UC Berkeley Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) is currently seeking a new Director to lead our center as we work together to inform decision-making and empower communities to improve roadway safety for all.
To apply, please submit your application through UC Berkeley's Jobs page, and search for the position by its JOB ID: 55593. The First Review Date for this job is: July 14, 2023 - Open Until Filled. View the job description here.
SafeTREC Director
UC Berkeley Job ID: 55593
About Berkeley
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Departmental Overview
The UC Berkeley Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) was established in 2000 to address the fact that motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for people aged 1 to 34 in the U.S.—and a major cause of minor and debilitating injuries for all age groups. SafeTREC’s mission is to inform decision-making and empower communities to improve roadway safety for all. The center is funded by a combination of contracts and grants from federal and state agencies and private foundations.
SafeTREC is affiliated with the Institute of Transportation Studies and the School of Public Health, with additional partnerships with various academic departments including City and Regional Planning, Public Policy, and Transportation Engineering. SafeTREC’s work consists of: 1) Safety Research; 2) Safety Data and Tools; 3) Public Engagement and Policy; and 4) Communications and Outreach. The center currently has an annual budget of several million dollars mainly from the California Office of Traffic Safety and the California Department of Transportation, and supports approximately 20 staff and 5 to 10 students at any point in time.
SafeTREC is an innovative and equity-focused community that envisions a world with zero roadway fatalities or serious injuries and has a culture that prioritizes safe mobility for everyone. SafeTREC is committed to helping individuals succeed, having a growth mindset, speaking-up, inclusion, and accountability. SafeTREC seeks inclusive-minded applicants who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diversity of our faculty, staff, and student population and communities. This position is part of a high performing team culture informed by Berkeley's Principles of Community: https://diversity.berkeley.edu/principles-community
The SafeTREC Director will lead a long-standing, multidisciplinary, highly-respected, and community-engaged program focused on the four key areas of work 1) Safety Research; 2) Safety Data and Tools; 3) Public Engagement and Policy; and 4) Communications and Outreach. The Director will serve as the Principal Investigator on some of the center's Contracts and Grants and will maintain and build the center's sponsored project portfolio.
The center budget is approximately $5M per year generated by Contracts and Grants, and supports approximately 20 staff and up to 10 students.
The Director will spend the majority of time (50% or more) achieving organizational objectives through relations with sponsors and stakeholders and the coordinated achievements of subordinate staff. The Director, with input from subordinate managers, will establish departmental goals and objectives and function with autonomy.
The Director will spend the balance of time (up to 50%) directly contributing to research and other activities of the center. In addition, the Director may be involved in teaching graduate-level courses focused on transportation safety. The courses introduce transportation safety principles to students in engineering, planning, public policy, and public health.
Application Review Date
The First Review Date for this job is: July 14, 2023 - Open Until Filled
Responsibilities
20%
The SafeTREC Director is responsible for participating in the design and development of major safety research program components and oversees execution of programs once funded.
Participates in the development of current safety research projects that include California Office of Traffic Safety-sponsored projects: Complete Streets Safety Assessments; Community Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program; Tribal Road Safety Assessments; Street Story: Community-level Data Collection and Engagement; CATSIP: California Active Transportation Safety Website; SafeTREC: Data Systems, Education, and Technical Assistance for California; Data Driven Traffic Safety Heat Map for California; and TIMS: Improve Data Quality & Accessibility.
Other current national and state agency and privately funded sponsored projects include: Safe Systems Research; Applying the Safe System Approach to Transportation Planning, Design, and Operations in the United States; Identification of Run-Off-Road, Cross Over, Wrong-way, and Speeding Collision Locations for Safety Evaluation; Creating an Inclusive Bicycle Level of Service; synthesis of Stop-as-Yield Law for Cyclists in California; Developing Segment and Intersection-Level BLOS Measures for the SHS; Strategies for Reducing Pedestrian and Bicyclist Injury at the Corridor Level (SMART4); Safe System Approach to Setting Speed Limits; Safe Speeds T3 Project; ATRC ATP Evaluation; Pedestrian Safety Improvement Program; Safety Performance Functions (SPF) Implementation; Statewide Active Transportation Database; and participation in the Tier 1 University Transportation Center for Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety.
Recent data use agreements include: Crash data for a southern state including all severity bicycle-involved crash records.
