Transportation Planner 9-P11 (Urban Travel Analysis) - Transportation Planning

Transportation Planner 9-P11 (Urban Travel Analysis) - Transportation Planning

Salary

$25.03 - $44.16 Hourly

Location

Lansing, MI

Job Type

Permanent Full Time

Job Number

5901-26-TP-30-TP-UTA-JH

Department

Transportation

Opening Date

09/25/2026

Closing Date

10/11/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

Bargaining Unit

SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING (SEIU)

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Job Description

Begin your journey with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) today and make a meaningful impact on Michigans transportation future. As the next transportation planner in the Urban Travel Analysis Unit, you will support Michigan's metropolitan planning organizations (MPO), explore transportation data and contribute to project teams. Your role will be crucial in developing travel demand models, supporting household travel survey data analysis and analyzing socioeconomic trends. Youll work closely with MPOs and others at MDOT to forecast travel demand and support transportation planning efforts throughout Michigan's urban regions.

Key responsibilities:

• Utilize Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and statistical tools for data analysis.
• Analyze socioeconomic data to inform transportation planning.
• Build and refine travel demand models.
• Collaborate with MPOs on long-range transportation plans.
• Identify potential roadway capacity issues.
• Perform regional and project-level forecasting

At MDOT, we invest in our team members growth through continuous learning opportunities and professional development resources. You will be joining a team that appreciates your skills and dedication, and be part of a supportive and stimulating environment where your dedication and collaborative mindset are valued.

At the Bureau of Transportation Planning (BTP), our mission is to connect people, communities and the economy through efficient and safe transportation. We promote a positive and diverse work environment, celebrating successes and fostering growth among our employees.

Take the next step in your career and help us enhance Michigan's transportation systems.

The "Salary" listed above is a range that reflects the minimum rate at the entry (9) level through the maximum rate at the experienced (P11) level. Based on education and experience, candidates will be reviewed to determine what level they are qualified for.

For additional information, please see the links below:

• Transportation Planner 9-P11 position description
• All about MDOT

Based on operational needs and within established limits, remote work and alternate work schedule requests for this position may be considered.

For information on benefits, visit www.mi.gov/employeebenefits or www.mi.gov/orsstatedc.

The State of Michigan has been recognized as a leading U.S. employer by new graduates from 2021-2023 and a best large U.S. and state employer. Recognized on the international stage for fostering positive employee engagement, the State of Michigan is a past recipient of a North America Government Agency Employees Engagement Award.

Required Education and Experience

Education

Possession of a bachelors degree in any major with at least 30 semester (45 term) credits in one or a combination of the following: planning (city, community, environmental, regional, and/or urban), environmental studies and/or sustainability, environmental sciences, engineering, statistics, mathematics, geography, geographic/geospatial information systems, logistics and/or supply chain management, or economics.

Experience

Transportation Planner 9

No specific type or amount is required.

Transportation Planner 10

One year of professional experience in the planning, mapping, or assessment of transportation, land use, environmental, or community systems equivalent to a Transportation Planner 9.

Transportation Planner P11

Two years of professional experience in the planning, mapping, or assessment of transportation, land use, environmental, or community systems equivalent to a Transportation Planner, including one year equivalent to a Transportation Planner 10.

Additional Requirements and Information

To be considered for this position you must:

• Attach the following examples:
• One example of your professional or academic writing
• One example of a presentation you created

View the classification specification at: https://www.michigan.gov/mdcs/-/media/Project/Websites/mdcs/JOBSPECS/T/TransportationPlanner.pdf

MDOT does not participate in E-Verify and does not sponsor visa applications.

All newly hired state employees are required to submit and pass a pre-employment drug test and physical (if applicable) prior to their actual appointment. Criminal and driving records will also be checked if applicable. Any position offer will be conditional until results of the drug test, physical, criminal background, and driving records indicate eligibility for employment.

The department reserves the right to close this posting prior to its original end date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

Your application for any position does not guarantee that you will be contacted by the Department for further consideration. Only those applicants interviewed will be notified of the results.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) software of any kind is prohibited in all areas of the selection process including, but not limited to, responses to application questions and responses to interview questions or exercises.

If you have questions related to this posting, please contact MDOT-OHR@michigan.gov.

