Planner, Transportation Services

Edmonton Catholic Schools is a large urban school division whose mission is to provide a Catholic education that inspires students to learn and that prepares them to live fully and to serve God in one another. The Division is comprised of over 44,000 students and 5,000 employees in 95 schools plus other sites.

**Planner, Transportation Services**:
**Requisition ID**: 8919

**Hours Per Week**: 35

**Position**: New

**FTE**: 1

**Department**: Transportation Services

**No Months Per Year**: 12

**Position Status**: Permanent

**Employee Group**: OOS

**Rate of Pay**: $63,840 - $79,814

**Posting Closing Date**: 9/13/24

The Planner, Transportation Services provides advice and expertise to the Division in route planning, route assessments, safety standards, routing procedures and accommodation strategies. The job conducts efficiency reviews, planning scenarios, analyses, and maintains data to support the Division’s strategic planning initiatives. The incumbent is the primary contact for the routing software provider.

The job plans, designs and implements school bus routes and provides leadership to three Routing Specialists involved in all aspects of routing. The job supports Division programming and works closely with the Senior Planner and Manager, Transportation Services on a day-to-day basis.

**JOB RESPONSIBILITIES**

Student transportation planning
- Plan, design, and implement efficient and safe school bus routes
- Identify and implement routes specifically for special needs and kindergarten students
- Communicate route changes to partners
- Prioritize, investigate, respond to, resolve, document and track stakeholder concerns
- Conduct Edmonton Transit System (ETS) route analysis to understand ride metrics for riders
- Ensure provincially mandated route assessments are complete for each route

Leadership
- Lead Routing Specialists in day-to-day activities
- Guide, train, mentor and coach specialists
- Provide technical support for staff on the transportation software program
- Assist specialists in identifying and resolving problems

Routing efficiencies
- Proactively review routes to ensure they are running as planned using available technologies
- Ensure routes and runs are designed efficiently
- Ensure routes are designed to minimize student ride times
- Ensure school pairings operate while adhering to school instructional hours
- Support the Transportation Services team through understanding of the department’s work

Data analysis
- Assist in verifying transportation data accuracy and integrity to meet Alberta Education’s funding requirements
- Analyze and update data using available technologies and information to conduct audits and produce reports autonomously and upon request
- Request, gather, analyze and summarize information to plan for upcoming school years effectively

Software utilization
- Act as primary department contact for the routing software to resolve problems
- Ensure Division staff are adequately trained in the use and maintenance of data to provide complete and accurate bus schedules, locations and running times.
- Develop and maintain the routing software manual for department staff
- Participate in student transportation training for all modes of transportation

City knowledge
- Conduct weekly school site inspection
- Conduct quarterly audits on contracted carriers
- Review school signage and suggest a safe loading/unloading zone for students
- Conduct visits to schools, bus stops, new communities, meetings, and service providers as assigned
- Analyze changes directly and indirectly connected to transportation to understand the impact on transportation and update databases

Department activities
- Participate in strategic planning
- Participate in projects, special events and celebrations
- Assist staff during peak periods and provide cover-off during absences

Professional development
- Participate in the department’s short and long-term strategic planning activities
- Maintain technical knowledge through ongoing training in routing software to ensure competency
- Perform other related responsibilities

**JOB QUALIFICATIONS**

**_ Diploma in an area related to computer technology or planning, plus three years of related experience_**
- Working knowledge of Bus Planner software is an asset
- Working knowledge of ArcGIS, or other transportation mapping software and the City of Edmonton’s addressing system software
- Street-level knowledge of the city
- Knowledge of navigation techniques to work with multiple technology sources simultaneously, including BusPlanner, Google Maps, Microsoft Office Suite
- Knowledge of planning concepts and processes and of the public transportation network
- Knowledge of research techniques and statistical analysis software, and database programs
- Knowledge of electronic student records information systems
- Knowledge of project management techniques
- Knowledge of workplace safety and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations
- Unde