Technical Project Manager – Policy Implementation, Fare Transformation

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Boston, MA

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Duration: Full-Time

At the Customer Technology Department (CTD), our mission is to apply modern principles of research, design, and technology to make our transit system easy for all riders to use. Effective and equitable public transit is essential to the social, economic, and environmental progress of Greater Boston.

The MBTA Customer Technology team is working to transform how people get around the Boston area.

We are a team of designers, engineers, product and content specialists charged with bringing novel ideas, modern standards and a user-centered approach to technology at the T. As the MBTA works to reinvent itself, we have a rare opportunity to craft the future of transportation for Boston and communities all around Eastern Massachusetts, as well as pioneer innovations for other transit agencies around the country.

Do you want to improve the daily transportation experience for 4.7 million people in the Boston region? Ready for the challenge? Then read on.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) seeks a Technical Project Manager – Policy Implementation to support the Fare Transformation project.

About the Fare Transformation Project

The MBTA’s new fare payment system (Automated Fare Collection 2.0 – AFC 2.0) will make paying for transit services in Massachusetts easier and more convenient. The AFC 2.0 project is a full replacement of the MBTA’s automated fare collection system (the ‘CharlieCard’ system). The new system will include new hardware in stations, on vehicles and at other locations throughout the MBTA service network and will be supported by a new back office. It will improve how the MBTA currently collects fares and enable the sort of changes the T wants to make in the future. More information about the project and its benefits to customers is available at www.mbta.com/fare-transformation.

About this role

The Technical Project Manager – Policy Implementation will support the overall delivery of the hardware and software components of the MBTA’s next generation fare payment system, including the fare collection devices, payments technology, website and mobile app, customer support software, retail solution, fare verification system, APIs, integrations with other internal and external systems, tap processing, and information security.

Primary Responsibilities

Reports to the Technical Lead for Policy Implementation, Fare Transformation.
Contribute to the development of fare policy enabled by the MBTA’s next generation fare collection system.
Liaise between the System Implementation team, the Commercial Strategies and Programs team, and the Policy & Outreach team to communicate information about system design and support outreach to the public.
Manage input from a large number of stakeholders, including internal business owners, specialist consultants, customers, advocates, other Commonwealth departments, and senior staff and balance their sometimes-competing interests.
Conduct detailed reviews of designs developed by the Systems Integrator within tight timeframes to ensure they are responsive to stakeholder feedback, comply with Technical Requirements, and support the MBTA’s fare policy goals.
Analyze business rules and proposed fare policy changes against technical designs to ensure that the system can support business needs.
Analyze customer use cases against technical designs to ensure that the system maintains a friendly user experience while still supporting all user needs.
Recommend improvements based on an understanding of industry best practices, stakeholder feedback, usability and professional experience.
Support the technical design, development and implementation of software designed for MBTA riders, business units and partners.
Define action items resulting from meetings and tasks required to meet objectives.
Track and update the status of dozens of tasks every day, keeping the team informed, removing blocks and advancing to closure within the timeframes required by the project timeline.
Identify risks and dependencies, establish mitigation plans, and escalate as necessary.
Review the Systems Integrator’s test plans and oversee lab tests to ensure that all customer use cases are covered.
Independently conduct testing in the lab and real-world environments to ensure that fare policy has been properly implemented.
Use the Compliance Matrix (a database of technical requirements) to track and report on the compliance of delivered solutions.

Minimum Requirements / Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited institution in transportation planning, public policy, public administration, social science, technology or a related field.
Proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite.
Effective organizational, analytical, time management, interpersonal and multi-tasking skills.
Ability to understand, interpret, and apply laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, contracts and technical requirements.
Demonstrated ability to quickly earn the trust of sponsors and key stakeholders; and to mobilize and motivate cross-functional teams.
Ability to think strategically.
Ability to be comfortable under pressure, able to prioritize and balance multiple projects and priorities.
Experience using online collaboration tools (e.g. Slack, Asana, Microsoft Teams, etc.)
The ability to work effectively with a diverse workforce.

Preferences

Experience either with design/ implementation/ operation of a technology system.
Experience with developing, implementing and overseeing test plans and test reports.
Strong project management background.
Experience working in transit or similar environment.
Experience working with or in a government agency.
Master’s Degree from an accredited institution in transportation planning, public policy, public administration, social science, technology or a related field.
Experience in policy implementation for a transit agency.
Experience working with the design/implementation/operation of a transit system technology, such as fare collection systems, vending machines, parking payment systems, toll collection systems, fire alarms, elevators or customer assistance kiosks.
Experience with public procurement.
A PMP or other Project Management certification.

Note

This position will be assigned to the Fare Transformation project specifically. This is a project-specific position and is limited to the term of that project's implementation. Employment beyond the Fare Transformation project implementation and/or reassignment onto other transformation projects is left to the discretion of the MBTA.

All MBTA employees and contractors are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and demonstrate, at appropriate intervals, that they have received all subsequent doses (“boosters”) of the COVID-19 vaccine as recommended by the CDC’s Advisory Council on Immunization Practices and as those recommendations may be updated.

This position is expected to be fully remote initially, and then transition to a hybrid work schedule.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

CTD is dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment—it’s essential to the work we do. In order to effectively partner with MBTA departments and do our best work for riders, our team must reflect the wide variety of people who use the MBTA’s services. We welcome people with different strengths, experiences, and backgrounds who share a passion for improving people's lives. Our team is deeply committed to diversity, inclusion, and continual learning. We strive to foster an environment where each individual is valued, feels a sense of belonging, and is welcomed to bring their best self to work.

Here at CTD, we provide equal opportunity for all employees and applicants. We recruit, hire, train, promote, compensate, and manage all personnel without regard to race, color, national origin, cultural identification or expression, socioeconomic background, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, family status, marital status, learning style, neurodiversity, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other non-merit based or legally protected grounds.

Research has shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for roles unless they believe they meet all qualifications. We strongly encourage candidates from marginalized groups to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the job qualifications listed. We’re committed to maximizing the diversity of our team and want to hear from anyone who is passionate about our efforts and interested in supporting our work for riders.

About Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

he Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. The MBTA is the largest transit provider in New England, and the fifth largest in the country. The MBTA directly operates or contracts out for service using eight different modes: heavy rail, light rail, bus rapid transit, local/express bus, trackless trolley, commuter rail, commuter boat, and paratransit. In Boston, 55% of all work trips and 42% of all trips into downtown are made by transit. The MBTA district is made up of 175 communities with a total population of 4.7 million. Almost three-quarters of all Massachusetts residents live within the MBTA service area.