Senior Transportation Planner

The City of San Mateo Public Works Department is seeking a Senior Transportation Planner

The Department

The Public Works Department is organized into several divisions, including Administration, Business Services, Wastewater Treatment, Clean Water Program, Fleet and Facilities, Data Management, Field Maintenance, Regulatory Compliance, Capital Improvements, Development Services, and Transportation. The Department operates under a Director and two Deputy Directors to support strong coordination and performance. The Department is responsible for the City’s major capital projects and infrastructure including streets, streetlights, traffic signals, parking lots and garages, sewer and storm conveyance systems, a wastewater treatment plant, pump stations, a lagoon, dams, and levees.

The Department plays a central role in advancing a safe, connected, and efficient transportation network for all users. San Mateo is a regional leader in transportation, with a strong track record of securing grant funding for major corridor improvements, including along 19th Avenue/Fashion Island Boulevard and Peninsula Avenue.

The Department is committed to high performance and continuous improvement, using data-driven decision-making, best practices, and collaborative, team-oriented approaches. Managers and supervisors are accountable for developing strong teams, supporting employee growth, and delivering on the Department’s goals and work plans.

The Position

The Senior Transportation Planner under general direction, organizes, reviews, and participates in transportation planning work; supervises the work of professional and technical transportation planning personnel, projects, and other activities; and performs other related work as required

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Supervises professional and technical staff, including prioritizing and assigning work, conducting performance evaluations, training staff, and supporting hiring decisions in consultation with the Engineering Manager, Deputy Director, and Department Head.
• Represents the City and department in communications and interactions, including coordination, briefings, and presentations, with other City departments, City Commissions and City Council, government agencies, local industries, businesses, community groups, and other stakeholders interested in regional and local transportation, transit, traffic, and parking issues.
• Plans, coordinates, formulates, and implements, in coordination with other City departments, goals, objectives, policies and priorities; and makes recommendations for changes to codes, plans and policies, as it relates to transportation planning and parking management.
• Directs, coordinates, reviews, and participates in the work of professional, technical, and clerical staff, as well as consultants, in data collection, analysis, plan and policy formulation, and implementation of a wide variety of projects.
• Participates in and provides technical expertise in transportation demand management and traffic forecasting including the formulation of a City-wide traffic model and the maintenance and update thereof.
• Manages administration of the City’s parking permit programs, oversees the collection, control, and reconciliation of parking revenues, assists in the preparation and administration of the parking program operating budget, monitors expenses, and allocates resources to support parking program operations and objectives.
• Assists, contributes and manages the planning, design, and construction of capital projects including preparation of purchase requisitions, requests for proposals, development of the scope of work, professional service agreements and coordination with other City departments as appropriate.
• Reviews planning applications and building permits in relation to transportation and parking related issues, including review of traffic impact analyses, vehicle miles traveled (VMT) analyses, and other related transportation studies.
• Attend in-person meetings, site visits, and stakeholder engagements, respond promptly to urgent requests requiring physical presence at various locations, transport necessary materials, documents, and equipment.
• Supports the review, update, maintenance of transportation-related impact fees.
• Supports the drafting of submittals for grant funding from various local, state, and federal funding sources.

Knowledge and Abilities

• An individual who possess thorough knowledge of transportation, urban planning, and parking principles, practices, standards, trends, regulations, metrics, and applicable local, state, and federal laws, codes, and ordinances,; research methods and techniques including statistics and statistical analysis; techniques used in planning, drafting, and mapping; principles and practices of project administration, budgeting, funding, and financing; Federal, State, and local laws relating to planning and transportation; and principles and practices of effective supervision.
• An individual who possesses the ability to design and review complex and varied transportation projects, plans, and policies, and provide meaningful input and recommendations; organize and prioritize multiple varied and competing projects and tasks in an effective and timely manner, set priorities, and meet critical deadlines; work independently and exercise good judgment; communicate clearly and effectively, read and understand technical drawings and specifications and perform mathematical computations with precision; analyze, compile, and evaluate data, drawing valid conclusions and making appropriate recommendations; prepare written reports and make presentations; understand relationships between the budget and resources and manage projects within available resources; utilize computer applications relating to transportation planning; and work extended or irregular hours.

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of experience and education that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

• At least two years of professional planning experience comparable to that of an Associate Transportation Planner, Associate Planner or Associate Engineer equivalent experience
• Equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in civil engineering, transportation engineering, transportation planning, planning or a closely related field. Master’s degree in a closely related field is preferred.

Bonus Points (highly desirable)

• Certification by the American Institute of Certified Planners
• Master’s degree in a closely related field
• Background in transportation or traffic engineering

ADA Special Requirement:

Essential duties require the following physical abilities and work environment: Ability to work in a standard office environment with some exposure to the outdoors.

What We Offer

• Salary: $11,602 – $13,840 /month
• Comprehensive benefits package including generous paid leave and health benefits
• CalPERS retirement (2% @ 55 for classic members; 2% @ 62 for new members). Classic employees contribute 8.34% to CalPERS and New members contribute 7.50% to CalPERS
• Participation in the Social Security Program
• City contribution of 1.5% of base salary to a 457 Deferred Compensation Plan, and a 1.0% match to the Employee’s voluntary contribution.
• The City contributes 0.25% of base salary to a Retiree Health Savings Account
• Free Fitness classes through City of San Mateo Parks and Recreation
• Bilingual Differential $90 bi-weekly (if applicable)
• For more information please refer to the Management Association Benefits Summary effective January 2022.
• This classification is represented by the San Mateo Management Association

Are You Ready? Apply.

Submit an online application, résumé (required), and supplemental questionnaire at https://www.calopps.org/city-of-san-mateo. All applicants must submit a completed official City of San Mateo employment application, supplemental questionnaire, and attach a résumé. You may also mail a complete application package to the Human Resources Department, City of San Mateo, 330 W. 20th Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94403, (650) 522-7260.

Application Deadline

Recruitment will close by Sunday, April 26, at 11:59 p.m. OR upon receipt of the first 50 applications, résumés, and supplemental questionnaires, whichever occurs first.

Examination Process

All applications, résumés (required) and responses to supplemental questions received will be reviewed for minimum qualifications. Although a résumé is required, a fully completed application is required; a résumé does not replace the information required on the employment application, including work history. Applications with "see résumé" as a substitution for the work experience description, those with none or unclear current/past employment information, or those with insufficient information to evaluate possession of minimum qualifications will not be considered; missing information cannot be assumed. A limited number of the most highly qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the examination process, which may consist of an oral panel interview, written exercise, training and experience application review, or in the form of a practical demonstration of skill and ability, or any combination of these; a Zoom oral panel interview is tentatively scheduled for May 12, 2026 or May 13, 2026.

An employment list will be established from those who pass the examination process. Current and future vacancies may be filled from this list. The list will remain in effect for at least six months with the possibility of an extension for an additional six months. Once placed on an employment list, and at the time a vacancy occurs, eligible candidates may be contacted by the hiring department and scheduled for additional department interviews.

Date Posted – April 6, 2026