Planning Senior Manager

The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) is a political subdivision established by Chapter 1230 of the 2020 Acts of Assembly. VPRA is responsible for promoting, sustaining, and expanding the availability of passenger and commuter rail services in the Commonwealth, including all administrative and fiduciary responsibilities for Virginia's state-supported passenger rail services. The VPRA also funds Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and administers all capital expansion projects, infrastructure, and land acquisitions related to the $3.7 billion Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative, which will double Amtrak and VRE service in Virginia over the next decade. The VPRA acts as a "responsible public entity" for acquiring, constructing, improving, maintaining, or operating a "qualifying transportation facility" under the Public­ Private Partnership Act of 1995.

Are you ready to take part in the next chapter of passenger rail expansion in Virginia? If so, VPRA is the place for you!  VPRA is searching for a Planning Senior Manager responsible for managing rail transportation and environmental planning duties, including environmental studies, and long-range planning for passenger rail expansion and enhancement initiatives throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. This is an exciting opportunity for a mid-level transportation professional who wants to significantly contribute to expanding passenger rail transportation in Virginia. Working under the direction of the Director of Planning, this position manages various rail planning projects and provides critical support to VPRA's project delivery teams. This full-time position is based in VPRA's office in Richmond, Virginia.

As a member of the Operations Planning team, the Planning Senior Manager will :

• Serve as project manager, deputy, or task lead for VPRA planning projects.
• Lead environmental documentation (NEPA or state EIR), wetlands, natural resources, cultural and other ecological studies for rail projects, and other required NEPA and environmental permitting actions.
• Lead staff and teams to prepare, coordinate, and facilitate public involvement and consensus-building meetings, answer general questions, and represent VPRA by participating in meetings with federal, state, local, and regional agencies.
• Lead staff and teams to prepare drafts of technical memos, meeting minutes, formal reports, transmittals, presentations, and other written materials summarizing findings and conclusions.
• Coordinate with resource / regulatory agencies, contractors, and technical staff confidently and professionally.
• Coordinate with project managers, technical team leads, consultants, and other disciplines such as planning, engineering, environmental, and operations team members.
• Manage project environmental and planning tasks during project development phases.
• Manage stakeholder agreements, permits, and the right-of-way process during project development.
• Partner with the engineering team and consultants to support planning analysis activities related to design for large rail projects implemented by VPRA, rail partners, and adjacent projects.
• Lead teams to develop and execute public outreach and project-related communications in collaboration with VPRA colleagues and consultants for assigned projects.
• Manage data collection and analysis activities and develop reports and presentations as needed.
• Coordinate with diverse constituencies on matters related to rail transportation planning, including various government officials, agency partners, project partners, other stakeholders, and the public.
• Manage VPRA's compliance with legal agreements with project partners, including CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Amtrak, for project planning, environmental studies, and project development activities.

Required Education :

Preferred Education :

Required Experience :

Preferred Experience :

Are you interested in this position, but you don't meet every single requirement? At VPRA, we are dedicated to building a talented team and an inclusive, authentic workplace. So, if you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be the right candidate for this or other positions.

Applicants must fully and accurately represent their qualifications and work history on the application or resume. The decision to interview an applicant is based on the information in the application, resume, or other relevant documents; therefore, applicants must supply detailed information. Submitting an incomplete application / resume or an application / resume lacking in detail may impact your interview eligibility. This website will confirm receipt when the application is submitted successfully. Reasonable accommodations are available to individuals with disabilities during the application and interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. VETERANS, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, AMERICORPS, PEACE CORPS, AND OTHER NATIONAL SERVICE ALUMNI ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. Equal Opportunity Employer