Job Alert: Transportation Research Analyst – World Resources Institute/EMBARQ @ Washington, DC

February 4, 2015 at 12:48 pm

EMBARQ seeks a full-time  to provide research, data analysis and other support to its Integrated Transport team which conducts global research on sustainable transport and urban development, and supports Cities Network projects in Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, India, and China. The research assistant will support several projects related to sustainable mobility. The projects will require working with transit planning and operations; economic, social and environmental impact analysis of transport projects; and sustainable transport best practices, policies, institutions, and finance.

The position is located in WRI’s Washington, D.C. office. It offers the opportunity to connect with sustainable mobility and urban development experts, and key stakeholders around the world. Salary will be commensurate with experience. Competitive WRI benefits package.

Responsibilities

Research & Analysis

  • Conduct desktop research, literature reviews and synthesize findings;
  • Assist with transport data collection, verification, visualization, and analysis, both qualitative and quantitative;
  • Research, document, evaluate, and analyze emerging trends, best practices, and policies in urban mobility and city planning.
  • Support the maintenance of shared databases;

Writing & Editing

  • Contribute written and graphic content to publications, reports, papers, and presentations
  • Support internal reviews of EMBARQ publications
  • Prepare project-related content for publication on EMBARQ.org and EMBARQ’s blog The City Fix.

Program Support

  • Interact with WRI/EMBARQ Network members (China, India, Turkey, Brazil and México) as well as partner institutions for data exchange, information requests and project coordination
  • Support contract and proposal development, reporting, and tracking
  • Support conferences/events planning
Qualifications
  • Masters degree in transport planning/engineering, or urban/regional planning with a focus on transportation
  • Previous coursework, work experience, internships or papers in urban transportation planning are desirable
  • Strong quantitative, analytical, and research skills
  • Enthusiasm to work on sustainability issues and in developing countries.
  • Detail-oriented and organized thinker.
  • Ability to work well in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams, juggle multiple priorities and work under tight deadlines
  • Enjoys working in a fast-paced, results oriented non-profit environment
  • Experience with quantitative analysis of data with software such as Excel, STATA, and ability to learn new software and computer systems quickly
  • Competence to undertake high-profile research assignments with minimal supervision
  • Excellent written and spoken English.
  • Knowledge of Mandarin, Spanish, Portuguese, and/or Turkish, is desirable
  • Some experience using ArcGIS or similar mapping software, or familiarity with at least one transport modelling software such as VISUM or TransCAD would be a plus.

Final candidates will be required to take a writing test.

Duration: Regular full-time

Salary:  Salary is commensurate with experience and skills. WRI offers a generous, comprehensive benefits package.

Location: Washington, DC

Qualified applicants should apply online at www.wri.org/careers. All applications must be submitted online through this career portal in order to be formally considered. 

The World Resources Institute (http://www.wri.org/wri) is an environmental and development research and policy organization that creates solutions to protect the Earth and improve people’s lives. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, it is WRI’s policy to recruit, hire, and provide opportunities for advancement in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, parental status, protected veteran status, or disability. WRI’s global agenda requires a staff that is diverse – with respect to race, gender, cultural, and international background. Diverse perspectives and experience enhance the way WRI selects and approaches issues, as well as the creativity and applicability of WRI’s policy research and analysis. WRI, therefore, encourages applications from U.S. minorities, persons from other countries (especially developing nations), and from women of all backgrounds.

About WRI

Established in 1982, WRI is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization respected globally by policymakers, non-governmental organizations, and corporate leaders.

WRI’s reputation is grounded in its excellent analysis, non-partisan approach, and high-impact results. We measure our success based on how our work helps to create real-world change on the ground—and approach we call “Managing for Results.”

WRI’s work is united by and driven by our values: Innovation, Integrity, Urgency, Independence, and Respect.

WRI fosters a culture of innovative ideas, working collaboratively, and thinking independently. WRI employees are driven by the organization’s mission and have the satisfaction of helping to create a more prosperous and healthy planet.

Learn more about our organization at www.wri.org.

Training Opportunity: Open for applications – Building Leaders in Urban Transport Planning course

December 1, 2014 at 6:19 pm

Via City Fix Blog

The World Bank and EMBARQ Mexico – in collaboration with TransMilenio S.A. – will host the third annual “Building Leaders in Urban Transport Planning” course, which provides tools for systematic integrated mobility planning, corridor management, public transport planning evaluation alternatives, governance, finance, and public-private partnerships – all of which are key issues facing Latin American cities and cities worldwide. The course will use a hands-on learning approach, making extensive use of case studies, group exercises, and site visits – all aimed at highlighting linkages between the various components of the urban transport system. The deadline to apply to the course is January 9, 2015.

