Arlington Seeking ‘Streetcar System Manager’

Arlington County is looking to hire a “Streetcar System Manager,” to help with the county’s $250 million Columbia Pike streetcar project. The full-time position is advertised as paying between $72,000 and $119,000 annually.

From a job posting on the county’s website:

Exciting, unique opportunity to be on the ground floor of a new multi-jurisdictional Streetcar System. Over the next decade, Arlington County, in partnership with Fairfax County and the City of Alexandria, will develop two streetcar corridors, which will ultimately operate as a unified streetcar system. The Streetcar System Manager will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the County’s effort to design, finance, and construct the streetcar system including a wide variety of planning, project management and program management duties:

• Leading the day-to-day development process within the County and coordinating legal and public processes required by jurisdictional partners and state and federal funding and oversight agencies;
• Providing financial oversight to ensure that millions of dollars in public investment are spent in a responsible, cost-effective manner to ensure maximum grant-fund reimbursement, preparing budget requests for funding, and investigating additional funding sources;
• Researching, analyzing, and recommending alternative methodologies, for funding, constructing, operating and maintaining the streetcar system;
• Managing the contracting, contract administration and contract monitoring processes, including developing bid and proposal packages;
• Directing and/or managing the work of, architectural and engineering consultants, construction management firms, and construction contractors ;
• Building partner relationships and serving as primary spokesperson with news media and the general public; and
• Developing systems, maintaining records and preparing written reports that provide for the proper evaluation, control and documentation of project activities.

Besides local funding, the project will also be funded through grants from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT). The Streetcar System Manager shall have a thorough understanding of the requirements and processes of the FTA for project approval, funding and oversight. This employee leads the Streetcar Section within the Transit Bureau where project development and streetcar program work will be accomplished using internal and external matrix teams, including County employees and a wide variety of contractors. Depending upon the eventual partnership agreements, organizational structure, and federal requirements associated with funding streams, it is likely that the section will grow to include permanent county staff, especially as development moves toward the construction and operation stages.

The position reports to the Transit Bureau Chief within the Transportation Division of the Department of Environmental Services. The County’s proposed streetcar system is multi-jurisdictional and depending upon the evolution and development of the system, at some time in the future this position and its functions may be transferred to a separate entity created to manage the streetcar system.

As of September, county officials were hoping to begin construction on the Columbia Pike streetcar system in 2015 and have it up and running in 2017. Earlier this month officials gave a community presentation in which they discussed a number of alternative options to the streetcar, including building an articulated bus system along Columbia Pike.