Director of Capital Programs

About Marin County Transit District

Marin County Transit District (Marin Transit) is responsible for funding, planning, and management of all local public transit services operating within Marin County, including fixed route, community shuttle, supplemental school, and paratransit services. Marin Transit works closely within the community to develop and deliver the most strategic, effective, and efficient local transit system in northern California. For additional information about Marin Transit, please visit www.marintransit.gov.

About Marin County. Located just across the Golden Gate Bridge, and minutes from downtown San Francisco, Marin County is a dynamic, economically, and culturally diverse community of 260,000 informed and involved residents. Marin County is marked by beautiful beaches, groves of redwoods and oaks, rolling foothills, and scenic valleys. Marin County is known for its combination of rural and suburban lifestyles and is a recreation destination for the entire Bay Area with more than 140,000 acres of federal, state and county parkland, county open space and water district lands. The mild year-round climate is highlighted by cool, coastal fog tempering the warm inland temperatures of summer.

The Role

The Director of Capital Programs serves as Marin Transit’s executive-level leader for capital program planning and delivery, responsible for directing the District’s capital program, multi-year capital plan, annual capital budget, and major infrastructure and readiness initiatives.

This position oversees capital project delivery from scoping and planning through design, permitting, construction / implementation, closeout, and operational handoff. Responsibilities include project planning and scheduling, contractor management, budget oversight, procurement support, funding and grant compliance, project controls, Board reporting, and cross-functional coordination.

Under administrative direction of the General Manager, the Director of Capital Programs serves as a key member of the Executive Team, contributing to District-wide strategic planning, organizational development, and executive decision-making.

Ideal Candidate Profile

A seasoned public-sector capital programs leader with experience in transit, transportation, public works, facilities, or another public agency environment with complex, grant-funded capital projects. The ideal candidate will bring strong technical expertise in capital planning, project delivery, budgeting, scheduling, procurement, contract administration, contractor oversight, construction/implementation, compliance, project controls, and Board-level reporting, along with the ability to serve as a trusted advisor to the General Manager, Executive Team, and Board of Directors.

The ideal candidate is more than a high-level capital program strategist. They own the capital function at both a leadership level and a practical operating level. Candidates from larger agencies should be able to demonstrate that they have personally managed, delivered, or deeply understood capital projects, not only overseen them through staff. They must demonstrate meaningful experience managing public-sector capital projects involving funding requirements, grant eligibility, procurement compliance, consultant and contractor coordination, project documentation, and operational handoff. Experience with transit capital programs, zero-emission fleet or facility readiness, public right-of-way coordination, permitting, construction oversight, or fleet/facility improvements would be especially valuable.

The successful candidate will be a practical and collaborative leader who can support and develop assigned staff, partner effectively across Operations, Planning, Finance, Procurement, jurisdictions, contractors, and stakeholder agencies, represent the District in public, interagency, and governance forums, and communicate complex project, budget, schedule, and risk information clearly to a variety of audiences.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide executive oversight and direction for capital program planning and reporting, including maintaining a multi-year capital plan, leading development of the annual capital budget, establishing priorities and timelines with capital staff, and ensuring consistent Board reporting on capital program status.
• Direct and oversee delivery of the District’s capital projects and readiness initiatives, including project planning and scheduling, consultant/contractor management, budget and cash-flow management, funding/grant compliance, risk and issue escalation, and cross-functional coordination with Operations and Planning (e.g., zero-emission bus operations and maintenance readiness).
• Lead and/or oversee capital project delivery from scoping and planning through design, permitting, procurement, construction/implementation, and closeout; ensure appropriate documentation, coordination, and operational handoff as needed.
• Participate in capital procurements by providing funding strategy and budget input, grant compliance and eligibility review, and financial impact analysis; coordinate with procurement staff as needed.
• Support complex procurement processes by developing technical scopes, requirements, and evaluation criteria within assigned capital projects; serve as technical lead during evaluation and negotiations as delegated.
• Select, supervise, train, coach, and evaluate assigned staff; establish priorities, delegate effectively, support professional development, and address performance issues consistent with District practices.
• Participate in strategic planning with other members of the Executive Team.
• Prepare staff reports, technical summaries, Board agenda items, and presentations to support Board actions and leadership decisions (e.g., project updates, contract awards, budget actions), and to communicate project outcomes to stakeholders.
• Represent the District in meetings with boards, commissions, community groups, and stakeholder agencies; communicate capital program priorities, status, and outcomes clearly and professionally.
• Coordinate and communicate with the Board of Directors and other elected officials.
• Drive a District vehicle to travel between multiple locations in the service area to perform assigned field-based duties (e.g., construction site visits, property management observations, fleet management, and coordination with contractors).
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Any combination of education and experience that provides the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. Typical qualifications include:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, architecture, transportation planning, public administration, or a related field.
• At least seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional experience in capital program/project management, public works/transit capital delivery, procurement/contract administration, or a related field.
• At least two (2) years in a management or supervisory role.
• Additional directly related experience may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis, consistent with District Policy.

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation to be determined based on experience, qualifications, and internal equity. The salary range for this position is $176,265 - $237,946.

• Employer paid premiums for employees' medical insurance and 95% of base HMO premium for families.
• Employer paid dental and vision insurance.
• Employer paid Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Employer paid life insurance and long-term disability insurance.
• Optional flexible spending account.
• Transit benefits.
• Two weeks of vacation increased with seniority.
• 11 ½ holidays.
• 5 days of management leave.
• Deferred compensation plan.
• Employer contribution of 10%-15% of salary to 401(a) retirement account based on years of service.