Administrative Professional I -Transportation Center (Tickle College Of Engineering)

Administrative Professional I -Transportation Center (Tickle College of Engineering)

Regular, Full-time, Market Range 10

Duties/Responsibilities:

This full-time exempt position through the Center for Transportation Research of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville will be funded through a grant with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) and provide support to the Long Range Planning Division. This position will:

• Assist in administering and managing TDOT’s Research Program, including but not limited to facilitating the solicitation, completion, and implementation of transportation research projects supported by TDOT.
• Coordinate the research needs identification process for the biennial Call for Research Projects and facilitating the solicitation of research proposals and the coordination of recommendations of research proposals to be considered for funding.
• Ensure all TDOT sponsored research is compliant with federal regulation, including working with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to receive approval for research activities included in the State Research Work Program and closing out projects in the Federal Management Information Systems (FMIS).
• Collaborate with TDOT Lead Staff and facilitate the proposal negotiation process to ensure the agency's research needs are properly addressed through the research project.
• Apply contracts and grants concepts to review complex contract and grant proposals and obtain/verify necessary compliance approvals.
• Monitor progress and the fulfillment of project scopes including receipt of high-quality deliverables.
• Develop, administer, communicate, and promote the use of products of research, development, and technology transfer programs under 23 USC Section 420 and 23 USC Section 505.
• Facilitate TDOT's research-related activities with national programs, such as the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP), Behavioral Traffic Safety Cooperative Research Program (BTSCRP), and Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP). This includes the development and submission of research problem statements on behalf of the Department, evaluating problem statements, and soliciting panel nominees for cooperative research programs.
• Interpret a variety of rules, regulations, policies, procedures, and documentation for internal and external business partners to facilitate understanding, enhance communications, and ensure compliance.
• Recommend strategies and objectives for assigned program areas to enhance performance and improve organizational efficiency. Participates in the development and/or implementation of the Department's Long Range Plan and strategic goals.
• Collaborate with engineers, planners, and policy makers to research, analyze, or resolve complex transportation issues.
• Train less senior staff on best practices and departmental, state, and federal laws, rules, regulations, guidelines, policies, and procedures.
• Creates and/or conducts agency-specific and specialized training for agency employees and external business partners to comply with departmental, state, and federal laws, rules, regulations, guidelines, processes, and procedures, facilitating change, and improving initiatives.
• Provides grant-writing support to the Division as needed. Analyzes current conditions, such as socio-economic trends, land use, traffic data, and economic development plans, in rural or metropolitan areas to determine impacts to the transportation system. Analyzes traffic volumes, crash rates, and other data to identify safety and multimodal transportation system deficiencies. Reads planning documents, contracts, standard drawings, guidelines, and schematics to identify impacts the design and plans will have on the transportation system.

Minimum/Required Qualifications:

Minimum qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree in planning, public administration, civil engineering, or related and three years of full-time professional planning work.

Requires extensive knowledge of program administration guidelines of Federal and non-Federal sponsors supporting research and educational activities. Must be able to maintain knowledge of and ability to interpret and apply sponsor, institutional and departmental policies. Knowledge of all types of award mechanisms, including grants, contracts, subcontracts, cooperative agreements. Must have the ability to interpret policy for others and stay current on best practices in all areas of research administration.

Preferred/Desired Qualifications:

Master's degree and one year of full-time professional planning work. Graduate coursework in community planning, transportation planning, public administration, civil engineering, landscape architecture, or other related degree may be substituted for the required experience on a year-for-year basis.