Uniquely placed as members of the Chief Operating Officer’s extended staff, join a team at the center of WMATA’s ongoing initiatives to improve efficiency, safety and customer service. You will be gathering and analyzing a broad range of data, designing solutions to critical problems, and communicating with people at all levels of the organization. A fantastic opportunity to serve the people of the greater Washington area, and to be a part of a new, innovative team working to solve some of the most complex and challenging problems in the transit industry.

Image courtesy: WMATA

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education 
•    Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Business Administration or related field

Experience 
•    1-3 years of work experience (including internships) performing Data Science, Statistical or Industrial Engineering related work activities

Certification/Licensure 
•    N/A

Preferred
•    Master’s Degree
•    Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification

Click here to learn more and to apply

This position serves as the Senior Transit Analyst for the Washington Suburban Transit Commission (WSTC). The Washington Suburban Transit Commission (WSTC) is a bi-county agency serving Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. The Commission facilitates planning, coordination and funding for transit services in the region, including the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Montgomery County Ride On, Prince George’s County The Bus, and other providers in the region. The primary focus of this position is on providing lead worker level of planning work at the WSTC. This position will work closely with the staff of the Washington Suburban Transit Commission and the Director of the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Washington Area Transit Office. Salary is $43,000- $55,000.

Examples of duties and responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:

– Responsible for the analysis and evaluation of existing and proposed transit service.
– Conduct analysis of transit services in the region and develop recommendations to improve the efficiency and productivity of these services and an understanding the importance of transit service to provide connectivity to residents throughout the region, with particular emphasis on Title VI equity considerations.
– Participate in bus planning studies led by WMATA and other regional providers.
– Conduct analysis of transit ridership and cost trends as well as service change proposals, and preparation of recommendations for service improvements.

Questions, cover letters, and resumes should be sent to the attention of Mr. Sean Egan, Washington Suburban Transit Commission, 4351 Garden City Drive, Suite 305, Hyattsville, Maryland 20785 at wstcjobs@gmail.com. EOE.

via YPTransportation.org

Photo by Elvert Barnes

Metro’s Office of Planning is hiring a planner for its Regional Planning branch. The job description and information on how to apply can be found on the WMATA Careers page and the job code is 141283. The job will be open until 11:59pm on 12/24/14.

About the position:

The open position is within the Regional Planning (REGP) program area in Metro’s Office of Planning. The REGP program area focuses on developing and executing the Authority’s long-range regional transit system plan and advocating for Metro’s short and long-term infrastructure and operational needs at local, regional, and state levels, with an emphasis on ensuring integration of Metro’s plans across all the ongoing planning activities in the region. Planners in this position manage long-range planning projects, prepare technical reports/presentations, represent Metro at project stakeholder meetings, and analyze/recommend regional transit policy.  The successful candidate will possess extensive capabilities in regional planning, possess strong communications skills, and be able to represent Metro across the region. The applicant will be particularly skilled at translating highly technical information into written documents, graphics, and presentations that are easily digested by a wide range of audiences. Knowledge in the areas of regional transportation planning and forecasting, the metropolitan planning process, transit funding options and considerations, and project evaluation and alternatives analysis is strongly preferred.

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OFFICE OF PERFORMANCE: SR. PERFORMANCE ANALYST (#140519)

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)
WMATA provides transit services in the National Capital Region covering a 1,500 square mile area  (5 million residents) including Washington, D.C.,  two suburban counties in Maryland, and three counties and three cities in Northern Virginia. WMATA operates the second largest heavy rail transit system, sixth largest bus network and fifth largest paratransit service in the United States.

The Office of Performance was established in 2009 to bring a performance-based management approach to the agency, increase Metro’s accountability and transparency and respond to the national focus on performance measures. The office serves as an internal consulting team working across the agency to develop tools that turn data into information, tackle areas facing performance challenges and effectively communicate results. The Office of Performance has also developed external performance material including the Vital Signs Report and scorecard to track progress towards WMATA’s strategic goals (Scorecard).

