State of Utah
Full Job Description
Job Description
The Planning Division of the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is seeking an enthusiastic and motivated individual for an exciting opportunity to manage the development, maintenance, and application of the Travel Demand Models (TDM) overseen by the department, including the Utah Statewide Travel Model (USTM), the Summit-Wasatch County model, the Iron County model, as well as providing close coordination and support to other travel models in the state. Collaboration with the other regional model staff is a critical component of making USTM effective. Affiliated regional models include the Wasatch Front Travel Demand Model (maintained by Wasatch Front Regional Council and Mountainland Association of Governments), the Cache County Travel Demand Model (maintained by the Cache MPO), and the Dixie Travel Demand Model (maintained by the Dixie MPO). The ideal candidate will be excited to lead the department’s travel demand modeling efforts and work with its partners in the TDM space.
In addition, this position will lead the agency’s efforts in travel and land use forecasting as a means of assessing existing performance and evaluating the effectiveness of future planned investments, including the statewide Long Range Plan, environmental planning processes, and area planning studies. The models used for this effort require the best available socio-economic input data sets and refined highway networks in order to produce meaningful results. It is the responsibility of this position to work with UDOT planning staff to keep those datasets current and find creative ways to display, collect feedback on, and revise them.
The Region
Utah is one of the fastest growing states in the country, and for very good reason; there are unparalleled outdoor recreation opportunities, great job opportunities and vibrant communities. The person in this Travel Demand Model Program Manager position at UDOT will be uniquely positioned to be on the forefront of the extensive opportunities this growth presents. They will be able to lead the DOT in the forecasting space and find opportunities to be innovative and creative in this arena. Through the forecasting work they do, the person in this position will be able to support transportation decisions that affect both visitors and residents of the state of Utah for years to come, enhancing what is already a high quality of life in the region.
The OrganizationUDOT operates across the entire state of Utah planning for, constructing, and maintaining state roadway facilities while also helping to support countless local projects through funding mechanisms available at the state level. Additionally, UDOT, now more than ever, is in the business of planning and building for those on foot, bike, or transit. Utah’s Transportation Vision, or UVision, is the statewide strategic plan for transportation centered on the four pillars of Good Health, Strong Economy, Better Mobility, and Connected Communities. UDOT is an important and trusted resource in statewide multi-modal transportation decision-making and it is an extremely exciting time to be involved!
Principal Duties
As the Travel Demand Model Program Manager you will be responsible for:Becoming a USTM expert by mastering the concepts, logic, code base, and operation of the model
Working with a small team of modelers and data specialists that maintain USTM and its required inputs
Collaborating and coordinating across all of the State’s model areas, especially with the Interagency Travel Demand Model Director (housed at WFRC)
Becoming a trusted advisor and spokesperson for the TDM within UDOT, articulating results and limitations of USTM model runs in a clear and concise manner
Documenting all components of the USTM model for both agency and external audiences
Training agency staff in travel demand model and forecasting tasks
Advancing the state of the practice in travel & land use modeling/forecasting in the state
Overseeing forecasting work performed by consultants
Developing a framework for consistent forecasting practices
The Ideal Candidate
The best person for this position:Must have a Bachelor’s degree, or higher, from an accredited university that is in a related field
Must have at least eight years of related experience
Position may be underfilled for those who do not have the experience listed above. In order to qualify for the underfill you must have a Bachelor’s degree as stated above and at least six years of related experience. Salary range for the underfill is $25.22 to $44.60.
Preferences
Preference may be given to those with at least one of the following:Experience working with the travel demand models in Utah
Coding skills and experience
Experience working with existing big data sets in Utah including: Utah Census data, Division of Workforce Services (DWS) data, parcel data, Roads and Highway data, etc.
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities
Here are some of the knowledge, skills and abilities that are typically associated with the job, though not all-inclusive:Hands on experience working with CUBE or similar travel demand modeling software
Demonstrated ability to be an excellent team member including the ability to mentor and train others and work in an environment where constructive feedback is offered
An aptitude for analytical processes and procedures
Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing; strong interpersonal communication skills and technical writing ability
Ability to exercise initiative and independent judgment, creative thinking and analytical problem solving
Highly to exercise initiative and independent judgment, creative thinking and analytical problem solving
An intermediate understanding of GIS software and data
Demonstrated experience working with limited supervision
Ability to mentor and train others
Supplemental Information
Here is some information you should be aware of:This position is eligible for telework, based on supervisor approval, although some in-office work will still be required
May need to travel within the State of Utah
Working Conditions – Risks found in the typical office setting, which is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated, e.g., safe use of office equipment, avoiding trips and falls, observing fire regulations, etc
Physical Requirements – Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to perform the work; however, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying light items; driving an automobile, etc. Special physical demands are not required to perform the work.
Why Should You Join Our Team?The work we do matters. If you want to make a positive difference doing meaningful work, this is the right place for you. Our mission statement is, “Enhance quality of life through transportation.” We define quality of life through a framework of Good Health, Connected Communities, Better Mobility, and Strong Economy. We help the State of Utah and its traveling public to get to where they want, when they want, in the way they want – and we make sure they can do it safely.
You will become part of a team with an internal culture of Trust, Teamwork, and Flexibility. Our organization lives by the values of Respect, Integrity, and Caring. If these are your values too, you’ll be a great fit.
Aside from working for a cause-driven, cutting edge agency that is leading all other transportation departments in the nation, you will receive great health and retirement benefits. Working for the State of Utah provides a positive work-life balance. Click here to view a summary of the benefits we offer.
The AgencyUDOT is a strengths-based organization, which means its approach is based on identifying and developing individual and organizational strengths. Our philosophy is to address challenges by bringing our strengths to each situation and create the best solutions. Candidates are encouraged to be familiar with their strengths and consider how they may potentially be of benefit to the roles for which they are applying. UDOT uses the CliftonStrengths Assessment, but there are multiple strengths assessment tools available online, and no formal assessment is required.
For more information on the Utah Department of Transportation please click here.