Planning Manager Jobs in Portland, OR (NOW HIRING)

Under general direction of the Senior Director of Mobility Planning and Policy, the Planning Manager is responsible for leading a team of planners in the development and implementation of LTD's planning and policy agenda. This position manages a broad portfolio spanning long-range transportation planning, service planning, service policy, and interagency coordination. The Planning Manager serves as a senior subject matter expert and project director for major planning initiatives, tracks and programs updates to state and federally-mandated planning and policy documents, oversees consultant and contract management, and represents the District in regional and statewide planning forums.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by employees in this job. Employees may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

Team Leadership & Staff Management

• Supervise, develop, coach, and evaluate a team of planners setting performance expectations, providing ongoing feedback, and supporting professional development.
• Assign and manage workload across team members to ensure effective execution of the department's project portfolio.
• Promote a collaborative, high-performing team culture consistent with LTD's organizational values.
• Participate in hiring, onboarding, and retention of Planning department staff.

Planning Portfolio Management

• Maintain a current inventory of the Planning team's active and upcoming projects, ensuring appropriate resource allocation, schedule management, and alignment with organizational priorities.
• Track regulatory update cycles and compliance deadlines for state and federally-mandated planning and policy documents, and program the team's work accordingly.
• Coordinate with the Senior Director to sequence and prioritize the project portfolio in response to funding opportunities, Board direction, and interagency commitments.
• Ensure planning projects are executed in compliance with applicable federal and state requirements, including FTA, FHWA, and ODOT program requirements.
• Monitor federal and state regulatory developments affecting transit planning and policy compliance, and brief the Senior Director on implications for the team's work program.

Long-Range & Strategic Planning

• Serve as Project Director for major planning initiatives, overseeing scope, schedule, budget, stakeholder engagement, and consultant performance.
• Lead or coordinate the preparation of major planning documents, corridor studies, and service development frameworks in alignment with LTD's strategic direction.
• Represent LTD in MPO, regional, and statewide planning processes, including those related to the Regional Transportation Plan and related federal and state planning requirements.
• Coordinate with jurisdictional and agency partners on transportation and land use planning matters affecting transit.

Service Planning

• Provide direct oversight and technical leadership for the Service Planning team, currently consisting of two Senior Service Planners, with anticipated growth to three positions.
• Apply firsthand knowledge of transit service planning principles and methods to guide day-to-day work, review technical products, and ensure quality and consistency across service planning deliverables.
• Oversee the team's scheduling and bid management work, including operator and vehicle needs analysis, bid preparation, and implementation of operational service changes.
• Ensure timely and accurate execution of FTA-required service and fare change analyses, including Title VI equity analyses and triennial program submissions.
• Oversee management of bus stop and service infrastructure, including coordination with jurisdictional partners on stop placement and infrastructure issues.
• Support the integration of service planning work into broader planning and policy processes, including long-range planning, budget development, and Board reporting.
• Coordinate with Operations, Fleet, Finance, and Marketing to ensure service planning work reflects operational capacity and organizational priorities.

Interagency Coordination & External Relations

• Represent LTD on technical and policy committees at the regional, state, and national levels.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with elected officials, planning directors, and senior staff at partner agencies.
• Lead or support grant development efforts, including identifying funding opportunities, preparing pre-applications, and coordinating with Finance on grant administration.

Project & Consultant Management

• Manage complex, multi-year planning projects involving consultant teams, public engagement, and interagency coordination.
• Develop scopes of work, negotiate contracts, monitor deliverables, and ensure compliance with procurement policies and contract terms.
• Prepare Board materials, staff reports, and public-facing documents for planning projects and policy actions.

Budget & Fiscal Oversight

• In coordination with the Senior Director, develop and manage the Planning team budget, including forecasting, expenditure tracking, and reconciliation.
• Identify and pursue grant and partnership funding opportunities to support the team's work program.
• Ensure cost-effectiveness and adherence to LTD procurement policies across team activities.

• This position currently has direct supervisory responsibility for four planning staff members: Senior Planner, two Senior Service Planners, and an Associate Planner. Responsibilities include hiring recommendations, performance evaluation, coaching, work assignment, and professional development support.

• This position adheres to procurement policies and procedures including managing contract compliance. This position also assists in the development, management, and reconciliation of the budget.

Required Education and Experience

Any equivalent combination of education and experience which provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the job. Education and course work can substitute for years of experience. Typical qualifications would be:

Minimum:

• A bachelor's degree in planning, public administration, or a related field from a recognized college or university.
• A minimum of three (3) years of related transit project management experience, or five (5) years of public sector experience managing planning studies/projects. Project management experience required with demonstrated experience at effectively managing complex, large-scale public projects.
• A minimum of three (3) years of supervisory or team lead experience.

Preferred:

• A master's degree in planning, public administration, or a related field from a recognized college or university.
• Demonstrated experience directing long-range planning processes, including managing consultants and facilitating public and stakeholder engagement.
• Direct experience in transit service planning, including scheduling, bid management, and service change implementation, sufficient to provide technical oversight of a service planning team.
• Experience in a public transit agency or metropolitan planning organization environment.
• Familiarity with FTA and ODOT regulatory requirements, including Title VI, NTD, and grant compliance.

• Microsoft Office Suite: Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint
• HASTUS or similar scheduling optimization software
• Remix or related geospatial visualization and analysis tools
• Transit Master (Bus Operations, Route Manager, Playback, Survey Tool, TM Planner)
• Power BI, Crystal Reports, and SQL
• GIS and spatial analysis tools
• Project management tools and document management systems

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of long-range transportation and transit planning, including federal and state planning requirements and funding programs.
• Transit service planning and scheduling methods, including operational and capacity analysis.
• Public sector management, including budget development, staff supervision, and organizational leadership.
• Federal and state transit regulations and compliance requirements, including Title VI, ADA, and NTD.
• Regional and statewide transportation planning processes and intergovernmental coordination.

Ability to:

• Lead and motivate a team of professional planners across complex, concurrent work programs.
• Track and manage a multi-project portfolio, balancing regulatory deadlines, organizational priorities, and team capacity.
• Provide meaningful technical oversight across both long-range planning and day-to-day service planning functions.
• Synthesize technical analysis and policy considerations into clear recommendations for senior leadership and the Board of Directors.
• Build and sustain effective partnerships with jurisdictional partners, consultants, and community stakeholders.
• Manage competing priorities and adapt to shifting organizational needs while maintaining quality and accountability.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, to diverse technical and non-technical audiences.

• May work in a normal office environment and/or remote office as approved. Will sometimes be required to work and/or attend meetings or events in public and at all LTD locations.
• Monday through Friday 8am until 5pm
• Occasional abnormal hours are expected and required for specific events and to reach all employees.

• Travel within the metropolitan area is required.
• Occasional travel outside of the region may be required.

• May work in a normal office environment and/or remote office as approved.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Regular communication inside and outside the organization to exchange ideas and gather information that can be used to influence LTD decisions, policy, projects, or program design or management. Some degree of tact, negotiation, and/or confidentiality. Some decisions made will commit the organization.

• LTD is an equal opportunity employer.

All qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to apply by August 28, 2026 (first review, open until filled). A cover letter and resume are required to be considered for this position. Applications, resumes and cover letters will only be accepted electronically.