Transportation Management Center Lead

Join the City of Chattanooga Team

Chattanooga, a vibrant and growing community of over 190,000 residents within a metropolitan area of nearly 600,000 is known as the "Scenic City" for a reason. Nestled along the Tennessee River and surrounded by the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, we are a hub of outdoor adventure and innovation. Home to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and Chattanooga State Community College, our city blends a rich industrial history with a tech-forward future—famously powered by the nation’s first community-wide "Gig" fiber-optic network.​  The City of Chattanooga was also recently designated as a "National Park City,” the first of its kind in the United States.  

Our Organization

As a City, we are powered by a dedicated workforce of approximately ​2,600 employees committed to excellence in public service and making Chattanooga the best community in the country. Our team ensures our city thrives through a wide range of municipal services, including:

• Public Safety: Chattanooga Police and Fire Departments.
• Infrastructure & Utilities: Public Works, Waste Resources, and specialized Stormwater management.
• Quality of Life: Award-winning Parks and Outdoors and Community Development systems and the Chattanooga Public Library.
• Transportation: The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA) and citywide transit and pedestrian friendly initiatives.
• Innovation: Leading-edge  smart-city programs with a commitment to cutting edge workforce development policies to ensure all our residents can get ahead.

Why Choose Chattanooga?

The City of Chattanooga’s workforce is the heartbeat of our community. We don't just offer jobs; we offer careers with purpose: making Chattanooga the best city in America. We are committed to being the premier employer of choice in Southeast Tennessee by providing:

• Competitive Compensation: Robust pay scales that reflect our commitment to our staff.
• Work-Life Balance: Generous paid time off and flexible scheduling where possible.
• Exceptional Wellness: Comprehensive health benefits and wellness programs designed for you and your family that deliver savings to you beyond your paycheck, featuring a centralized health clinic and pharmacy for all City employees. .
• Growth: A focus on professional development and upward mobility within the organization.
• ​The Great Outdoors: Your Backyard Playground:  Chattanooga isn't just near nature, it's immersed in it.  As one of the most biodiverse cities in North America, the "Scenic City" offers an ecological richness that few places on earth can claim.  Whether you are an adrenaline junkie or a weekend wanderer, world-class adventure is always less than an hour away.
• ​Vertical Adventures: Scale legendary sandstone cliffs in what is widely considered the premier rock climbing hub of the Southeast.
• Water & Rapids: From the high-octane whitewater kayaking of the Ocoee River to world-class bass fishing and peaceful paddling on the Tennessee River.
• Trails for Miles: Explore a massive network of mountain biking and hiking trails that wind through lush ridges, hidden waterfalls, and deep river gorges.

In Chattanooga, "work-life balance" means you can finish your shift and be at a trailhead or on the water before the sun sets.

Our mission is to work together to build a safe, vibrant, and sustainable city for all Chattanoogans. To do that, it takes a team of skilled and passionate individuals. So, if you’d like to call Chattanooga home – or maybe you already do! – and want to further your career through meaningful work that makes a true impact where you live, we’d love to talk to you.

Salary:  $58,910- $71,170 (GS. 11)

Work Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 A.M. – 4:30 P.M. (EST)
*Hours may vary due to work assignments, or projects.*

Work Location:  100 East 11th Street, Chattanooga, TN 

FLSA Status: This is an Exempt position.

Department:  Technology Services

CLASSIFICATION SUMMARY:  
Incumbents in this classification are the operational architect and senior technical authority for the City of Chattanooga’s transportation network. The Traffic Management Center Lead is responsible for orchestrating the systems and protocols that ensure the safe movement of citizens through Chattanooga’s complex topography of ridges, river crossings, and interstates. This role provides high-level oversight of real-time traffic operations while spearheading the strategic development of the Traffic Management Center’s (TMC) capabilities, protocols, and technical infrastructure, and is an initial point of contact for all city, county, and state agency personnel, as well as external stakeholders.

SERIES LEVEL: 
The Traffic Management Center Lead is the second level of a two-level information technology traffic management series.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
(The following duties ARE NOT intended to serve as a comprehensive list of all duties performed by all employees in this classification, only a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties.)

Draft, review, and refine the Traffic Management Center’s SOGs and emergency response playbooks. Ensure protocols remain compliant with NIMS and MUTCD standards. Assist the Manager, Intelligent Cities in ensuring adherence to the TMC policies and procedures.

