The ASPIRE Center, headquartered at Utah State University, has an immediate opening for a Director of Electrified Transportation Planning. This high visibility position will play a key role in developing and executing a unified transportation electrification plan for Utah with expansion to additional states and regions in the coming years. Success will come through leadership and coordination among state, transit and planning agencies, and active engagement with industry, nonprofits, and communities across the state. The Director will lead the efforts of a targeted team of experts at ASPIRE in electrified transportation planning and stakeholder engagement, and will draw innovation into the planning process from more than 300 faculty and students across 10 university partners in ASPIRE. The position can be a remote or in-person based out of USU offices in the greater Salt Lake City area, but the Director must live in the State of Utah. The position requires meetings with partners in the greater Salt Lake City area and occasional visits to Logan, Utah, and travel to stakeholders throughout Utah.

The Director of Electrified Transportation Planning will be responsible for executing Utah's Electrified Transportation Initiative as outlined in Senate Bill 125 of the 2023 legislative session. Although the Initiative is set for sunset review after five years, the role is intended to be ongoing by leveraging success to gain state support for continuation and expanding efforts in ASPIRE to additional states and regions. Through this role, the Director will lead the initiative to:

• Guide the transition to an electrified and intelligent transportation system in the State of Utah
• Maintain current knowledge of federal and state transportation regulations and available and upcoming funding initiatives.
• Forecast long-range transportation needs and modify plans based on current data and trends. Concurrently, lead and collaborate with stakeholders and the transportation team to design a year-by-year program meant to address those needs.
• Form and lead an advisory board with sub-teams that represent industry sectors, state and planning agencies, and communities across Utah
• Develop the vision for an idealized system over 10-, 20-, and 30-year time horizons and define strategic objectives in each element of the plan
• Identify gaps, barriers, and risks and recommend changes needed across the sectors in the ecosystem to realize the plan including electric utilities, vehicle manufacturers, transportation systems, charging infrastructure, and workforce development
• Develop an action plan each year that outlines critical near term steps to realize the vision for the idealized system
• Demonstrate how the plan will create new jobs, catalyze economic growth, and improve air quality throughout the State of Utah
• Build public awareness throughout Utah and among key stakeholders nationally of the state's efforts to be a national leader in electrifying the state's transportation systems
• Report regularly throughout each year to the state's Electrified Transportation Steering Committee chaired by the Executive Director of UDOT
• Provide annual reports to the state that detail progress and policy and funding recommendations
• Present annual progress to the state legislature

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree in relevant field plus 10 years of relevant experience
• Experience working with related state and planning agencies, legislative committees, and/or industries in the State of Utah
• Experience organizing and leading technical teams, advisory boards, and/or committees

Preferred Qualifications:

• Masters Degree in relevant field
• Experience and/or training in the electrification industry

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to communicate effectively with a variety of community groups including city council, citizens groups, and regional transportation planning council.
• Strong oral presentation and written English communication skills
• Ability to exercise a high level of creativity, decision making, problem solving, and discretion as work is varied and may be undefined

Along with the online application, please attach:

1. Resume/CV to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV"
2. Cover letter to be typed/pasted at the end of your application
3. Name and contact information for 3 professional references to be entered into Candidate Profile

**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**

Employees work indoors and are protected from weather and/or contaminants, but not, necessarily, occasional temperature changes.  The employee is regularly required to sit and often uses repetitive hand motions.

The ASPIRE Center is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center (ERC) that is headquartered at Utah State University. Our research leads the nation in supporting adoption and advancing the electrified transportation industry! We are the first of its kind in the world to take a holistic approach to eliminate range and charging as barriers to electrifying all vehicle classes, from passenger cars to heavy duty trucks. The ASPIRE team serves as a trusted guide for society and as a champion for inclusive pathways into a diverse engineering workforce specially trained to support the ensuing cross-industry transformations. ASPIRE has grown to over 400 participants across 10 university partners and has more than 60 industry and innovation members actively engaged in its programs. The Center has raised more than $100 million in research and development and pilot project support since 2020 and maintains efforts in research and development and "beyond research" commercialization, pilot projects, and planning support. Since 2023, ASPIRE has been designated by the State of Utah as the lead institution for statewide strategic planning for electrified transportation.

Founded in 1888, Utah State University is Utah’s premier land-grant and space-grant university, with a strong commitment to excellence, access, and inclusion. USU serves approximately 27,500 students throughout the state at three residential campuses, eight statewide campuses, and 23 education centers. USU Online has served students from all 50 states and 55 countries for over 25 years, and USU Extension provides outreach and service to all counties in Utah.  

As a land-grant university, USU engages communities and empowers people to lead successful lives of involvement, innovation, and impact. As an R1 research institution, USU provides a high-quality undergraduate and graduate education at an affordable price. Washington Monthly has consistently ranked USU in the top 10 among public universities for contribution to social mobility, research, and public service.  

Utah State is committed to cultivating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where different perspectives, values, cultures, and identities are acknowledged, welcomed, and valued. We seek to recruit, hire, and retain people from all walks of life who will champion excellence in education, research, discovery, outreach, and service. We believe that promoting a strong sense of community and belonging empowers and engages all members of USU to thrive and be successful. Learn more about USU. 

The university provides a Dual Career Assistance Program to support careers for partners who are also seeking employment. Additionally, USU is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, contact the university’s ADA Coordinator in the Office of Human Resources at (435) 797-0122 or hr@usu.edu. 

About the Region

U.S. News and World Report ranked Utah first for its strong economy, fiscal stability, education, and health care. Outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities abound throughout the state, including five national parks, 43 state parks and recreation areas, and 15 alpine ski resorts. The home of USU’s main campus, Logan, is a city of 54,000-plus people in a picturesque mountain valley 80 miles north of Salt Lake City. The Logan metro area claimed the top spot in the Milken Institute’s 2022 ranking for best-performing small cities in the nation. 

*updated 7/2023

In its programs and activities, including in admissions and employment, Utah State University does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination, including harassment, based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by University policy, Title IX, or any other federal, state, or local law.

The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations and/or USU’s non-discrimination policies:

Executive Director of the Office of Equity Matthew Pinner, discrimination@usu.edu, Distance Education Rm. 401, 435-797-1266

Title IX Coordinator Cody Carmichael, titleix@usu.edu, Distance Education Rm. 404, 435-797-1266

Mailing address: 5100 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322

For further information regarding non-discrimination, please visit https://equity.usu.edu/, or contact:

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 800-421-3481, OCR@ed.gov

*updated 09/2023