Introduction
The State of Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT), is recruiting for a Transportation Planner 2, in a newly formed Public Outreach and Engagement Unit, part of the Office of Policy & Intergovernmental Affairs. This position is being created within the Bureau of Policy & Planning, at our headquarters, located in Newington CT. The focus of this unit is to ensure outreach and public engagement requirements are met, and that the Department is conducting meaningful public engagement with all of our communities.
WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU:
- Visit our new State Employee Benefits Overview page!
- A healthy work-life balance to all employees
- Professional growth and development opportunities
- The opportunity to work for a Forbes top company - ‘Forbes’: State of Connecticut Ranked One of the Best Employers of 2023 - State of CT Receives National Recognition for Offering Job Growth, Competitive Benefits, and Flexible Schedule
- Join an award winning agency! CTDOT has been recently awarded the Employer of the Year award by the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers (CSCE) and named the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) CT Employer of the Year for 2024!
POSITION HIGHLIGHTS:
*This position is eligible to apply for telework after successful completion of the working test period, and thereafter, in accordance with the Telework Policy. The Policy can be found here. Employees in their initial working test period must work on site in the office.
THE ROLE: This position will assist a newly formed Public Outreach and Engagement Unit that will ensure quality and accessible public engagement and that the Department is tracking and responsive to public feedback. This office will also serve to track and develop strategies to enhance our public outreach and engagement with Environmental Justice communities, working closely with our Communications and Office of Contract Compliance and our federal funding agencies to achieve these goals.
This new team will lead the day-to-day operations of a centralized public outreach and engagement system that will be used for public informational meetings as well as gathering public comment and feedback on proposed projects throughout the Department. This position would report to a Transportation Supervising Planner or employee of a higher level.
Specific Duties for this position include:
The Department plans to utilize the Public Involvement Management Application (PIMA) system. Once established, this team will aid in all aspects of public outreach including but not limited to: identifying and engaging stakeholders, reviewing presentation materials, assisting project teams with scheduling informational meetings, gathering and responding to public comments, and tracking community engagement. Additional duties include:
- Assisting in establishment of the framework of the PIMA system for the Department
- Assisting in developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)’s for the operation of the PIMA system, outlining the roles and responsibilities of the various units
- Collaboration across Bureaus to ensure equity is considered and tracked for public outreach efforts
- Assisting in providing PIMA system training
- Assisting in ensuring PIMA is included in required Department documents, such as the Department’s Public Involvement Procedures and the Consultant Design Manual
ABOUT US: As one of Connecticut’s largest State agencies, DOT employs approximately 3,300 individuals statewide in five distinct bureaus. It is our mission to provide a safe, accessible, and efficient multimodal transportation network that improves the quality of life and promotes economic vitality for the State and the region. We have a significant transportation infrastructure system that is essential to maintaining mobility for Connecticut residents and businesses and supporting economic and community development while preserving the State’s resources. DOT is committed to cultivating a diverse staff that is representative of the communities we serve. Applications from individuals having diverse backgrounds and life experiences are strongly encouraged.
Visit our website to learn more about the Connecticut DOT!
Selection Plan
To Apply:
- In order to be considered for this job opening you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.
- The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
- In order to receive educational credits toward qualification for this job posting, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the individual listed on this job posting.
- Ensure that your application is complete and detailed before submitting it. In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process. You will not be able to make revisions once your application is submitted into the JobAps system.
- Please select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift.
- All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
- For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.
FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:
- Please read or watch our Applicant Tips on How to Apply!
Important Information After You Apply:
- This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the questionnaire's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.
- Read through this helpful link to prepare for your interview.
- Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
- Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
- Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position.
- The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class in the next twelve (12) months.
- Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees which is available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
Connect With Us:
Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process. Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account. Should you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Sharon McIntosh, at Sharon.McIntosh@ct.gov.
PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)
In the Department of Transportation and the Connecticut Airport Authority this class is accountable for acting as a working lead and/or for performing the most complex tasks in transportation planning studies, programs and related activities.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
WORKING LEAD LEVEL:
- As assigned by a supervisor, distributes, prioritizes, oversees and reviews office unit work;
- Provides staff training and assistance;
- Conducts or assists in conducting performance evaluations;
- Acts as liaison with operating units, agencies, consultant staffs and other outside officials regarding unit office policies and standards;
- Prepares correspondence;
- Performs related duties as required.
ADVANCED LEVEL:
- Performs complex tasks and assignments in developing, coordinating and reviewing transportation planning programs;
- Recommends, coordinates or participates in transportation demonstration projects;
- Participates in preparation and negotiation of agreements and contracts;
- Oversees and participates in corridor studies;
- Prepares and reviews reports, studies and surveys in compliance with department standards and needs and state and federal laws and regulations;
- Coordinates activities or projects with local, regional, state and federal agencies, consultants and stakeholders as required;
- Reviews consultants’ work;
- Investigates and responds to public inquiries and complaints regarding transportation plans, programs and/or projects;
- May make presentations at legislative or public hearings;
- Performs related duties as required.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY
- Considerable knowledge of multi-modal transportation planning theory, practices and methodologies;
- Knowledge of environmental considerations involved in transportation planning;
- Skills
- interpersonal skills;
- oral and written communication skills;
- Ability to
- develop and use computer software including planning models and other programs related to planning process;
- forecast trends based upon empirical data;
- comprehend and interpret laws and regulations;
- Analytical ability;
- Lead ability.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE
Seven (7) years of professional experience in transportation civil engineering or transportation, urban, regional or environmental planning.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SPECIAL EXPERIENCE
One (1) year of the General Experience must include individual responsibility for the coordination of complex planning projects in a relevant planning area.
NOTE: For state employees this experience is interpreted at the level of a Transportation Planner 1 or Transportation Engineer 2.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED
- College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree.
- A Master's degree in a closely related field may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- A bachelor’s or master’s degree in Political Science, Public Administration, Public Policy, Communications, Marketing, Journalism, Sociology or closely related degree
- Experience with communication and public outreach necessary to fulfill federal and state requirements for transportation projects funded by FHWA, FTA, and FRA
- Experience with Environmental Justice requirements and reaching Environmental Justice Communities
- Experience analyzing data and demographic information
- Bi-lingual with the ability to translate to and from Spanish
- Experience in transportation policy and emerging issues
- Experience in program and project management, including developing and meeting project schedules
- Experience developing, maintaining, and enhancing communication and relationships internally, in an organization as well as with representatives of other organizations, stakeholders, elected officials, and the general public
- Experience providing presentations and training to various audiences as well as to staff
- Experience handling time-critical strategic communications, and problem-solving
- Experience utilizing the Microsoft Office Suite of applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
- Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and retain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator’s license.
- Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.
Conclusion
AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.