Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

At the Technology Innovation Department (TID), our mission is to apply modern principles of research, design, and technology to make our transit system easy for all riders to use. Effective and equitable public transit is essential to the social, economic, and environmental progress of Greater Boston.

The MBTA Technology Innovation team is working to transform how people get around the Boston area.

We are a team of designers, engineers, product and content specialists charged with bringing novel ideas, modern standards and a user-centered approach to technology at the T. As the MBTA works to reinvent itself, we have a rare opportunity to craft the future of transportation for Boston and communities all around Eastern Massachusetts, as well as pioneer innovations for other transit agencies around the country.

Do you want to improve the daily transportation experience for 4.7 million people in the Boston region? Ready for the challenge? Then read on.

We are looking for a Technical Project Manager to join our industry-leading in-house Bus Tech team and lead a set of vital reinvestments in our bus dispatch systems. In the transit industry these systems are often called CAD/AVL systems, and Vontas Transit Master is the commercial tool at the center of the MBTA’s bus architecture. Working side by side with MBTA and non-MBTA stakeholders, you will lead projects to modernize this technology infrastructure, which is core to our ability to deliver high-quality bus service to riders. You will also work with the Deputy Director of Bus Technology to pilot experiments and implement new technology as we realize our bus dispatch technology strategy. This work means we can continue to reliably provide real-time location data, on-vehicle stop announcements, and other important tools to MBTA riders and operations staff.

In particular, you will lead the following projects in collaboration with the MBTA’s Bus Tech Deputy Director, the Director of Transit Technology, and our Bus Tech team of designers and technical staff:

• Pilot off-the-shelf, on-board tablets across our entire bus fleet, which will enable turn-by-turn directions for regular bus service, detoured service, and shuttle service.
• Pilot cellular communications for on-vehicle dispatch hardware.
• Create a plan and execute an upgrade to the latest suitable version of TransitMaster, providing dispatchers and inspectors the latest features.
• Rehab and pilot new CAD/AVL technology on a test bus.

About this role:

• As a Technical Project Manager in the Technology Innovation Department, you are the bridge between the in-house product teams in TID (primarily focused on software development), and the hardware vendors and partners that make our work possible. Successfully delivering technology projects within a complex government agency like the MBTA will require a wide set of skills. One day you may be writing technical language for an RFP, the next you might be wearing a safety vest for a site visit at a bus garage, and the next you might be delivering a high-level summary of your work to internal stakeholders. 

Principal duties and responsibilities:

• Create complete project plans including scope, goals, budget, timeline, and deliverables. Prioritize critical path tasks and ensure that the project team is allocated correctly to keep the project on schedule. 
• Proactively build relationships with MBTA and non-MBTA stakeholders. Keep stakeholders up to speed on project status & timeline. Actively manage relationships to minimize potential for surprise feedback, and recommend project plan adjustments to respond to feedback. 
• Coordinate directly with vendors, other MBTA departments, and internal TID product teams to facilitate overall completion of deliverables on schedule. 
• Ensure that vendor staff understand what is expected of them and what they should expect from MBTA. Facilitateregular, frequent meetings to manage discrete vendor tasks and closely monitor progress. Maintain primary Point of Contact for all MBTA-related matters. 
• Update stakeholders through all phases of a project. Provide regular internal updates, records important process details, and leads retrospective analysis. 
• Collaborate with stakeholders to define and monitor project metrics. 
• Identify potential blockers in all project phases and execute solutions within project constraints to minimize disruptions. 
• Communicate clearly via email and in 1:1 and group meetings, lead effective meetings and deliver large presentations with minimal help. 

This job requires:

• Systems thinking: The MBTA is a complex, 120-year old transit agency with a huge number of moving parts. Our team needs to understand the complexities of running transit services, the business operations of the MBTA, and how riders use our system to get around Boston in order to successfully deliver meaningful improvements. 
• Empathy: You think about our users (whether riders or operations staff) constantly and are always looking for ways to understand their lived experience. 
• Communication and Stakeholder Management: TID is an interdisciplinary team sitting within a large public agency. Succeeding means getting our many vendors and other partners bought into our vision. You’re able to communicate clearly and effectively about TID projects to internal and external stakeholders. 

Work experience guidelines:

• Approximately 3 or more years of experience in project management, engineering, technology, transportation operations, scheduling/planning, or a related industry. 
• Effective organizational, analytical, multi-tasking, time management and documentation skills. 
• Excellent customer service, conflict resolution and presentation skills. 
• Experience with administration or installation of networking equipment or technology hardware such as servers 
• Experience working in an agile development environment. 
• Experience using online collaboration tools (e.g. Slack, Asana, etc.) 
• Working knowledge of databases and scripting 
• Understanding of software development lifecycle 

Minimum education:

• Formal education in system administration, project management, computer science, transportation planning, engineering, or a related field (This could be a college degree, a bootcamp, a certificate program, or something else entirely). 

Location:

This role is hybrid. While some activities can be accomplished remotely, we are expecting this person to come onsite twice per week. Occasionally, we may ask you to visit the field: MBTA stations, stops, buses, trains, and garages.

As a contracted role for the MBTA, we are unable to hire candidates who would perform their work in California, Connecticut, Washington DC, Hawaii, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico.

At this time, we are only able to hire US residents who will reside in the US for the duration of their employment

Compensation:

Pay rate range is $80 - $102 per hour (W-2), up to 1880 hours per year.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

TID is dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment—it’s essential to the work we do. In order to effectively partner with MBTA departments and do our best work for riders, our team must reflect the wide variety of people who use the MBTA’s services. We welcome people with different strengths, experiences, and backgrounds who share a passion for improving people's lives. Our team is deeply committed to diversity, inclusion, and continual learning. We strive to foster an environment where each individual is valued, feels a sense of belonging, and is welcomed to bring their best self to work.

Here at TID, we provide equal opportunity for all employees and applicants. We recruit, hire, train, promote, compensate, and manage all personnel without regard to race, color, national origin, cultural identification or expression, socioeconomic background, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, family status, marital status, learning style, neurodiversity, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other non-merit based or legally protected grounds.

Research has shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for roles unless they believe they meet all qualifications. We strongly encourage candidates from marginalized groups to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the job qualifications listed. We’re committed to maximizing the diversity of our team and want to hear from anyone who is passionate about our efforts and interested in supporting our work for riders.