Accommodations

If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or selection processes, please contact the ADA coordinator for the agency that posted this position vacancy.

State employment also offers rewarding careers where you can help Michiganders enjoy better lives. Many State of Michigan jobs offer alternate work schedules and remote-work options that can help give the flexibility you need. The State of Michigan has been recognized as a leading U.S. employer by new graduates from 2021-2023 and a best large U.S. and state employer. Recognized on the international stage for fostering positive employee engagement, the State of Michigan is a past recipient of a North America Government Agency Employees Engagement Award.

More details on benefits for our new hires are below:

Rewarding Work: State of Michigan jobs allow you to serve Michiganders in many different ways depending on your interests and skills. Help preserve and protect our environment and the public health; enforce state laws and regulations; advocate for children, families, and victims of discrimination; support our state's military and veterans; rebuild our state's infrastructure; or support other state agencies through our fiscal, IT, and HR systems.

Insurance Benefits: The State of Michigan offers health, mental health, dental, and vision insurance to eligible career employees, their spouses, and their children. The state also covers a life-insurance benefit of two times employees' annual salary (up to $200,000). The state also offers long-term-disability insurance that can provide continuing benefits if an injury or illness prevents employees from working. More information is available at www.mi.gov/employeebenefits.

Retirement Programs: The State of Michigan offers 401(k) and 457 plans for new hires to save for retirement. The state will automatically contribute an amount equal to 4% of your pay to a 401(k) account. The state will also match up to 5% of your pay if you contribute to your 401(k) account. Your contributions vest immediately, and the state's contributions fully vest after just 4 years. More information is available at http://www.mi.gov/orsstatedc.

Vacation and Sick Leave: Eligible full-time employees receive between 15 and 35 personal days and 13 sick days per year that may be rolled over to the following year if not used. Eligible employees also receive an additional day each year for community service or school functions.

Paid Parental Leave: Eligible employees can take 12 weeks of paid leave immediately after a birth or adoption to allow needed time together at home with a new child.

Paid Holidays: Eligible employees receive 13 or 14 paid holidays each year including New Year's Eve and Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Election Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Friday, Christmas Eve and Day.

Bonus Programs: Eligible employees with five years of service also receive annual longevity bonuses that grow as seniority increases. Some positions also may qualify for recruitment, retention, and performance bonuses or other special pay premiums.

Military Pay Differential: Employees in the guard or reserves may also qualify for supplemental pay benefits if miliary pay during qualifying duty is less than normal state pay. Prior military service may also allow seniority credits to accelerate eligibility for longevity bonuses and additional personal leave accrual.

Tax-Advantaged Programs: In addition to 401(k) and 457 retirement accounts, the state also offers flexible spending account (FSA), health savings account (HSA), and qualified transportation fringe benefit (QTFB) programs that can help you save money by reducing your taxable income.

Student Loan Forgiveness: Working for the State of Michigan may allow you to participate in programs that forgive the balance of qualifying student loans. Please view Student Loan Information to help determine if you could qualify is available from the U.S. Department of Education.

Tuition Reduction: Some colleges and universities offer savings to eligible employees and family members to further their education while working for the State of Michigan.

Professional Development: To help develop your career, programs are available to apply for reimbursement of up to $2,000 a year for education and training for college course credits and non-degree programs.

Alternative and Remote Work Schedules: Depending on the nature of their duties, many state jobs offer flexible work schedules and remote or hybrid telecommuting options that can help obtain the work-life balance that you seek.

Great Lakes and Great Times: Michigan boasts four Great Lakes, 11,000 inland lakes, 36,000 miles of rivers and streams, 20 million acres of forests, 100 state and national parks and recreation areas, 1,300 miles of bike trails, 6,500 miles of snowmobile trails, the second-most ski areas in the nation, 650 public golf courses, 600 campgrounds, and an international dark-sky park-just for starters. Our cities offer concerts and cultural events, storied sports teams, education hubs, vibrant downtowns, one-of-a-kind craft beverages, and renowned restaurants for every appetite. From urban centers to beach towns to the great outdoors, the opportunities are endless. With your state salary and benefits and Michigan's affordable cost of living, you can explore all that Michigan has to offer.