The event is part of the World Bank’s “Leadership in Urban Transport Planning” (LUTP) capacity building series, which develops leadership, awareness, and implementation strategies for urban integrated mobility planning. It is designed specifically for senior level decision makers at the national, provincial or city level – those who have a responsibility for urban transport at the policy making level, rather than a purely technical level. Academics, consultants, and other members of civil society are also encouraged to apply.

The Building Leaders in Urban Transport Planning course will consist of two parts. The period from January 19 to February 21, 2015, will be devoted to self-study, covering topics in land use and transport planning, and incorporating the environmental and social issues of urban transport planning. Participants will then partake in a seven-day hands-on workshop from February 22 to February 28 in Bogotá, Colombia – a city with a track record of leadership in sustainable urban transportand development. Following the workshop, participants will also have the option to partake in a six-month mentoring program to provide advice and guidance as participants work on city-level projects.

In addition to other special guests, #LUTPColombia 2015 will have the following distinguished faculty:

Learn more about the event and apply here.

The event will be conducted in Spanish, and is organized with support from the Public Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF) and the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP). Follow updates on the proceedings on social media from @EMBARQMX and#LUTPColombia

Lee Schipper Memorial Scholarship – Application deadline December 19, 2012

December 3, 2012 at 7:33 pm

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Interesting observations from DC Digital Capital Week Event – Online Engagement for Sustainable Urban Mobility

June 16, 2010 at 8:46 pm

Yesterday (June 15, 2010), I had the chance to attend “Online Engagement for Sustainable Urban Mobility”, a panel discussion and roundtable organized by EMBARQ, the sustainable transportation arm of the World Resources Institute, at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. Part of a week-long citywide festival focused on technology and innovation, the event brought together citizen activists and representatives from government agencies and non-profits to discuss open data, online citizen engagement and collaboration – while looking at the nation’s capital as a case study.  The agenda, as seen on the invitation

How urban transportation can be made more sustainable through:

  • Open Data
  • Blogging and Citizen Journalism
  • Government Transparency and Civic Engagement
  • Citizen Collaboration

This was a great forum to share/listen best practices, lessons learned, failure stories and ideas of how to put theory into practice, as it relates to the following over-arching questions: What online tools exist in the D.C. area to make transportation more efficient, user-friendly and sustainable? What are some examples of Web-based innovation and collaboration in the D.C. transport sector? How can government, technology and civil society work together to improve the way we move around – by foot, by car, by bike, and by transit – in the nation’s capital?

The awesome panel consisted of the following individuals:Online Engagement for Sustainable Urban Mobility (Digital...

ModeratorChristian Madera (Columnist, Next American City)
HostErica Schlaikjer (Online Engagement Coordinator, EMBARQ)

Panelists:

Roundtable Discussion Leaders:

  • Eric Gundersen (Development Seed)
  • Harriet Tregoning (Office of Planning)
  • Nat Bottigheimer (WMATA)
  • Dan Silverman (Prince of Petworth)
  • Zvi Band (FixMyCity DC)
  • Philip Ashlock (OpenPlans)

Here are some  interesting observations worth sharing, courtesy of Moderator Christian Madera and fellow participant Kara Hadge, contributing author of New America Foundation’s Sustaining Democracy in a Digital Age blog,  who sat right next to me and offered great input to our discussion group.  For a detailed recap/summary, I seriously recommend you to check out Christian column on Next American City and Kara’s blog post titled Wired Cities .

  • While the local city government has been at the forefront of releasing its municipal data for the public and developers to utilize, most of the region’s transportation falls under the jurisdiction of WMATA, the regional transit agency.
  • DDOT is involved is now sharing an API for real-time location data for the city’s small fleet of circulator buses, and embarking on the use of QR codes on buses and shelters to assist both passengers and transit managers
  • DC Circulator will shortly be launching an Open Data Challenge for developers, featuring three categories: Public Apps (Web and/or Mobile;), Visualization (currently there is no dashboard to monitor what’s happening on all lines), and an unknown internal app to be used by WMATA/DDOT.
  • DC Capital Bikeshare #CaBi website  http://capital-bikeshare.appspot.com/ is expected to be launched soon
  • DDOT is looking to add (someday) these MIT conceived futurisitic looking, networked, read again – networked, bus stops called Eyestop

In all, it was a great experience meeting and listing to some of the best minds in business about the use of social media tools and emerging opensource efforts in transportation.  Thanks to EMBARQ and the Digital Capital Week community for putting together this event.  I’ll certainly keep you informed of  other resources/products resulting from this event as they become available.