NECC Sr. Manager, Planning & Reporting

Follow this link to apply on Amtrak’s website. 

SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
The Northeast Corridor Commission is seeking a highly motivated candidate to join its hard-working and enthusiastic staff as NECC Sr. Manager, Planning & Reporting. The Commission was established by Congress in the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 to coordinate among agencies that share the region’s core rail network. With historic funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), corridor stakeholders are now advancing the most ambitious NEC capital investment program in decades, supported by the Commission’s collaborative planning & reporting, cost-sharing, and interagency coordination processes. While the Commission is administratively hosted by Amtrak, it is an independent team of transportation professionals.

This position will manage the team responsible for the development of NEC-wide plans and reports on near-term capital investment, train operations, and capital infrastructure project delivery, including annual five-year Capital Investment Plans, Annual Reports to Congress and the Secretary of Transportation, and Quarterly Reports to NEC Commission membership. NEC Capital Investment Plans and Annual Reports are required by statute.

  • Train operations data includes on-time performance, train delays (e.g., delay minutes, causes, major incidents), weekday/weekend ridership, and train volumes.
  • Capital infrastructure project data includes project and program planned scope, schedule, cost, annual budget, units and associated progress, updates, and actuals

Specific responsibilities include overseeing all aspects of the team’s collection, storage, analysis, and presentation of near-term planning and reporting data, including the development of user-friendly database dashboards; ensuring ongoing coordination and communication internally across NECC staff and with member agencies on NECC process requirements; and managing the start-to-finish execution of external  document preparation, including the development of messaging content, compelling graphics/charts/figures, and detailed maps that communicate the plan/report’s key findings and other technical information to a general audience.

The role requires knowledge of railroad operations, reporting systems, capital planning, and infrastructure project delivery. It also requires demonstrated people-management experience; strong organizational and communication skills; meticulous attention to detail; and experience managing stakeholders in a political environment. Ideal candidates will have demonstrated expertise in data analytics, database management, Adobe InDesign and Illustrator, and Microsoft Office Suite, including Power BI.

This position can be located in Washington, DC or Philadelphia, PA. Candidates in New York City may also be considered. Travel will be up to about 20%. Applicants should submit a resume and cover letter at the link provided.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

  • Manage the team responsible for the development of NEC-wide plans and reports on near-term capital investment, train operations, and infrastructure project delivery, including annual five-year Capital Investment Plans, Annual Reports to Congress and the Secretary of Transportation, and Quarterly Reports to NEC Commission membership.
  • Supervise the collection and storage of train operations and capital project data from NEC agencies, including through ongoing communication with member agency staff on NECC process requirements, data collection templates, and reporting timelines.
  • Oversee the analysis and presentation of train operations and capital project data from NEC agencies, including through the creation of accessible database dashboards for internal staff and external stakeholders.
  • Manage, with the support of staff, the start-to-finish execution of external document preparation, including development of messaging content, compelling graphics/charts/figures, and detailed maps that communicate the plan/report’s key findings and other technical information to a general audience; develop and manage quality assurance and quality control checks to ensure all facts and figures contained in NECC reports are accurate and complete.
  • Support NECC working groups and other coordination activities with staff at various levels and in various roles and departments at stakeholder agencies.
  • Support internal collaboration across teams, including consistency and alignment with the long-term fifteen-year CONNECT NEC planning process.
  • Support the Commission’s efforts to monitor capital program implementation and make data driven assessments of progress and performance.
  • Support internal teams in preparing responses to ongoing questions from external stakeholders, including organizing the collection of all formal questions related to Commission products; performing ad hoc analyses; and facilitating the resolution of any identified issues among stakeholders.
  • Support planning for and execution of regular and ad-hoc meetings of the Commission, its committees, and its working groups, including helping with PowerPoint presentation development.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor’s degree in transportation planning, public administration, engineering, or business management from an accredited college or university.
  • Relevant work experience, ideally with the passenger rail or public transportation industry.
  • Demonstrated experience managing a team and/or multiple direct reports.
  • Strong critical thinking and analytical abilities.
  • Excellent organizational and project management skills.
  • Knowledge of NEC railroad operations, reporting systems, capital planning, and infrastructure project delivery.
  • Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Word, Adobe InDesign and Illustrator, and Power BI.
  • Interest in and ability to learn SQL and other programming languages, such as R or Python.
  • Ability to analyze and integrate large data sets (both quantitative and qualitative) sourced from various agencies and departments within agencies.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Consensus-based stakeholder facilitation and coordination skills.
  • Ability to translate technical analyses into meaningful and appropriate information for different audiences and purposes (staff-level coordination, executive-level action, education for elected officials and the public, etc.).
  • Ability to solve problems independently, identify potential process improvements, and work in a highly collaborative team environment.
  • Ability to multi-task effectively while remaining flexible in a fast-paced environment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Master’s degree in transportation planning, public policy/administration, engineering, or business management.
  • 10 years of relevant work experience, ideally with the passenger rail or public transportation industry. Relevant master’s degree may count towards years of experience.
  • Direct experience in passenger rail, freight rail, or transit.
  • Direct experience with SQL and other programming languages, such as R or Python.
  • Advanced knowledge of NEC railroad operations, reporting systems, capital planning, and infrastructure project delivery.
  • Familiarity with project and program management software, such as Primavera P6 and Blue Beam. Interest in expanding working knowledge of these and other software programs as needed to meet evolving needs.
  • Understanding of or experience with NEC Commission activities.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

  • Up to 20%.
  • Location: Northeast Corridor (Boston, MA – Washington, D.C.)

COMMUNICATIONS AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:

Must have excellent oral and written communication skills.

The salary range is $135,800-$176,040. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. Depending on an employee’s assigned worksite or location, Amtrak may consider a geo-pay differential to be applied to the employee’s base salary. Amtrak may offer additional incentive and pay programs to recognize and reward our employees, including a short-term incentive bonus based upon factors such as individual and company performance that is commensurate with the level of the position and/or long-term incentive plan compensation. In addition to your salary, Amtrak offers a comprehensive benefit package that includes health, dental, and vision plans; health savings accounts; wellness programs; flexible spending accounts; 401K retirement plan with employer match; life insurance; short and long term disability insurance; paid time off; back-up care; adoption assistance; surrogacy assistance; reimbursement of education expenses; Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility; Railroad Retirement sickness and retirement benefits; and rail pass privileges.

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Requisition ID:163626
Posting Location(s):District of Columbia

Work Arrangement: 04-Hybrid Weekly Click here for more information about work arrangements at Amtrak.
Job Family/Function: Engineering
Relocation Offered: No
Travel Requirements: Up to 25%

Follow this link to apply on Amtrak’s website.