Sr. Performance Analysts Responsibilities
As a member of the Office of Performance, this position will assist in the formation of a range of performance products to expand the use performance information to guide decision making, promote WMATA’s benefits in the region and to unify employees toward achieving the agency’s strategic goals. The Senior Analyst will serve as the primary liaison between departments responsible for delivering and maintaining rail, bus and paratransit services. The incumbent will be responsible for collecting, analyzing, documenting, and communicating performance information in cooperation with other departments. Through cross-agency collaboration, the overall purpose of this position is to improve the safety, reliability and quality of WMATA services. The Senior Performance analyst will operate with broad latitude and independent judgment under the guidance from the Director of the Office of Performance.

We are looking for someone who can effectively work in an unstructured fast paced environment by applying strong analytical and communication skills with strategic thinking.

Salary Range
$88,700 to $133,000; plus excellent benefits package.

TO APPLY
Please see WMATA website for full information and to submit an application and resume

Via @YPTransportation

Reference 130316 or search for ‘Sustainability’ on WMATA’s career site

Note the 3/21/13 closing date.

Responsibilities:

This is a high level professional and technical position involving the development and analysis in support of Authority-wide sustainability planning, initiative development, and performance measurement. Incumbent uses innovative analysis, corporate/transit best practices, and in-depth evaluation. The incumbent analyzes current performance, identifies new business models and markets, develops implementation strategies and plans, and provides project management support.

Results provide refined critical information to enable effective organizational decision making, performance management, and leadership. Incumbent communicates regularly with executive staff and other Authority personnel. Incumbent conducts special studies to ensure efficient management of resources. Incumbent produces presentations that communicate Authority¿s stance and leadership in sustainability practice.

English: Washington, DC Metro logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

MAJOR DUTIES:

• Develops, evaluates, and supports sustainability initiatives, programs, policies, and procedures for the Authority.
•  Independently conducts analytical studies.
• Serves as a project analyst and provides project management support to resolve problems and to meet PLAN objectives and Authority strategic goals.
• Conducts special studies focusing on life-cycle costing, cost benefit analysis, and return on investment calculations for potential investments.
• Researches and summarizes selected policy areas related to sustainability.
• Prepares reports on transit issues such as sustainability best practices, impacts of transit on regional sustainability, and summarizes selected policy and technical areas related to sustainability innovations in the transit industry.
• Researches and drafts responses to inquiries from members of Congress; federal, state, regional, and local officials; the Board of Directors; and the public.
• Prepares and presents reports and recommendations for a variety of internal and external customers.
• Attends meetings, hearings, high-level planning sessions, and other activities essential to the execution of the functional responsibilities of PLAN.
•  Maintains effective working relationships with individuals and organizations with whom interface and cooperation are required.

The above duties and responsibilities are not intended to limit specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. It is not intended to limit in any way the right of supervisors to assign, direct and control the work of employees under their supervision.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of sustainable business practice and sustainable development.
• Knowledge of and experience in leading interdisciplinary teams to facilitate effective policy and initiative planning, development, implementation, and support.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of strategic business planning, performance metrics, and innovation management.
• Knowledge of financial analysis including: life-cycle costing, cost benefit analysis, return on investment calculation.
• Knowledge of the sustainability and environmental policy context in which transit systems operate. Familiarity with sustainable design, green building, and energy planning in a transit context.
• Knowledge of public transit principles and practices and the application of new technology and other innovations to transit agencies.
• Demonstrated success in completing difficult assignments, displaying innovative solutions to complex problems.
• Ability to acquire and maintain current knowledge of major transit systems and changes in the public transportation field that may be of benefit to the attainment of the Authority’s goals and objectives.
• Ability to effectively analyze and present findings on various assigned studies.
• Ability to prepare concise technical reports and engaging presentations for a variety of internal and external customers.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all levels of management and organizations with who interface and cooperation are required.
• Ability to communicate effectively at all levels of the organization.

The employee performs moderately difficult administrative and office management work assignments for the head of an entity whose staff consists of one or more subordinate branch management level persons who are responsible for key functions and/or programs. Incumbents in this class perform a full range of administrative support duties which affects the efficacy of work processes performed by others. Contacts are maintained with members of other departments with whom the Director level maintains working relationships. Some situations require the use of persuasion and tact to maintain the Director¿s viewpoint. Written guidelines are generally available, but require interpretation.

