Director of Data & Analysis
The Director of Data and Analysis will lead SACOG’s work to advance the agency’s data and analytical functions to meet the region’s economic, equity, and environmental goals. The director is responsible for overseeing the collection, analysis, visualization, and dissemination of regional data and tools that inform planning, policy, and investment decisions. The director leads a multidisciplinary team of 11 analysts and data scientists, and works collaboratively across departments and with local, state, and federal partners. The director will continually engage in external communities of practice to understand rapidly changing policy and technological landscapes of metropolitan planning, modeling, data and analysis, to identify trends and issues that could influence or be utilized to improve the work program or strategic direction of the team. The director will provide vision and leadership for the data and analysis functions of the agency. This means helping to fulfill SACOG’s mission and bridge SACOG’s work to local plans and projects in the near-term, while at the same time looking ahead to how the data and analysis functions will need to evolve with changes in data sources, technology, policy, and the built environment of a growing region.
The director reports directly to the Deputy Executive Director of Programs and is part of a multidisciplinary management team. We are a collaborative planning organization, so the director will work with staff on projects across multiple teams across the organization. The director will supervise two Principal Analysts that lead the day-to-day work of the two groups within the team.
The director will delegate and oversee work; coach and develop staff within the data and analysis team; help implement SACOG’s vision; represent SACOG within and outside of the region; contribute to agency policy and growth discussions with peers from the agency management team, and coordinate resources with peers across management groups; empower staff to fulfill the agency’s mission; and explore opportunities to expand our service to the region.
The ideal candidate will be an innovative and strategic leader with strong management skills and a demonstrated ability to contemplate problems that are complex and have multiple considerations, including political, financial, regulatory, and technical. The ideal candidate will evaluate options, act, and adjust to changing conditions and opportunities when applicable. The ideal candidate will have a background in transportation planning, modeling, or analysis, and proven experience to motivate, coach, and grow current and future professionals and leaders.
Attributes of a successful candidate include:
A proactive and collaborative management style with team members, leaders, and stakeholders
Ability to articulate complex concepts in a clear and straightforward manner
Strategic thinker and innovative problem solver who can balance deadlines, quality of deliverables, and staff capacity
A forward-looking team player who can assess and align their team’s efforts with agency priorities
Proven ability to build relationships and partnerships based on trust
Ability to recognize and pursue opportunities, and establish our region, its cities, counties and organizations, as leaders
Candid communication style and an effective listener
Education and Experience
Required
Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical—but not the only—way to obtain the required qualifications would be:
the equivalent to graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in civil engineering, transportation planning, urban planning, regional planning, public policy, public administration, land use planning, GIS, geography, data science, mathematics, computer science, or a related field; and
a minimum of five years of broad and progressively responsible program management experience in transportation modeling, planning, analysis, or a related field;
at least five years of supervisory experience; and
at least two years of management-level experience.
Desired
Five (5) years of management experience
Experience in transportation modeling, planning, or analysis