Updated: 2/28/24

01

Your eligibility for this position is based solely upon the information provided in your application, resume, transcripts, cover letter, and other attachments. Provide accurate dates of employment and extensive detail of your job duties in your application. Responses to the questions below must match what is on your application and are used for screening purposes. Have you read and understand the process for submission and use of your application materials?

• Yes
• No

02

In accordance with federal law, all new employees must provide proof of eligibility to work in the United States within three business days of beginning employment. Can you, after employment, submit proof of your legal right to work in the United States?

• Yes
• No

03

TRPLNR - Do you possess at least a bachelors degreein any major with at least 30 semester (45 term) credits in one or a combination of the following: planning (city, community, environmental, regional, and/or urban), environmental studies and/or sustainability, environmental sciences, engineering, statistics, mathematics, geography, geographic/geospatial information systems, logistics and/or supply chain management, or economics.? If so, please attach a copy of your official college transcripts.

• Yes
• No

04

TRPLNR - Please select your level of experience:

• None to one year in the planning, mapping, or assessment of transportation, land use, environmental, or community systems.
• One to two years of professional experience in the planning, mapping, or assessment of transportation, land use, environmental, or community systems equivalent to a Transportation Planner 9.
• Two to three years of professional experience in the planning, mapping, or assessment of transportation, land use, environmental, or community systems equivalent to a Transportation Planner, including one year equivalent to a Transportation Planner 10.
• At least three years of professional experience in the planning, mapping, or assessment of transportation, land use, environmental, or community systems equivalent to a Transportation Planner, including one year equivalent to a Transportation Planner P11.

05

EQUIVALENCY: If you do not meet the standard education and experience requirements in the job specification, do you believe that other education and experience provide you the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties listed in the position description? If so, please document this education/experience in detail in your application and/or resume as failure to do so may result in you being screened out of this hiring process.

• Yes
• No
• I meet the standard education and experience requirements

06

Which of the following computer software applications do you have experience with? Select all that apply. If you have this experience, please ensure it is documented in the work experience and/or skills section of your application and/or resume, otherwise you may be screened out of this hiring process.

• Dashboards (e.g. Power BI, Tableau, etc.)
• Geographic Information System (GIS) (e.g. ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, Mapitude, etc.)
• Spreadsheets (e.g. Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, etc.)
• Statistical Analysis (e.g. Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS), Stata, R, etc.)
• Transportation Network Analysis (e.g. TransCAD, Cube, Emme, Visum, etc.)
• None of the above

07

Which of the following best describes your experience working with and managing data? Select all that apply. If you have this experience, please ensure it is documented in detail in the work experience and/or skills section of your application and/or resume otherwise your application may be screened out of this hiring process.

• Can manage small datasets in spreadsheets and perform basic tasks (sorting, filtering, formatting)
• Can manage larger datasets, perform joins/merges, use lookup operations, and validate data for accuracy
• Can source and acquire datasets from public and proprietary sources (e.g. Census, BLS) and perform tasks from (a) and (b) above
• Can work with large, relational datasets using SQL or similar tools, perform advanced data transformations, handle missing data, and document data workflows
• Can manage complex, multi-source data, design or maintain data schemas, develop workflows, automate data pipelines, and ensure data quality and governance across systems
• None of the above

08

Which of the following best describes your experience with data analysis? Select all that apply. If you have this experience, please ensure it is documented in detail in the work experience and/or skills section of your application and/or resume otherwise your application may be screened out of this hiring process.

• Can clean existing data, generate formulas, and create basic charts in Excel or similar tools
• Can create new variables based on existing data to enhance analysis
• Can use tools like SQL, Excel pivot tables, or basic statistical methods to analyze data
• Can use specialized software (e.g., SPSS, SAS) for statistical or regression analysis
• Can conduct more complex analyses using Python, R, or BI tools and build reproducible workflows
• None of the above

09

Which of the following best describes your experience with the use of demographic, employment and income data in planning applications? Select all that apply. If you have this experience, please ensure it is documented in detail in the work experience and/or skills section of your application and/or resume otherwise your application may be screened out of this hiring process.