To be considered for the position, you must meet minimum qualifications. It is, therefore, very important for you to include on your application any education/experience you have had that is described in the minimum qualifications. Incomplete information may delay the assessment process.

Qualifications

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in planning, public policy, business administration, or related field. A Master¿s degree preferred. A minimum of five (5) years progressively responsible experience in sustainable business practices, sustainable development, or related field.

MEDICAL GROUP:

Ability to satisfactorily complete the medical examination for this position. The incumbent must be able to perform the essential functions of this position either with or without reasonable accommodations.

High School Diploma or GED and a minimum of 5 years experience in office management activities that involved providing administrative/secretarial services within a diverse organizational entity. Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in word processing on the standard software currently in use by the Authority based on a computerized word processing skills evaluation which measures efficiency at various levels; demonstrate proficiency in communication and clerical skills based on a computerized skills evaluation which measures proficiency in spelling, punctuation, capitalization and grammar.

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation criteria may include one or more of the following:

1. Education, training and experience
2. Personal Interview
3. Medical examination which may include alcohol and drug testing
4. Performance attendance record
5. Background check to include criminal, education, work and driver’s record

Closing Statement

Posted salary ranges and offers are subject to Union contract agreements and Metro salary administration guidelines. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is an equal opportunity employer, and encourages applications from minorities, females and persons with disabilities.

Please apply before: 03/21/2013

Reference 130316 or search for ‘Sustainability’ on WMATA’s career site

The Washington Post’s Coverage: A federal investigation has identified pervasive flaws in rail safety at Metro and severe inadequacies in the agency responsible for oversight. Findings released Thursday call for widespread changes in how the nation’s second-busiest subway system is supervised and managed.

The sternly worded report, prepared by the Federal Transit Administration and presented Thursday to Washington area members of Congress, was the first in-depth look at Metro’s safety program, FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff said. It revealed deep-rooted deficiencies at the transit agency and its independent oversight committee, highlighting vulnerabilities in the systems that are supposed to safeguard passengers and workers, he said.

Rogoff said the safety performance of the Washington system was worse than others of similar size. He said the findings were a symptom of a much deeper problem, extending from executive leadership down to the most junior employee, and he urged the incoming Metro general manager to use the report as a “road map” for the “overarching safety problem.” Click here to read the Washington Post article.

The FTA’s audit resulted in 21 findings and recommendations: 11 findings and recommendations for TOC and 10 findings and recommendations to WMATA.

I have to agree with this excerpt from a post by David Alpert on one of my favorite local blogs – Greater Greater Washington:

The most disappointing piece to me is why it took press attention and FTA oversight to identify, explain, and fix these issues. WMATA could have formulated and publicized its own report explaining how the safety structure was deficient and suggesting ways it would fix them on its own. It didn’t. After the Post discovered and publicized the lapses, WMATA’s statements instead nitpicked specific wording from TOC Chair Eric Madison to try to claim there wasn’t a problem at all.

WMATA needs to own up to these things, not just respond to the FTA’s report and have meetings but actually start coming clean to riders. There are undoubtedly some points the FTA missed; WMATA should proactively suggest those as well. As for the TOC, they have a solemn responsibility to ensure safety, and should take whatever steps necessary without regret, whether that’s breaking procedure and going directly to top managers or the Board, or talking to the press and shouting from the rooftops when something is wrong.

Summary List of Findings and Recommendations

Findings to the Tri-State Oversight Committee (TOC):

