We’re Hiring!

Jarrett Walker + Associates is a consulting firm that helps communities think about public transit planning, especially the design of bus networks. We are solely focused on public transit planning and policy, and continually aspire to be the best in our field.  Our goal in all our work is to foster clear conversations with the public and policy makers, leading to confident decisions. This means that we:

• Begin with the values and priorities of each community.
• Highlight the realities of the actual rider experience.
• Show how geography and service impact the experience of marginalized communities, and identify ways to improve equity in service.
• Bring to light the real trade-offs required to improve service in the context of how transit actually works.
• Design legible networks that are easy to understand, and efficient to operate.

Jarrett Walker & Associates is committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make each person unique.

We strive to maintain a workforce that reflects the diversity of the cities where we’re based, and that maximizes opportunities for racial minorities and women, who tend to be underrepresented in our profession.

You can learn about us at our website (jarrettwalker.com) and at Jarrett’s blog (HumanTransit.org).

What does a typical day look like?

At JWA, analysts work on many different aspects of transit planning projects, using different tools and skillsets. For example, early on in a project, you could be asked to draw a map showing the frequency of each route in a transit network using Adobe Illustrator and QGIS. On another day, you might be asked to lay out a report in Adobe InDesign or create a set of charts in Excel or using R’s ggplot plotting package. Once you’re more experienced, you might spend time writing a technical memo or a chapter of a report, or make site visits to our clients in other cities to help with a design workshop or a public meeting. We also work together using R and other data analysis programming languages to conduct detailed analyses of existing transit service performance and compare different planning options.

Because our team is small and our projects are highly varied, we seek to hire and provide training to ensure the widest range of ability possible among our staff.

Required Skills and Experience

For this position, the following are requirements.

• Two or more years professional experience using the skills listed in this section, OR formal training in these skills (such as at a college or university). Directly applicable coursework is valuable but not essential.
• Understanding and experience with analysis and visualization of quantitative or spatial information, including working with GIS.
• Experience in cartography, making maps that are clear, accurate, and visually appealing.
• Fluency in written and spoken English, particularly the ability to explain analytic ideas clearly.
• Availability to start work no later than December 1, 2024, at least 32 hours per week, in Portland OR or Arlington VA.
• Willingness to travel occasionally (2-6 times per year) for projects.
• Legal authorization to work in the US, or evidence of your ability to obtain such authorization without requiring employer sponsorship, as of the planned date of hire.

In addition, the following knowledge, skills, abilities and experiences would also be desirable:

• Knowledge and experience of a data analysis programming language, especially R.
• Familiarity and experience using Adobe Illustrator and InDesign.
• Knowledge and experience of advanced usage of Microsoft Excel.
• Previous academic, work or volunteer experience related to public transit.

Evaluation of Candidates

When we evaluate candidates, we will look for a combination of analysis skills and instincts; cartography skills; transit planning interest or experience; and interpersonal/teamwork skills. We may ask candidates to complete a practical test.

We will remove from applications information about each applicant’s sex, gender, race, ethnicity and name. Initial screening of applications will be performed without this information.  You are encouraged to submit your material with your name and these other identifiers (sex, gender, race, ethnicity) omitted, and to provide your name only in the submittal email.  If you do not do this our staff will do it for you.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary compensation will be based on experience, skill level, cost of living in your home area, and desired level of work. See the salary ranges at the top of this listing. Successful past hires have often received raises of 10% or more by the end of their first year of employment.

Our benefits program includes:

• Gold-level medical and dental insurance.
• Disability insurance (short- and long-term).
• A 401(k) program with employer contributions.
• Paid medical leave, accrued at a rate of 1 hour per 30 hours worked, or about 8.5 days per year.
• Paid time off starting at 19 days per year, with one additional day per year for each year of service. Paid time off includes both vacation time and holidays, but there are no restrictions on when it can be taken.
• Flexible work hours. Our staff work anywhere from 30 to 40 hours a week depending on their needs, and are compensated accordingly. We also have a flexible policy on unpaid leave, for employees who have used all their paid time off.
• Flexible work location. New staff work in our office with us during a training period, and after that are expected to spend regular days in the office, but we offer flexibility on the specific days and times involved.
• Employer-paid transit passes, or a monthly contribution to the costs of local transit fare, depending on your home area.
• Reimbursement for application fees for the TSA PreCheck and Global Entry programs.

Employees based in Oregon will also qualify for up to 12 weeks of paid family leave starting in September 2023, as part of the Paid Leave Oregon program.

Growth and Development

We put a lot of effort into helping develop staff internally, so there is considerable opportunity for high-performing employees to advance.

This position offers the potential to develop a range of transit planning skills needed to advance in the profession. Everyone pitches in at many different levels, so there is intensive cross-training that helps everyone grow their skills.  There are also opportunities for career development and to learn more advanced skills either on the job, through internal mentoring, or through attendance of professional conferences or other training.

Diversity and Inclusion

JWA follows an equal opportunity employment policy and employs personnel without regard to race, color, religion, sex/gender (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, and any other legally protected status.

This policy also applies to management of staff with regards to internal promotions, training, opportunities for advancement, and terminations. It also applies to our interactions with outside vendors, subcontractors, and the general public.

Questions?

As you consider whether to apply, you may write to [email protected] with any questions you may have about the position.

How to Apply

To apply, please send the following materials to [email protected] by the end of September 27.

• 1-page cover letter explaining your interest in the position.
• 1 or 2-page resume describing your relevant experience and skills – technical, planning, and interpersonal. Please include experience working on projects or in teams with people from different backgrounds.
• Links or electronic files for up to three (3) samples of your work. If possible, please include a map, a piece of writing, and a demonstration of a spatial analysis. (A single sample may satisfy more than one of these requests.)
  • If you submit a university group project or other collaborative document with multiple authors that is not solely your work (i.e. government agency, nonprofit or consulting reports), please include a short note clarifying your role in the production of the document. For example, if you provide as a work sample a group project from a university course for which you designed all of the maps but were not the primary author of the text, please include a note saying so.
• Contact information for 1 to 3 references who can attest to your experience with the skills listed above. Please do not include any information about your prior compensation.

Do not put any information in the email itself that you want to be used in the evaluation.    The cover letter and all other materials should be attachments.  The email must present your name and contact details.

Again, you are encouraged to anonymize all information by removing your name and references to sex, gender, race, or ethnicity, and to provide your name only in the email.  If you do not, we will do this for you.