Maintain all TMC Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs) and safety protocols for traffic management, keeping these guidelines up to date on a quarterly basis at minimum.

Design and deliver comprehensive training modules for Traffic Management Center staff and partners.

Act as the primary mentor for Traffic Management Center Coordinators, ensuring consistency in incident management and system operation.

Assist the in development long-term roadmaps for ITS deployment, including the integration of AI-driven traffic analytics and connected vehicle (V2X) infrastructure.

Develop and track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the TMC operations, such as incident clearance times and data accuracy rates, to drive continuous improvement.

Coordinate ITS field device repair and maintenance activities with internal departments and external contractors.

Assist in developing and maintaining the inventory database for all deployed equipment to ensure resource readiness and accurate lifecycle tracking.

Actively monitor the Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS), CCTV feeds, DMS boards and sensor data to detect traffic flow disruptions, incidents, hazardous road conditions, and rail-crossing delays.

Serve as the primary point of contact during traffic incidents; coordinate rapid response strategies with the Chattanooga Police Department (CPD), Fire Department (CFD), and TDOT SmartWay operators to clear lanes and restore flow.

Assist in implementing pre-approved signal timing modifications or "flush plans" to relieve congestion caused by unexpected incidents or special events (e.g., Ironman, Riverbend, major conventions).

Maintain a live communication loop with 911 dispatch, public works crews, and transit (CARTA) to disseminate critical road status updates.

Manage the distribution of traveler information via Dynamic Message Signs (DMS), social media platforms, and 511 data streams to warn motorists of delays.

Review automated traffic data logs for accuracy; tag and categorize incidents correctly to ensure the Manager, Intelligent Cities has clean data for post-incident analysis.

Coordinate school timing adjustments at the beginning of the school year and actively monitor the functionality of the associated traffic control/timing systems.

Uses, carries, and answers their cell phone for business purposes as determined by the assigned job duties and the department head.

Must meet regular attendance requirements.

Must be able to maintain good interpersonal relationships with staff, co-workers, managers, and citizens.

Must accomplish the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations, in a timely manner.
Performs other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, Transportation Planning, or a related field with a minimum of four (4) years of experience in a dispatch center, command center operations, or a related field involving real-time monitoring and high-stakes decision-making; or any combination of equivalent experience and education. 

LICENSING AND CERTIFICATIONS:
Valid Driver’s License
Certification in FEMA National Incident Management System (NIMS) basic courses (e.g., ICS-100, IS-700) preferred.
Project Management Professional (PMP)® or CompTIA Project+ preferred.
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Professional Certification preferred.
IMSA Traffic Signal Technician Level 2 or higher preferred.
Relevant training and/or certification specific to Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) or regional Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) preferred.
CompTIA A+, CompTIA Security+, and/or CompTIA Network+ preferred.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:
Knowledge of the backend architecture of ITS networks and how field hardware integrates with cloud-based software. Knowledge of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) regarding temporary traffic control and National Incident Management System (NIMS) protocols. Knowledge of Chattanooga’s roadway network, including key pinch points (e.g., the Ridge Cut, tunnels, bridges) and diversion routes.

Ability to remotely access and manage network-connected field devices and hardware through centralized interfaces. Ability to maintain real-time logs and incident databases to ensure information is timely, complete, and audit-ready. Ability to rapidly assess, prioritize, and manage multiple critical tasks simultaneously during emergency events or high-pressure incidents. Ability to synthesize complex information into clear, concise alerts and notifications for public-facing communication platforms. Ability to comprehend and strictly follow Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs), compliance mandates, and emergency response protocols.

Skill in writing clear, enforceable technical protocols and operational procedures. Skill in identifying technical malfunctions and initiating the work-order process for rapid equipment repair within a mission-critical environment. Skill in managing synchronized activities and organizational resources during periods of heightened activity or critical system interruptions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: 
Positions in this class typically require climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, fingering, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing, seeing, and repetitive motions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: 
Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
Safety Sensitive: N
Department of Transportation - CDL: N 
Child Sensitive: N

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:
This position requires pre-employment screening(s) that include: background check/fingerprinting / CJIS check.

The City of Chattanooga, Tennessee, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourage both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

KNV 2/13/2026

KJF 260174