1. Assess the level of resources necessary from each jurisdiction (District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia) to meet TOC’s responsibilities. Use the results of this assessment to establish resource commitments from each jurisdiction to TOC for the next three calendar years. Resources should be committed and onboard before the beginning of the next Federal audit cycle.
2. Evaluate the technical and professional skills that TOC representatives need to effectively carry out their oversight duties.  To the extent that TOC representatives do not currently possess these skills, ensure training is provided as soon as practicable to each TOC member.
3. Determine the best method to respond quickly and professionally, as WMATA safety situations arise and require coordinated action.  Consider whether full-time TOC positions can be vested with decision-making authority to act in specific safety situations with WMATA.
4. Identify and formalize a mechanism to ensure that critical unresolved WMATA safety concerns identified by TOC members are elevated to the highest levels of each TOC jurisdictional agency and WMATA for immediate action.
5. Require WMATA to complete a timely, thorough, and competent review and update of WMATA’s Safety Rules and Procedures Manual.  This review and update must reflect actual current practices and needed improvements identified by TOC and by FTA in this audit report.
6. Require WMATA to develop (and TOC to review and approve) an internal WMATA safety audit recovery plan for calendar year 2010 and calendar year 2011. Before WMATA develops this plan, TOC should sponsor a meeting with WMATA’s Safety Department, Quality Department, and Executive Leadership Team to explain the internal safety audit program requirements and TOC’s expectations regarding WMATA’s internal safety audit recovery plan.
7. Require WMATA to develop a recovery plan to complete all open accident investigations following procedures established in TOC’s Program Standard, WMATA’s System Safety Program Plan and WMATA’s Accident Investigation Procedures.
8. Document the Corrective Action Plan Technical Review process in TOC’s Program Standard and Procedures and WMATA’s System Safety Program Plan.
9. Work with WMATA to ensure that there is a process in place for evaluating Corrective Action Plans (CAP) alternatives that may be necessary as a result of capital and operating program resource limitations.
10. Require WMATA to develop and implement a comprehensive and system-wide hazard management program (as required by 49 CFR Part 659.31).
11. Require WMATA to strictly adhere to the annual certification of compliance with its System Safety Program Plan (as specified in 49 CFR 659.43), including identifying areas where WMATA is not in compliance with its System Safety Program Plan as well as specific actions WMATA is taking to achieve compliance.

Recommendations to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA):

1. Conduct an assessment to identify the resources and expertise necessary for the Safety Department to carry out the activities specified in WMATA’s System Safety Program Plan and Safety Rules and Procedures Manual.
2. Use the results of the assessment to ensure adequate staffing levels and expertise within the Safety Department.
3. Increase the Safety Department’s access to operating and maintenance information and reports to ensure that this information is being analyzed for potential impacts on the safety of WMATA.
4. Develop an internal process to require the communication of safety-related information across all WMATA departments, including the impacts of budget reductions and resource constraints on the performance of safety-related maintenance activities and requirements.
5. Define and implement the process for the top Safety Department position to communicate safety priorities to the General Manager in a timely and consistent manner.
6. Identify the technical skills required to perform system-wide hazard analysis (as required in 49 CFR Part 659 and TOC’s Program Standard). To the extent that WMATA Safety Department staff does not currently possess the needed skills, provide training as soon as practicable.
7. Update the WMATA System Safety Program Plan (specifically Procedure #2.1/0 and Section 6) to develop a hazard management process that ensures that all WMATA departments participate in an on-going manner.
8. Institute a process to ensure that changes in operating rules are analyzed for safety impacts before system-wide implementation. For example, WMATA engineering bulletins are “field tested” before full implementation.
9. Finalize the right-of-way protection rules, develop training to implement the new rules and ensure all right-of-way employees and contractors receive this training before accessing the right-of-way.
10. Implement the configuration management program described in the WMATA System Safety Program Plan.

You can read the oral statement of the FTA Administrator to the congress here.  Below is a copy of the report, which is also available for download at the FTA website.

(Source: Washington Post)

Metro knocked down one of the bigger barriers to competition in the D.C. area’s wireless-phone market Friday afternoon by announcing thatall four nationwide wireless carriers would offer service in its subway stations and tunnels.

The  Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s press release led off with words that many Metro riders have been waiting for years to read: “Metro riders will be able to call home from any cell phone.”

Today, the only signal to reach Metro’s underground stretches comes from Verizon Wireless; Sprint users can roam on that signal, but AT&T Wireless and T-Mobile subscribers are out of luck. It’s an awkward little detail that I’ve had make part of my standard guidance to people shopping for wireless-phone service.

That Friday-afternoon release went on to explain that Metro’s board approved an agreement with AT&T Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon to “build a new wireless infrastructure in the underground rail system during the next four years.” The first results will appear pretty soon:

Click here to read the entire article.