Senior Travel Demand Modeler / Planner

Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council Of Governments - Charleston, SC

Full-time - Mid Level

Charleston, SC

About the position

The Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments (BCDCOG) is dedicated to assisting local governments in developing comprehensive local and regional plans within a three-county region in South Carolina, which has a growing population exceeding 825,000. The BCDCOG also serves as the staffing agency for the Charleston Area Transportation Study (CHATS) Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and acts as the regional Economic Development District (EDD). The organization provides direct support to local jurisdictions in various areas, including comprehensive land use and development planning, community and economic development project development, and infrastructure project implementation. Additionally, BCDCOG coordinates planning and implementation of multi-jurisdictional land use and transportation planning initiatives. We are currently seeking a highly motivated and team-oriented travel demand modeler/planner to manage and advance the development of the region's travel demand model. This role is crucial in supporting the region's initiatives aimed at enhancing its multi-modal transportation system. The ideal candidate will possess experience in travel demand modeling and a passion for innovative planning, coupled with a strong work ethic and motivation to positively impact the region's transportation system and overall quality of life. The responsibilities of this position encompass planning, project management, and technical analysis to initiate and perform ongoing model development activities, including calibration, validation, and application of the model. The successful candidate will also maintain regional demographic and other data necessary for routine aggregate-level modeling. Participation in various Planning Department initiatives, including general transportation, comprehensive land use, and environmental planning tasks, is also expected. A key responsibility will be implementing and monitoring the MPO's congestion management process (CMP) and ensuring the region meets its targets for the performance of multi-modal transportation network improvements.

Responsibilities

• Manage and advance the development of the region's travel demand model.
• Perform ongoing model development activities including calibration, validation, and application of the model.
• Maintain regional demographic and other data required for routine aggregate-level modeling.
• Participate in general transportation, comprehensive land use, and environmental planning tasks.
• Implement and monitor the MPO's congestion management process (CMP).
• Monitor the region's success in achieving targets for performance of multi-modal transportation network improvements.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in transportation modeling, engineering, mathematics, statistics, transportation planning, or a closely related field.
• At least five years of progressively responsible travel demand modeling experience, preferably using TransCAD.
• Proficiency in data research and technical analysis.
• Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of travel demand modeling.
• Working knowledge of TransCAD and GIS applications such as CommunityViz.
• Ability to analyze complex issues and communicate results in concise reports and presentations.

Nice-to-haves

• Master's degree in a related field may substitute for two years of experience.
• Experience with a variety of model applications supporting metropolitan planning, statewide planning, transit ridership estimation, and corridor analysis.
• Familiarity with federal and state funding processes.
• Knowledge of regional planning principles in transportation, land use, and the natural environment.

Benefits

• Group health plan
• Retirement benefits
• Paid vacation and sick days
• Paid holidays
• Optional 401(k)
• Supplemental insurance benefits available