 

*The following statements pertain to US Candidates Only*

About Alta Planning + Design

Alta is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Alta Planning + Design, Inc. is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants. It is our policy that decisions involving people are made on the basis of job-related criteria, independent of an individual’s gender, race, color, national origin, age, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, physical or mental disability for which reasonable accommodation is available, and any other status protected by law. This includes decisions involving hiring, job placement, transfer, promotion, compensation, benefits, training, and company-sponsored programs. Alta Planning + Design maintains formal employment policies, available online and by request.

Affirmative Action Plan
Alta Planning + Design, Inc. is a federal contractor subject to affirmative action regulations requiring written Affirmative Action Plans (AAP’s) for minorities and women, and for covered veterans and individuals with disabilities. We worked intensively with a local firm that specializes in Affirmative Action Plans to develop a program for our company that will not only satisfy our federal obligations but will be a living document. This means the plan is integrated into our recruiting and evaluation procedures and is revisited often in order to ensure we’re doing everything we can to embrace and promote diversity within our company.

Alta requires all employees to complete their COVID-19 vaccination series or have an approved exception to the requirement due to a medical condition or sincerely held religious belief. Proof of vaccination or an approved exemption for new employees will be verified prior to the first day of employment. Failure to provide proof of vaccination or receipt of an approved exemption will lead to withdrawal of the job offer.

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