Federal Planning Manager

Job Description and Duties

Under the general direction of the Assistant Federal Liaison, a Supervising Transportation Planner, in the Director’s Office, Office of the Federal Liaison, the incumbent will assist the Office in strategic engagement, strategy, and vision for advancing our federal priorities and short-term and long-term strategic direction for the State transportation system for federal programs as well as to ensure California receives its share of federal funding and competes effectively for directionally grant programs and federal earmarks. This position will lead enhanced outreach efforts, strategy and coordinate on federal discretionary grant applications and management processes. This position will support the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act’s (MAP-21) transportation performance management and development of our federal policy positions, coordinate implementation of current and future federal transportation legislation, and provide enhanced outreach and technical assistance to Headquarters (HQ) Programs/Divisions and Districts seeking federal funding for their projects. This work requires extensive coordination and communication with our transportation partners, the public, as well as cross organizational and cross-agency collaboration. Effective working relationships with internal and external agencies/partners is critical.

Eligibility for hire may be determined by your score on the Senior Transportation Planner exam. For those who do not have current eligibility (e.g., transfer, permissive reinstatement, or voluntary demotions) and/or who will be new to state civil services employment, you must be on the state examination list to be eligible for these positions. To apply for the exam, please click here and search by typing in the classification title.

The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the application process. The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position.

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PARF# 85-6-010 / JC-496104

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

Multiple positions may be filled from this recruitment.

The incumbent will work in an office environment (in-office and home office), but will be required to travel in state. There will be significant interaction and/or travel requirements within multiple districts and Congressional offices throughout the state, based on operational need and selected candidates home location. Out-of-state travel may also be required to attend meetings, conferences, and trainings. This position may be eligible for telework. The amount of telework is at the discretion of the Department and based on Caltrans’s current telework policy. While Caltrans supports telework, in-person attendance may be required based on operational needs. Employees are expected to be able to report to their worksite with minimal notification if an urgent need arises. The selected candidate may be required to conduct business travel on behalf of the Department or commute to the headquartered location. Business travel reimbursements considers an employee’s designated Headquarters Location, primary residence, and may be subject to CalHR regulations or applicable bargaining unit contract provisions. All commute expenses to the headquartered location will be the responsibility of the selected candidate.

This position may be eligible for telework. The amount of telework is at the discretion of the Department and based on Caltrans’s evolving telework policy. Caltrans supports telework, recognizing that in-person attendance may be required based on operational needs. Employees are expected to be able to report to their worksites with minimum notification if an urgent need arises. The selected candidate will be required to commute to the headquartered location as needed to meet operational needs. Business travel may be required, and reimbursement considers an employee’s designated headquartered location, primary residence, and may be subject to CalHR regulations or applicable bargaining unit contract provisions. All commute expenses to the headquartered location will be the responsibility of the selected candidate.

Special Requirements

Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is a discussion of how an applicant's education, training, experience, and skills meet the criteria in the duty statement and qualify the applicant for the position. The SOQ must be in narrative form (no bulleted content and not a resume) and tailored to the specific position rather than a general summary of your good qualities. The SOQ should be no longer than two pages, single spaced, and written in 12-point font. In addition to the above instructions, you must include “Statement of Qualifications”, your name, and the job control number centered and in bold in the header.

Failure to include and complete the SOQ may result in disqualification for interview.

1. Provide one specific example that demonstrates your experience working on federal or state transportation policy or legislation.

2. Provide one specific example that demonstrates your experience conducting public outreach and engagement on a complex transportation issue or policy.

3. Provide one specific example that demonstrates your experience working on federal or state transportation funding programs or discretionary grant programs.

Possession of Minimum Qualifications will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment. If you are basing your eligibility on education, you must include your unofficial transcript(s)/diploma for verification. Unofficial, original, or official sealed transcripts will be accepted and may be required upon appointment. Applicants with foreign transcripts/degrees must provide a transcript/degree U.S. equivalency report evaluation that indicates the number of units and degree to which the foreign coursework is equivalent. Here is a list of evaluation agencies : or . Please redact birthdates and social security numbers.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

Public outreach and engagement experience; understanding of federal appropriations and budget processes; federal transportation policy and legislation experience; grant writing experience; multi-disciplinary project management experience; strong interpersonal and presentation skills; experience in graphics such as Adobe In-Design; ability to develop innovative and effective solutions for transportation problems and effectively implement them.

Benefits

to view the Benefits Summary for Civil Service Employees in the State of California.

Important Application Instructions

The State application (STD. 678) is required, and each section must be filled out completely and thoroughly. For mailed or hand delivered applications to be considered for this position, the Job Control number (JC-496104), PARF#85-6-010 and title of the position (Senior Transportation Planner) must be included on the STD. 678 form.

Electronic applications through your CalCareers account are highly recommended and encouraged.

Candidates that meet the minimum qualifications based on possession of EDUCATION, LICENSE, OR CERTIFICATE must include a copy of your DEGREE/TRANSCRIPTS, LICENSE, or CERTIFICATE, along with your State application (STD. 678), to be considered for this position.

NOTE: Do not submit the “Equal Employment Opportunity” questionnaire (page 5) with your completed State application (STD. 678). This page is for examination use only. Do not include any confidential information on any documents you submit for this job vacancy, such as your state application, resume, or educational transcripts. Confidential information that should be excluded or removed from these documents includes, but is not limited to, your Social Security Number, birth date, driver’s license number, examination results, LEAP status, marital status, and age. The job application packet checklist is not required to apply for this position. Failure to follow these instructions may result in your application not being considered for this position.

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.
• Statement of Qualifications -

  Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is required. Please see the Special Requirements section for SOQ instructions.

• Other - Cover Letter is Required.