The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is seeking a strategic and experienced Director of Transit Planning to lead the planning functions that shape Charlotte’s transit network and its future growth. This is a senior leadership opportunity to influence long-range investments, service delivery strategies, and policies that support mobility, equity, and service excellence across the region.  This position will lead the implementation of the Better Bus initiative, which will transform bus service across Mecklenburg County by significantly expanding service frequency and reliability, improving accessibility and amenities, and implementing micro-transit.

About the Role:
Reporting under executive direction, the Director of Transit Planning provides leadership across long-range planning, service planning and scheduling, service change coordination, GIS, and data analytics. This role plays a critical part in shaping policies and frameworks that guide system performance and future investments while responding to emerging mobility needs, regulatory requirements, and community expectations.

The Director also serves as a key representative of CATS—collaborating with local jurisdictions, regional planning organizations, state and federal partners, and governing boards—to ensure alignment and shared vision for transit in the Charlotte region.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Direction

• Establish and continually refine CATS' planning vision, priorities, and policies supporting long-term mobility strategy, near-term service delivery, and ongoing system performance.
• Align planning functions with organizational strategic plans, funding strategies, capital delivery programs, and operational capacity.
• Foster innovation and forward-looking approaches to system planning, technology adoption, and multimodal network design.

Program Oversight and Coordination

• Provide leadership and direction to Assistant Directors, managers, supervisors, and planning staff across long-range planning, service planning, scheduling, and service change implementation.
• Ensure coordination across functional planning units and alignment with Operations, Capital Development, Customer Experience, and Finance departments.
• Oversee planning-related compliance, including Title VI, accessibility requirements, service equity practices, and federal planning regulations.

Governance, Policy, and Budget Administration

• Develop and manage the planning division’s operating budget, staffing strategy, resource allocation, and capital program support requirements.
• Oversee consultant contract management, procurement processes, and resource planning necessary to support major studies and capital planning initiatives.
• Develop or contribute to agency policy documents, system plans, standards, and operating guidelines.

Regional Collaboration and Representation

• Serve as a senior representative to regional planning agencies, councils of government, MPOs, peer agencies, and external partners.
• Support federal and regional funding applications, project development submissions, and long-range investment documentation.

Stakeholder Engagement and Communication

• Present planning strategies, recommendations, and updates to executive leadership, governing boards, elected officials, and community stakeholders.
• Ensure planning efforts reflect transparent communication, comprehensive and high-quality public engagement, and commitment to equity and customer experience.

Organizational Leadership and Workforce Development

• Build and sustain a planning culture centered on continuous improvement, operational excellence, and data-driven decision-making.
• Support professional development, succession planning, training, and cross-functional learning opportunities across the planning division.
• Champion employee engagement, accountability, and collaborative work processes.

Other Responsibilities

• Stay current with evolving transit industry practices, regulatory changes, and technology trends influencing planning.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.
• As part of your responsibility to support the CATS Safety Culture, report safety concerns and issues through the various methods established by CATS as outlined in the ASP. 

Qualifications

Minimum:

• Bachelor’s degree in urban planning, geography, transportation planning, public administration, engineering, or related field.

• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in transportation, urban planning, transit service planning, or related fields.

• At least three (3) years of experience managing staff, programs, or cross-functional planning initiatives.

•  Demonstrated experience leading planning activities within a public sector, transit agency, metropolitan planning organization (MPO), or comparable organizational environment.

Preferred:

• Master’s degree in transportation planning, public policy, engineering, or related field.

• Ten (10) or more years of experience leading planning or operational functions in a mid- to large-sized multimodal transit system.

• Experience overseeing scheduling, service planning, long-range planning, or regional mobility strategies.

• AICP, PTP, PE, or equivalent relevant credential.