Director, Traffic (City Traffic Engineer)

POSITION TITLE: Director, Traffic (City Traffic Engineer) (Full-Time Regular) (Unclassified Management)

REQUISITION #: req8250

DEPARTMENT: Traffic

LOCATION: TRAFFIC OPERATIONS FAC

BENEFIT CATEGORY: Unclassified Management View Classifications & Benefits

EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Full-Time Regular

ANNUAL SALARY RANGE: $119,573.00 - 199,290.00 (Salaries are paid biweekly)

ANNUAL ANTICIPATED HIRING RANGE: $150,000.00 - 165,000.00 (Salaries are paid biweekly)

SELECTION PROCESS: Application deadline is 3:00 p.m. MT on 1/9/2026.

The City of Fort Collins is a bias-conscious employer. We ask that you please avoid the use of photos when submitting a resume and/or an application for employment. You will receive an email acknowledgment when you have successfully submitted an application. Your completed application will be forwarded to the hiring manager. You will be notified if you are selected for further testing or interviews. Please keep your contact information up-to-date. The status of your application will be updated in your applicant profile. Post-offer background check required. (Background checks are considered in relation to the responsibilities and requirements of the position)

While the City of Fort Collins offers many remote and/or hybrid positions, all remote or hybrid work must be performed in the state of Colorado.

Why Work For the City of Fort Collins?

• Medical, dental, vision (for self, spouse, children) – eligible on the 1st of the month following date of hire
• Paid vacation, paid holidays, sick leave, and additional one-time bank of 40 PTO hours for new, full-time, Classified and Unclassified Management hires
• Retirement company contributions – after 6 month probation period and immediate vesting
• Flexible spending: Medical expenses FSA, dependent FSA or both
• Employee Assistance Program: counseling, legal, financial assistance
• Life insurance, short-term and long-term disability
• Wellness program, workout facilities
• Employee/family onsite health clinic
• Learning and development opportunities at all levels in the organization with opportunities for career mobility
• Collaborative work environment
  
  

To learn more about The City of Fort Collins and Our Community, please read Our Community and Our Organization Brochure

Job Summary

The Director of Traffic serves as the designated City Traffic Engineer, providing leadership and strategic direction for traffic engineering through planning, design, and operation of the City of Fort Collins multimodal transportation network. This position ensures compliance with MUTCD standards and all applicable federal, state, and local traffic laws and regulations from design, installation, and maintenance. The Director of Traffic guides policy integration with initiatives such as Vision Zero, the Active Modes Plan, and the Climate Action Plan, ensuring that operational decisions align with long-term mobility, safety, and sustainability goals. Serving as the City’s technical authority in traffic engineering, this role balances regulatory compliance, data-driven analysis, and community priorities to deliver a safe and efficient transportation system.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

The following duties and responsibilities are illustrative of the primary functions of this position and are not intended to be all inclusive.

• Leads policy initiatives and strategic efforts, including Active Modes Plan, Vision Zero, and Our Climate future, to align transportation engineering practices with safety, mobility and sustainability goals.
• Develops and coordinates work activities of the Traffic Operations division with other City departments or divisions as needed in order to sustain or enhance service levels to the public.
• Develops short-term and long-range plans and the departments annual budget based on the goals and growth objectives of the department.
• Provides a safe and efficient transportation system through effective signals, signage and pavement markings.
• Oversees operation and development of City’s Traffic Management Center.
• Manages all aspects of development review, signal timing, Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation, and work area traffic control.
• Oversees and directs the work of signal construction and maintenance operations; including on-site project work in collaboration with signals team.
• Performs development review, evaluates traffic impact studies and their effects on the existing transportation system, and addresses related issues at Planning and Zoning Board meetings.
• Leads day-to-day operations for the Signals and the Signs & Pavement Markings teams, ensuring coordinated work planning, prioritization of service delivery, and alignment with operational, safety, and regulatory priorities.
• Oversees traffic calming efforts where applicable and effective.
• Assists and participates in transportation planning which involves streets planning.
• Listens and responds to citizen concerns and requests.
• Reviews plans to ensure appropriate traffic engineering solutions are in place to mitigate development impacts.
• Testifies as an expert witness in court cases on behalf of the City.
  
