Description

Salary:                   $133,497.00 - $220,270.00 Annually
Location:               Riverside, CA
Job Type:               Full-time
Job Number:         26-1060-01
Department:          Planning
Opening Date:       01/08/2026
Closing Date:         01/30/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

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THIS POSITION IS DESIGNATED AS NON-BARGAINING UNIT AND THE INCUMBENT SHALL SERVE IN AN "AT-WILL" CAPACITY.

The Riverside Transit Agency is recruiting for the position of  Director of Planning. The Director of Planning leads, directs, and coordinates the Agency’s planning activities, project development (up to A&E/design), develops and coordinates grant-funded programs, researches and develops funding sources and strategies to accomplish the Agency's goals and objectives, prepares short, long, and strategic plans for the Agency, and ensures compliance with Federal, State, and local regulatory requirements. Also, leads, directs, and coordinates the Agency’s planning and implementation of service changes, while assisting in the preparation of short, long, and service plans and service-related reporting requirements for the Agency.

Applications will be reviewed in the order received and the posting may close at any time.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
The following duties are standard for this position.  The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification. 

Develops projects and identifies programs, policies and funding strategies to deliver them, including grant funding, Public/Public and Public Private Partnerships (PPP). 

Prepares grant applications, reports, and amendments according to required formats and submits to applicable funding agency. 

Prepares reports, policies and documents to ensure the Agency complies with the various rules and regulations that are the conditions of receiving the grant funding. 

Responsible for the preparation and maintenance of reporting data used in the planning process, including data utilized for Short Range Transit Plans (SRTP), the Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy, and Transit Improvement Plans (TIPs).

Responsible for leading and conducting significant planning projects and studies such as strategic plans, short and long range service plans, zero emission bus deployment plans and various other planning projects as needed. 

Acts as Agency’s liaison to federal, state, and local planning, programming and funding agencies. 

Works with private and public agencies such as member cities, Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC), Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG), Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), school districts, private businesses, developers, etc., to accomplish the objectives of the Agency. 

Leads and coordinates plans, programs and projects between JPA members, local and regional transit providers and other governments.  

Represents Agency at various public meetings as required. 

Responds to requests and gives presentations to the Board of Directors, general public, various advisory groups and other local, state, and federal agencies as required. 

Prepares Planning Department budget and assists with the Agency budget preparation and the development of funding strategies.   

Leads the development of the annual service plan and the annual Short-Range Transit Plan (SRTP).  

Leads the analysis and evaluation of operational and financial data to assess transit service performance. 

Leads the development of recommendations to best match transit service supply and demand and optimize the transit network to maximize ridership within the operational and financial constraints and goals of the Agency. This includes design of route and/or schedule and stop changes systemwide for incorporation into Agency plans and budgets. 

Responsible for coordinating agency-wide implementation of three service changes per year (plus any special changes as required), for both directly operated and contracted services, including schedule changes, route changes, the associated optimum vehicle and operator scheduling and rostering, and the production of all required documentation to support the coach operator bidding and daily operations and fleet maintenance functions, as well as coordination with Marketing for the dissemination of relevant information to staff, riders, and the community. Must also coordinate the provision of GTFS file and ITS database for each service change from the ITS vendor. General HASTUS experience desired. 

Directs the analysis of bus stop and mobility hub (and associated amenities) placement, usage and operations in accordance with the Bus Stop Amenities Strategic Plan and the Bus Stop Design Guidelines Manual. Develops plans for a safe, efficient, and effective network of bus stops across the Agency’s service area.  

Oversees the review of proposed developments systemwide to ensure the optimum transit stop locations and amenities can be obtained at no cost to the Agency as conditions of proposed developments. 

Responsible for the preparation and submittal of required transit operating data reporting, including National Transportation Databases (NTD), RCTC Transtrack, and APTA, as well as leads the preparation, submittal, and follow-up review of the Agency’s NTD annual report. 

Responsible for leading and conducting significant planning projects and studies such as Strategic Plans, Comprehensive Operational Analysis, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Triennial Title VI update, and RTA’s Service Standards and Warrants.

Oversees the review and analysis of and responses to transit service-related customer service comments. 

Leads planning related tasks to support the transition to zero emission buses.   

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES Directly supervises planning department staff. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems. 

Requirements

QUALIFICATION GUIDELINES
 

QUALIFICATIONS  To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE 

Bachelor's degree (B.A./B.S.) from a four-year college or university in business, public administration or a related field (Masters Degree preferred), with a minimum of five years senior management level experience in grants administration, public transit, urban planning, fixed route operations scheduling, or operations; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.   Direct transit planning experience is preferable.

LANGUAGE SKILLS 

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents.  Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community.  Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format.  Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, Boards of Directors, and/or city councils.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS 

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.  Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

COMPUTER SKILLS

Knowledge of basic office equipment and personal computers. Familiarity with software programs such as Microsoft Office, to include Word, Excel, Access, etc. 

REASONING ABILITY 

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of operational variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES 

Knowledge of the principles and practices of planning and administration.   Knowledge of transit operations.   Knowledge of local, state and federal laws, regulations, procedures and environmental analysis, with an emphasis on project development and transit planning.  Knowledge of public organizations and their administration.   Knowledge of statistical and research methods.  Knowledge of State and Federal grant process.  Strong interpersonal communication skills.  Ability to write clear and concise reports.  Ability to quickly gather and analyze facts and arrive at sound planning conclusions and recommendations.  Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others. 

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Possession of a valid non-restricted California driver's license is required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS  The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit or conduct work in the field; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.  The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT  The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

 
SELECTION PROCEDURES
Note to internal candidates: the internal record will be reviewed. Please see the internal posting for more information.

Department:    Planning
Reports To:      Chief Executive Officer
FLSA Status:     Exempt

Employer
RIVERSIDE TRANSIT AGENCY
Address
1825 Third Street Riverside, California, 92507

Phone
951-565-5082

Website
http://www.riversidetransit.com