Project Specialist, Process Optimization

Project Specialist, Process Optimization

The Project Specialist, Process Optimization contributes to portions of project plans, manages defined deliverables, escalates risks, and partners with project managers and process optimization leaders to drive operational efficiency. This role will also support projects by assisting with the facilitation of workshops, coordinating schedules, creating agendas, and creating presentations.

Additionally, the Project Specialist, Process Optimization conducts data analysis, process mapping, and stakeholder engagement to identify opportunities, streamline workflows, and drive continuous improvement across projects on the process optimization team. This role is intentionally designed to learn and develop core project management competencies, creating a pathway to higher-level PM roles.

Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the development of project plans, including tasks, timelines, and dependencies.
• Manage assigned portions of project workstreams with guidance from a Project Manager or Sr Manager.
• Maintain integrated project schedules and support updates to governance artifacts.
• Document current-state workflows, pain points, and stakeholder insights
• Support the facilitation of process discovery workshops and future state design sessions.
• Assist in analyzing data, identifying trends, and performing basic root-cause analysis.
• Serve as a coordination point across departments, helping the team communicate clearly about project goals, next steps, and expectations.
• Draft meeting agendas, take notes, and track action items to support project governance.
• Contribute to drafting recommendations for process improvements and standardization.
• Assist with collecting and organizing process data, feedback, and metrics to help identify optimization opportunities.
• Coordinate meetings, prepare agendas, and support effective communication across teams.
• Partner with stakeholders to collect requirements, clarify next steps, and monitor progress.
• Prepare materials for leadership updates, project reviews, and change management activities.

Required Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Deadline-driven, organized, detail-oriented, and responsible
• Takes initiative and prioritizes work and escalates as needed
• Ability to adjust and tailor communications and messages based on the audience
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate with others inside and outside the MTA
• Strong time management skills and ability to manage individual assignments
• Ability to rapidly pick up new processes, software, and trends and apply to current workflow
• Comfort with ambiguity
• Data manipulation in Excel to automate manual data cleaning and validation, including VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, and INDEX MATCH
• Strong skills in M365, including PowerPoint, Copilot, Planner, Visio, and other tools
• Strong communication skills and ability to leverage different media to deliver messages
• Supports strategic communication, problem solving, risk management, facilitating meetings, and ensuring quality control are elements
• Supports collaborative efforts across business groups and functional teams at multiple levels.

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree in Arts/Sciences (BA/BS) or an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered in lieu of a degree. A master's degree could be used as a substitute for 2 years of related experience.
• Minimum 4 years of supporting large complex projects and driving tasks
• Minimum 1 year of documenting business processes, procedures, and mapping

The Following is/are preferred:

• Master's degree in Arts/Sciences (MA/MS)
• Minimum 1 year of interacting with internal and external clients at all levels

Other Information:

• May need to work outside of normal work hours (i.e., evenings and weekends)
• Travel may be required to other MTA locations or other external sites.
• According 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 (the "Commission").
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• MTA and its subsidiary and affiliated agencies are Equal Opportunity Employers, including those concerning veteran status and individuals with disabilities.
• The MTA encourages qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and abilities, including military service members, to apply.