  

Management Responsibilities

Yes

City Competencies

• Demonstrated cultural competence to effectively interact, work, and develop meaningful relationships with people of diverse identities, perspectives, and cultural backgrounds.
• Strong learning orientation. Leverages all resources and is creative in ways of learning for self to continue adapting to changing issues and trends.
• A desire and ability to understand the diverse needs of internal and external customers, and to create experiences and deliver services that exceed their expectations.
• A desire and ability to utilize digital tools for organizational information, individual, and teamwork.
• Experience building teams and implementing practices to lead others well in an inclusive, high-performance organization. Skill in integrating and synthesizing others’ viewpoints to build alignment of diverse perspectives to achieve results.
• Capable of creating conditions of emotional safety and demonstrates self-awareness and regulation in responding to others.
• Capable of systems thinking to see interdependent relationships and recognize multiple causes and effects of community issues, to predict or anticipate the consequences of policy decisions, and to community and organizational resources.
• Strong ability to assess alternatives in terms of their financial, revenue, social, environmental, and strategic advantages and disadvantages and propose solutions.
  
  

Required Knowledge Skills And Abilities

• Extended in-depth knowledge of federal, municipal, county and state engineering and public works standards, practices, and materials.
• Comprehensive understanding of multimodal transportation principles, and ability to integrate these modes safely and efficiently in the layered transportation network.
• Experience with capital project construction management.
• Advanced knowledge of traffic engineering practices and procedures, including design and construction, and ability to apply full scope of theory, principles, concepts, and methodologies.
• Ability to effectively manage and coordinate the work of diverse technical and field teams, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Responsible for setting strategic direction of the work groups and larger organization.
• Serve as resource to Executive Leadership and other Directors, providing guidance and troubleshooting complex traffic operations related issues.
• Ability to provide clear and effective verbal, written, and graphic communication addressing wide audiences on complicated traffic issues.
• Ability to recognize and implement best practices; focusing on developing and/or improving processes.
• Advanced knowledge of federal, state, and local traffic codes and standards, and other regulatory guidelines.
• Ability to provide clear and effective verbal, written, and graphic communication addressing wide audiences on difficult traffic issues.
• Knowledge and ability to use traffic engineering software and systems such as Synchro and Centracs Systems.
• Ability to effectively manage/resolve conflicts.
  
  

Required Qualifications

Minimum Preferred

College degree or equivalent work experience. Some positions may require functionally related certification or advanced degrees Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or directly related field from accredited college or university.

Experience Requirements

• Ten years of related education and experience in Traffic Engineering as well as management experience.
  
  

At the City, we are focused on finding the strongest candidate for the role, and we recognize that excellence can come from a wide variety of experiences and paths. When reviewing applications, we consider an equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education, and lived experiences that align with the minimum qualifications. If you are interested in this opportunity, we encourage you to view your background broadly and highlight the skills and experiences that best prepare you for the role.

Certifications/Licenses/Specialized Training

• Licensed Professional Engineer, Professional Traffic Operations Engineer (PTOE) is considered a preferred qualification.
  
  

The content in this posting was created for recruitment purposes. To view the full job description click the link below.

Director, Traffic

The City of Fort Collins will make reasonable accommodations for access to City services, programs and activities and will make special communication arrangements for persons with disabilities. Please call (970) 221-6535 for assistance.

Notice Regarding Medical And/or Recreational Marijuana Use

Because the possession and use of marijuana, whether for medical use or otherwise, constitutes a federal offense and because the City is a drug free workplace, the City will not accommodate the medical use of marijuana and enforces written policy prohibiting working for the City while marijuana is in the body. The fact that state law recognizes medical marijuana as a prescribed, or otherwise permitted, medication does not alter or otherwise change this policy.

The City is committed to equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. Employment decisions will comply with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination in employment. The City does not tolerate behavior that results in the terms and conditions of employment being adversely impacted based on an employee’s protected status, or any behavior that violates this policy.

Consistent with the City’s respect for the rights and dignity of each employee, the City is committed to providing a work environment that is free from unlawful discrimination and harassment. The City prohibits discrimination or harassment based on protected characteristics, including race, color, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation (including perceived sexual orientation), gender, gender identity, gender expression, disability, age 40 years or older, pregnancy or related condition, military, veteran status or uniformed service member status, genetic information, marital status or any other status protected under federal, state or local law.

The City is committed to providing a healthy and safe work environment. In addition to the City’s commitment to equal opportunity employment, the City strictly prohibits discrimination or retaliation against an employee who raises any reasonable concern about workplace violations of government health or safety rules or a significant threat to the health or safety of City employees or the public, if the City controls the workplace conditions giving rise to the threat or violation.

BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIRED. (Background checks are considered in relation to the responsibilities and requirements of the position)

Note: Some information in your application may be public information under the Colorado Open Records Act.