The Director will continue contributing to the design and adjustment of some of these projects, as appropriate, and expand the research portfolio with complementary projects consistent with the Director’s vision and expertise.
20%
Identifies strategies and develops funding from multiple external sources. SafeTREC depends entirely on grants and contracts. The Director will have primary responsibility for strategic direction of the research center, including developing a pipeline of research funding opportunities and writing and submitting grant and contract applications to maintain and grow research and outreach activities. The Director will serve as the Principal Investigator on some of the center's Contracts and Grants and will maintain and build the center's sponsored project portfolio.
15%
Plans, directs and controls program budget and manages financial, HR, technical, and other supporting resources. The program consists of several million dollars per year in research funding from various state agencies, federal agencies, and foundations and supports approximately 20 staff and postdocs and up to 10 students. The Director will be responsible for overseeing the program, managing the center’s complex budgeting and accounting, and supervising staff and students including allocation of human resources across multiple projects.
10%
Represents SafeTREC in governing boards, outside agencies, conferences, and the public. Serves on national and statewide task forces and committees, and participates with faculty on research. Professional national and international conferences include the Transportation Research Board (TRB), for example the Transportation Research Board Subcommittee on Global Road Safety, the Committee on Transportation Safety Management, the Pedestrian Injury Surveillance Workgroup. State representation may include the CalTrans Bicycle and Pedestrian Research Roadmap Team. Public relations support includes responding to requests from media on issues related to transportation safety, assistance in preparing material for the SafeTREC website and newsletter.
10%
Coordinates varied and competing requirements associated with managing an innovative program in a university environment with clients and funders in various types of organizations (e.g., government, non-profits, private companies). SafeTREC activities benefit from interaction with committees in various academic and research units across the UC Berkeley campus. For example, the Director is a member of Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS) Executive Committee, which involves contribution to both short and long term strategic planning for transportation-related research. Another example is interaction with the campus’ Institutional Review Board when conducting research involving human subjects.
10%
SafeTREC’s aim to promote transportation safety is inherently interdisciplinary, involving transportation engineering, city and regional planning, public policy, and public health and others. The Director works with faculty and students from University units representing these disciplines as well as outside constituencies. The Director formulates program strategies and goals and facilitates efforts of various departments, managers and outside constituencies to ensure interdisciplinary collaboration.
The Director also develops research ideas that can involve faculty and can develop and implement instruction and research programs that reflect faculty interests.
5%
Assesses program's effectiveness, and recommends changes to program's content, policies and strategic goals accordingly. Assesses timeliness and quality of research products, coaches others on revisions and improvements, implements procedures for improvement. Reports to funding agencies and to University research and administrative units.
5%
Develops, implements and adheres to policies regarding intellectual property and data use agreements. Works with IPIRA in negotiating and managing IP/DUA agreements and contracts.
5%
Presents seminars and workshops; may guest lecture and provide input/oversight in SafeTREC’s graduate courses. Supervises and mentors students working on SafeTREC projects.
Required Qualifications
- Doctorate in engineering, public health, urban planning, public policy or related area and / or equivalent experience training.
- Academic background and recognized expertise in transportation/traffic safety.
- Expert ability to think creatively and independently on concepts requiring advanced analytical skills.
- Expert interpersonal skills and ability to work with diverse groups to achieve results. Expert ability to work collaboratively with a dynamic and diverse group of faculty, staff and students, as well as external partners.
- Expert oral and written communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Demonstrated expertise with program building within a leading academic institution for handling administrative, budgetary, human resources and financial principles and practices.
- Demonstrated expertise building collaborations between academia, industrial and / or governmental agencies.
- Demonstrated success in organizational fundraising.
- Expert negotiation skills.
Salary & Benefits
For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.
Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.
The budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $112,110 to $164,400 annually. This is a 100% FTE career position eligible for full benefits.
Diversity Statement
Please include, as part of your application a brief (1-2 paragraph) statement on your contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in your professional experience.
Advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental to our UC Berkeley Principles of Community, which states that “every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring, and humane environment in which these values can thrive."
Equal Employment Opportunity
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. For more information about your rights as an applicant, please see the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission poster.
For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy, please see the University of California Discrimination, Harassment, and Affirmative Action in the Workplace policy.
To Apply
To apply, please submit your application through UC Berkeley's Jobs page, and search for the position by its JOB ID: 55593.
The First Review Date for this job is: July 14, 2023 - Open Until Filled.