• Have used demographic data summaries, profiles, and/or pre-built maps and tables
• Can download data from sources like ACS, BLS, LEHD, and prepare it for analysis
• Can aggregate data by geographic areas (e.g., counties, zip codes), normalize variables, and combine multiple demographic/employment datasets for comparative analysis
• Can calculate growth rates and distribution of variables such as income to analyze demographic and employment trends
• Can integrate multiple datasets and perform spatial and/or statistical analysis (e.g., regression analysis, forecast trends) for planning purposes
• None of the above

10

Which of the following describes your experience with using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software and technology? If you have this experience, please ensure it is documented in detail in the work experience and/or skills section of your application and/or resume otherwise your application may be screened out of this hiring process.

• Can view and interpret basic GIS maps and layers using a GIS software application
• Can perform common tasks like creating layers, geocoding addresses, and generating basic spatial queries
• Can create maps visualizing geographic information, such as points, line layers, or polygons
• Can collect and enter geographic data into a GIS system, setting up data structures and defining field types
• Can conduct spatial analysis using GIS software, such as performing buffer analysis or creating heat maps to visualize data density
• Can build advanced GIS workflows, including spatial joins, network analysis, and model building with tools like Model-Builder or Python
• Can architect GIS solutions, automate processes with scripting (Python/ArcPy), integrate enterprise datasets, and perform advanced spatial analysis for planning or operations
• None of the above

11

Which of the following best describes your experience with network analysis (transportation or other) and/or graph theory? Select all that apply. If you have this experience, please ensure it is documented in detail in the work experience and/or skills section of your application and/or resume otherwise your application may be screened out of this hiring process.

• Can use simple tools to map and analyze networks, such as plotting routes on Google Maps
• Can use predefined network layers to view routes, determine travel times, and distances using GIS tools
• Can perform tasks such as identifying service areas or communities, cluster analysis, or creating buffer zones around network features
• Can apply techniques like calculating network accessibility or analyzing the impact of network disruptions
• Can integrate network analysis with other datasets to perform analyses such as route optimization, analyzing social or biological networks, or studying traffic patterns
• None of the above

12

Are you willing and able to travel statewide to attend meetings, with occasional overnight stays?

• Yes
• No

13

Please submit one example of your professional or academic writing and one example of a presentation you have created. These samples should demonstrate your ability to explain technical, analytical, or planning concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences. Failure to attach the required documents could result in being screened out of this hiring process. Did you attach this required document?

• Yes
• No

14

If applicable, did you attach a copy of your official transcripts/foreign degree evaluation OR appropriate documentation to qualify for the position based on alternate education/experience (e.g., DD-214, certificate)? Failure to attach applicable documentation may result in your application being screened out of this hiring process.

• Yes
• No
• Not applicable

15

For all the above questions, if you indicated you have the experience listed, you must document the experience in detail in the work experience and/or skills section of your application and/or resume otherwise your application may be screened out of this hiring process. Statements such as "see resume" or "see above" are not considered documented experience. Do you understand this requirement and have you documented your experience, if applicable?

• Yes
• No

16

Are you a current State of Michigan employee? State employees work for one of the departments that make up the government of the State of Michigan (e.g., Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC), Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), etc.).

• Yes
• No

17

Are you a current Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) employee?

• Yes
• No

18

MDOT - Have you participated in any of the following MDOT Workforce Programs?

• MI Construction Career Days
• MDOT Capstone Internship
• MDOT Internship (Co-Op) Program
• MDOT TRAC Program
• MDOT Veteran Internship Program
• MDOT Youth Development and Mentoring Program
• National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI)
• Transportation Diversity Recruitment Program (TDRP) Internship
• Other
• N/A

19

MDOT - Where did you hear about this job? (Check all that apply)

• State of Michigan Website/NEOGOV or Governmentjobs.com
• LinkedIn
• College/University Career Services Office or website
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Indeed
• Career Search Engine (i.e. Monster, Careerbuilder)
• Michigan Works! Agency
• Career Fair
• GovDelivery
• Billboard
• Employee Referral
• Veterans Organization
• Government Jobs
• Diversity Jobs
• recruitics
• ZipRecruiter
• Other

Required Question

Employer State of Michigan

Department Transportation Address 425 West Ottawa Street

Lansing, Michigan, 48909