WHO WE ARE

This position is eligible for a hybrid (both remote and onsite) telework arrangement. Candidate's permanent residence must be in Minnesota or Wisconsin.

We are the Metropolitan Council, the regional government for the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area. We plan 30 years ahead for the future of the metropolitan area and provide regional transportation, wastewater, and housing services.

We are committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

Metropolitan Transportation Services conducts planning for the regional transportation system that includes highways, transit, aviation, freight, and bicycle and pedestrian connections. The Metropolitan Council is the region's federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization. MTS also provides direct transit service through contracts or partnerships with counties to deliver four major programs: Metro Mobility/ADA, Transit Link dial-a-ride, contracted regular-route bus service, and Metro Vanpool.

How your work would contribute to our organization and the Twin Cities region:

The Data Scientist/Modeler will support multi-modal transportation planning in the Minneapolis and St. Paul region through innovative approaches to collecting and analyzing transportation data and through the development and application of cutting-edge travel forecasting models and tools. The Data Scientist/Modeler will join a vibrant travel research and modeling team working on travel demand forecasting, travel behavior surveys, and creative analysis of all kinds of transportation data to drive planning and policy analysis.

What you would do in this job

Develop and apply cutting edge transportation models that assess the region's future.
Develop transportation forecasts at the regional, corridor, and project level.
Perform technical, statistical, analytic tasks that support long-range transportation planning and research on regional transportation issues (for example: emerging transportation modes and technologies, generational changes in travel behavior, disparities in transportation access).
Develop visualizations of transportation data and performance measures.
Process, clean, and code transportation data.
Analyze, examine and visualize spatial information in static and interactive maps.
Perform geocoding, spatial data manipulation, and spatial data analysis.
Collaborate with planners, researchers, and policy makers.
Develop public-facing reports and web-based, interactive data visualization, analysis, and dissemination tools in partnership with internal and external partners.
Respond to requests for data and information, including requests from the media, other Council staff, or local partners, by summarizing data in a clear, coherent manner.
Be a contributory team member in a multi-disciplinary team.
Make presentations to the Transportation Committee, and other Council advisory and technical committees as needed.
Review scholarly articles and technical papers in academic and industry databases/journals.
Promote a culture of creativity, life-long learning, and continuous improvement.
Promote a culturally diverse and inclusive work environment that advances racial equity.

What education and experience are required for this job (minimum qualifications)

Any of the following combinations of completed education (in mathematics, analytics, data science, urban or transportation planning or related field) and experience (with travel demand modeling, or statistical and/or machine learning):

Bachelor's degree with three years of experience
Associate degree with five years of experience
High school diploma/GED with seven years of experience

What additional skills and experience would be helpful in this job (desired qualifications):

Experience working with travel demand models.
Experience in programming and modeling languages (Python or R preferred).
Experience in data mining, passive and or 'big' data, structured, unstructured, and semi-structured data.
Experience working and collaborating in diverse, multicultural, and inclusive environments.

What knowledge, skills and abilities you should have within the first six months on the job:

Knowledge of statistical analysis techniques (regression analysis, survival analysis, time-series modeling, etc.).
Knowledge of database systems design and maintenance.
Knowledge of web-based interactive tool development.
Knowledge of computer programming (i.e. Python, R).
Knowledge of passive transportation (i.e. Streetlight Data) and transportation survey data.
Skills in applied mathematics and statistics.
Skills in Data visualization (i.e. 'ggplot2' package in R, Shiny, Tableau, Dash/Plotly in Python).
Skills in version control and collaboration in Git.
Skills in data mining with structures, unstructured, and semi structured data.
Skills in GIS/Spatial analysis (i.e. ArcGIS, QGIS, ArcPy, Geopandas, sf R package).
Ability to work with travel demand modeling software (i.e. Cube, EMME, TransCAD).
Ability to read and understand complex academic and technical papers.
Ability to write summary reports, technical papers and literature reviews.
Ability to synthesize technical information in a useable way that facilitates good policy and planning decisions.
Ability to plan workflow and prioritize work tasks.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to exercise sound professional judgment and to promote an equitable, positive, and respectful professional environment.

What you can expect from us:

We offer the opportunity to make a difference and positively influence the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
We encourage our employees to develop their skills through on-site training and tuition reimbursement.
We provide a competitive salary, excellent benefits and a good work/life balance.

Additional information

Union/Grade: AFSCME/Grade G
FLSA Status: Exempt
Safety Sensitive: No

Work environment:
Work is performed in a standard office setting.

What steps the recruitment process involves:

We review your minimum qualifications.
We rate your education and experience.
We conduct a structured panel interview.
We conduct a selection interview.

Once you have successfully completed the steps above, then:

If you are new to the Metropolitan Council, you must pass a background check which verifies education, employment, and criminal history. A driving record check and/or physical may be conducted if applicable to the job. If you have a criminal conviction, you do not automatically fail. The Metropolitan Council considers felony, gross misdemeanor and misdemeanor convictions on a case-by-case basis, based on whether they are related to the job and whether the candidate has demonstrated adequate rehabilitation.

If you are already an employee of the Metropolitan Council, you must pass a criminal background check if the job you're applying for is safety sensitive, is a supervisory or management job, is in the Finance, Information Services, Audit, or Human Resources departments, or has access to financial records, files/databases, cash, vouchers or transit fare cards. A driving record check and/or physical may be conducted if applicable to the position.

IMPORTANT: If you make a false statement or withhold information, you may be barred from job consideration.

The Metropolitan Council is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and veteran-friendly employer. The Council is committed to a workforce that reflects the diversity of the region and strongly encourages persons of color, members of the LGBTQ community, individuals with disabilities, women, and veterans to apply.

If you have a disability that requires accommodation during the selection process, please email HR-OCCHealth@metc.state.mn.us.

We believe our employees are a key to our agency's success! In order to attract and retain high quality employees, the Council provides a highly competitive benefits package both in choice and coverage levels. Some highlights about our benefits are listed below:

Guaranteed monthly retirement income through Minnesota State Retirement System pension fund
Opportunity to save additional funds for retirement on a tax-deferred basis through a voluntary deferred compensation (457) plan
Two or more medical plans from which to choose, with employer contribution towards premiums over 80%
Dental insurance, life insurance and vision insurance

The following benefits are provided to all employees as part of working for the Council. You will have access to free:

Well@Work clinic
bus/rail pass valued at over $1200 per year
parking at many job locations
fitness centers at many job locations
Employee Assistance Program
extensive health and wellness programs and resources

Metropolitan Council

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