Director of Transit Operations and Public Safety

Director of Transit Operations and Public Safety

Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Oregon

Under general direction, the Director will be responsible for efficient daily transit operations, overseeing operators, buses, dispatch functions, and administering district policies, ensuring budget compliance, fostering safety, leading the workforce, and acting as District’s Emergency Manager during critical incidents.

• Manage departmental expenditures and ensure compliance with budgetary definitions.
• Administer District policies and procedures, especially with regard to those policies and procedures having a direct association with the department's functions.
• Serve as external liaison with other agencies.
• Ensure continuous attention to workplace safety.
• Ensure cost‑effectiveness in departmental operations.
• Recommend hiring, promotion, and salary adjustments of departmental staff.
• Direct the continuous training and education of departmental staff.
• Provide departmental leadership and coaching for staff.
• Plan or implement efficiency changes to transportation services, such as optimizing capacities, employing alternate modes of transportation, or minimizing idling.
• Monitor operations to ensure that staff members comply with administrative policies and procedures, safety rules, union contracts, environmental policies, and government regulations.
• Promote effective employee relations.
• Participate as a member of the executive management team, contributing to policy‑level discussions, and serve on designated management teams.
• Oversight of the Operations and Public Safety divisions.
• Plan, supervise and evaluate department activities to ensure cost‑effective and reliable system implementation; recommend and implement District policy; and monitor operating statistics.
• Oversee selection, training, discipline and evaluation of department personnel; provide counseling and advice on personnel issues; conduct annual staff evaluations.
• Participate and lead complex investigations and disciplinary related issues in conjunction with HR.
• Develop and present department budget; monitor expenditures and operating costs throughout the year.
• Represent department in various forums, including the executive management team, and other interdepartmental meetings.
• Monitor progress and status of key projects assigned to administrative staff and those with operational impact.
• Identify growth and improvement opportunities through training, networking, attendance at conferences and workshops and review of industry publications.
• Represent environmental management in his/her respected work group.
• Remain informed, educated and trained on job‑specific work instructions.
• Develop work plan and management practices that are consistent with the District’s mission, vision and Strategic business plan.
• Develop and maintain a culture of safety.
• Develop and manage the District’s all‑hazards emergency response and Continuity of Operations plans.
• Develop and maintain a culture of teamwork and fairness.
• Assume Chief Operations Officer responsibilities as needed.

Knowledge of Public Transportation Operations & Management, Administration and Management, Customer Satisfaction and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, Personnel and Human Resources, Clerical, Computers and Electronics, Law and Government, Economics and Accounting.

Competencies include Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Negotiation, Persuasion, Management of Personnel Resources, Learning Strategies, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Monitoring, Active Listening, Active Learning, Systems Evaluation, and Time Management.

• Full managerial responsibility, including providing direction to other supervisors/managers regarding the supervision of their staff. Supervisory span will include direct and indirect reports and may cover multiple departments.

• Develop, manage, and reconcile department budget; contribute to long‑term investment planning as well as adhere to procurement policies, procedures, and contract compliance.
• Implement operational/procedural strategies leading to…