Executive Director, Strategic Priorities - Metropolitan Transportation Authority : Job Details

The Executive Director Strategic Priorities is a senior leadership position responsible for shaping and driving Metro-North Railroad's comprehensive strategy. This role leads the development, execution, and governance of strategic initiatives and ensures alignment with long-term business goals.

Job Summary: The Executive Director Strategic Priorities identifies and drives the implementation of best practices to enhance safety, productivity, customer experience, employee engagement, resiliency, and innovation.

Duties And Responsibilities:

• Serve as a senior advisor to the President on strategic initiatives, policy, procedure, and other high-priority initiatives.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to guide strategy development, policy formulation, and continuous quality improvement efforts across departments.
• Provide strategic direction and leadership for the Data Science & Systems Department, promoting data-driven decision-making to improve efficiency, safety, and reliability.
• Lead the development and implementation of MNR's strategy, with a focus on improving business processes, enhancing productivity, and driving cost efficiencies.
• Provide direction and lead all stakeholders in strategic planning and identify opportunities for innovation and business improvements across all MNR.
• Oversee business process reviews, efficiency improvement programs, and cost-saving initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Develop and implement data-driven solutions to improve efficiency, safety, and reliability of operations.
• Lead the establishment of processes, vision, and team responsible for actionable data analytics at all organizational levels.
• Work closely with the team of data analysts to build and refine analytics tools and techniques that drive actionable insights and inform senior management decisions.
• Recruit, mentor, and lead a team of data analysts, ensuring that they are empowered to support business improvement initiatives and deliver high-quality analysis.
• Foster a collaborative environment, working with other departments to identify areas for improvement and provide actionable data insights.
• Develop and maintain strong working partnerships with external stakeholders to support strategic business improvement and communications functions.
• Collaborate with departments to drive continuous improvement in service delivery, efficiency, financial responsibility, and employee productivity.
• Select, develop, and motivate staff and provide career development for team members.
• Represents MNR in industry and regulatory forums, contributing to collaboration, policy development, and advancing industry best practices.
• Serve as a resource for resolving critical departmental or operational challenges.

Required Education And Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Data Science, Computer Science, Computational Mathematics, Statistics, Transportation Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum of twelve (12) years of progressive experience in a business or public sector environment with knowledge of transportation, project management, technology and/or related fields.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of experience managing a diverse workforce.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities:

• Demonstrated leadership of a team with the ability to foster teamwork and self-motivated employees.
• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated problem solving, analytical and administrative skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including excellent presentation skills.
• Complete understanding of descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analytics.
• Experience with process mining or engineering.
• Business Intelligence, data management and data mining experience.
• Working experience with varied and complex data sets building extract transform load processes using scripting language.
• Experience with data-centric tools and technologies.
• Experience with curating, organizing, and classifying data.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and manage complex projects in a fast-paced atmosphere.
• Excellent ability to coordinate the work and resources of several departments to accomplish shared goals.
• Excellent ability to define and direct data analysis projects.
• Working knowledge of MS Office, and/or comparable applications.
• May be required to respond to emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Must possess excellent long and short-range planning skills.
• Familiarity with unionized workforces and collective bargaining agreements.
• Demonstrated ability to support diversity initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with SQL, Python, Cognos, PowerBI, Tableau, R, CPLEX, Hexagon, Bentley Linear Analytics, ESRI, and other systems used to analyze data.

Benefits:

• Commuter Assistance – based on operating MTA agency.
• Low Premium – High Quality Health Insurance Plans.
• Pension Plans and Retirement Savings Accounts for eligible employees.
• Generous Paid Time Off and Holidays provided.
• Tuition Reimbursement for eligible employees.
• Employee Assistance Programs.
• MTA Exclusive Employee Discount Programs.
• Work Life Services team.
• Employee Resource Groups.

Other Information:

• This is a policy maker position. Pursuant to the New York State Public Officers Law & the MTA Code of Ethics, all employees who hold a policymaking position must file an Annual Statement of Financial Disclosure (FDS) with the NYS Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government.
• Actual salary offers may vary based on individual work experience.
• This position does not require a driver's license.
• Current employee applicants should be in their current position 12 months prior to starting a new role and must possess a satisfactory work history, including attendance and discipline record.
• Non-Safety Sensitive/Non-DOT Regulated.
• Telework Eligible.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY/ADA DISCLAIMER: MTA and its subsidiary and affiliated agencies are Equal Opportunity Employers and encourage qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and abilities, including military service members, to apply.