Data Strategist

The Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) of the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) seeks a Data Strategist to lead our data development, data analytics, and data management initiatives.

The Data Strategist will build relationships outside of the organization to ensure better coordination and data sharing as well as to elevate CTPS’s role as a resource for data and analytics that guide regional planning and policymaking in the Boston region, particularly the work of the MPO. The Data Strategist may be involved in ensuring data needs and requirements are met for producing federally mandated planning documents related to the MPO’s transportation investments. In addition, the Data Strategist will oversee the development of internal policies, processes, and mechanisms for data usage, sharing, development, and communication.

While not required to manage employees from an administrative perspective, the Data Strategist will be supported and empowered by the executive leadership team (the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director) to work closely with directors, managers, analysts, and staff more broadly to understand, coordinate, and lead the implementation of data initiatives.

The successful candidate will join the CTPS team during a strategic planning process that is expected to be complete in the winter/spring of 2021. During this process, the roles and interfaces of the eight groups within the organization are being explored and could potentially be re-imagined. The Data Strategist will, therefore, have the opportunity to work closely with the leadership team to implement CTPS’s future data strategy.

The Data Strategist will be responsible for the following efforts:

• Prioritizing and championing coordination of data initiatives across various state, regional, and local agencies
• Supporting the strategic use of data to advance the Boston Region MPO’s vision to create a modern, well-maintained transportation system through a transparent process
• Engaging with all staff to identify needs, opportunities, and cross cutting initiatives related to data strategy and analysis
  • Overseeing the development of policies for data usage and data sharing internally and externally in close coordination with the Deputy Executive Director and Directors
  • Developing and supporting strategies to maintain, update, and coordinate CTPS-managed databases, data analysis tools, dashboards, and web applications in close collaboration with the Data Resources staff
  • Aligning data strategy with the needs for maintaining and enhancing the CTPS travel demand model, requiring close coordination with managers and leaders of travel demand modeling initiatives and work
  • Advancing the use of internal systems that help analyze, track, and improve performance of the agency in various aspects of our work in close collaboration with the Deputy Executive Director and Directors
  • Taking a leadership role in advancing our internal data working committee
• When appropriate, working with Directors to identify proposals and opportunities for client-based work within and outside of the Boston region