Travel Specialist (11216)

Toronto Transit Commission (TTC); Greater Toronto Area; On-site; CAD 87,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Travel Specialist to enhance customer engagement for accessible transit services. This temporary role involves creating and implementing Travel Training strategies, ensuring that individuals with disabilities can navigate the TTC's services confidently. The ideal candidate will assess individual needs and develop customized travel plans, while promoting a culture of inclusion and accessibility. Join a dynamic team committed to making a difference in the lives of transit users and supporting the community's diverse needs.

Benefits

Defined Pension Plan

Professional Development Opportunities

Support for Well-being

Qualifications

• University degree in health sciences or social services required.
• Experience working with disabled populations is essential.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement Travel Training plans for Wheel-Trans.
• Provide customer support and strategic planning for accessibility.

Skills

Communication Skills

Presentation Skills

Research Skills

Facilitation Skills

Office Technology Proficiency

Education

University Degree in Health Sciences

Credentials in Accessibility

Experience with Disabilities

Tools

MS Office

Job description

JOB INFORMATION

Requisition ID: 11216

Number of Vacancies: 1

Department: Wheel-Trans Operations (20000018) - Wheel Trans Senior Manager's Office (30000381)

Salary Information: $87,596.60 - $109,509.40

Pay Scale Group: 8SA

Employment Type: Temporary until September 12, 2026

Weekly Hours: 35 Off Days: Saturday and Sunday Shift: Various

Posted On: May 5, 2025

Last Day to Apply: May 13, 2025

Reports to: Assistant Manager - Customer Service

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), North America's third largest transit system and recognized as one of the top places to work in the GTA has introduced its new 2024-2028 TTC Corporate Plan - Moving Toronto, Connecting Communities which continues the TTC’s legacy of delivering service to hundreds of millions of customers a year. The TTC’s new vision and mission statements also help promote the many environmental, social equity and economic benefits that the TTC provides:

Vision: Moving Toronto towards a more equitable, sustainable, and prosperous future.

Mission: To serve the needs of transit riders by providing a safe, reliable, efficient, and accessible mass public transit service through a seamless integrated network to create access to opportunity for everyone.

The full Plan can be viewed on ttc.ca.

Career Opportunity

Are you seeking a new and exciting job opportunity? We are looking for a Travel Specialist on a temporary basis to join our team. In this role, you will create, implement, and directly participate in Travel Training plans and strategies for the Wheel-Trans Transformation Program. Your efforts will support Wheel-Trans customer engagement in utilizing the conventional TTC accessible services, including buses, streetcars, and subways.

What You Will Do

You report to the Assistant Manager, Customer Service, and you be responsible to assess customers' individual needs and abilities to strategically generate customized route plans that incorporate necessary accessibility accommodations. You will consider various disabilities, including physical, cognitive, sensory, and mental health, to develop effective lesson plans ensuring training is delivered in an understandable format.

Key Responsibilities:

Customer Support: Provide resources for safe and independent travel on the TTC's conventional network, and tools for success. Communicate sensitively when customers cannot safely travel on the network.

Strategic Planning: Develop strategies for TTC Travel Training based on AODA compliance requirements.

Program Accuracy: Ensure Travel Training program initiatives and information delivery align with internal standards, SOPs, best practices, corporate policies, and applicable legislation.

Consultation: Offer consultation to Wheel-Trans in designing, delivering, and evaluating Travel Training programs.

Collaboration: Liaise with the Training and Development Department, Human Resources, Corporate Communications, and the TTC’s Advisory Committee on Accessible Transit to support new program implementation.

Customer Engagement: Act as the front-line face of TTC Travel Training, supporting the TTC's Family of Services model by preparing customers for travel solutions that best meet their abilities.

Training Delivery: Develop targeted travel training plans, customer recruitment strategies, and meet department KPIs. Offer various modes of travel training, including one-on-one, group sessions, vehicle/station familiarization, route design, virtual/phone training, and classroom settings.

Barrier Mitigation: Anticipate, identify, and mitigate potential travel barriers through effective route planning strategies considering customer needs.

Instructional Training: Deliver clear and concise instructional training accessible to customers' individualized learning needs.

Community Outreach: Participate in TTC-sponsored events and community outreach, often held during evenings and weekends.

Presentations: Develop and deliver high-level presentations to management and staff to share and review program status and project initiatives.

As a TTC employee, you will promote a respectful work and service environment that supports diversity, inclusion, and is free from harassment and discrimination. Provide leadership in the development and implementation of inclusive and accessible policies, programs and/or services for employees and customers in accordance with TTC's commitments and obligations under the Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC) and Related Orders, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and TTC's policies. You will also be participating in the TTC Customer Service Ambassador Program.

What Skills Do You Bring

• Communicate in a variety of mediums
• Create and deliver presentations in various formats
• Facilitate group discussions and activities
• Gather information and conduct research
• Use office technology, software and applications

What Qualifications Do You Bring

• Your educational background will consist of a university degree in health sciences or social services, with credentials in accessibility and working with people with disabilities (physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health). Equivalent combinations of education, training, and experience are acceptable.
• Proven experience working directly with disabled populations, including familiarity with mobility devices and their use in public transit. Experience as a direct service provider in one-on-one environments.
• Extensive knowledge of the TTC’s conventional transit system and routes, with a focus on accessibility features. Understanding of various disability cultures and politically correct terminology.
• Ability to deliver and adapt teaching styles to suit customers' understanding. Proficiency in interpreting maps, schedules, transit apps, and compass directions. Strong communication skills, including different modes (ASL, communication boards). Proficiency with MS Office and related software.
• Experience teaching blind and visually impaired populations, and working with individuals with cognitive and sensory disabilities (deaf/hard of hearing, Deaf/blind). Ability to communicate in another language. Additional certifications such as CPR-B and basic first aid.
• Comfortable with public speaking, leading groups, and participating in public events.
• Access to a personal vehicle and willingness to use it for employment purposes. You must have a valid Ontario Class "G" Driver’s License.
• Willingness to work evenings and weekends if required.
• Familiarity with community agencies and resources in Toronto that provide services to persons with disabilities. Awareness of public transit navigation in surrounding municipalities (York Region, Region of Peel, Metrolinx, MiWay, Durham Transit).
• Knowledge of upcoming transit projects and improvements, and transit-related programs (support person cards, Presto, Fair Pass Program, Eglinton Crosstown, One Fare).

What We Offer

• Commitment to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture that promotes a sense of belonging and represents and reflects the needs of the communities we serve.
• One of the great benefits of being a full-time TTC employee is becoming a member of the TTC defined pension plan.
• Support for professional development opportunities for all colleagues through a broad range of learning programs that include in-person and online training, leadership development, and support for colleagues’ well-being.

Commitment to EDI

The TTC is committed to upholding the values of equity, diversity, anti-racism and inclusion in the delivery of its services and in its workplaces. The TTC is committed to fostering a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities it serves at all levels of the organization and supports an inclusive environment where diverse employee and community perspectives and experiences bring value to the organization. The TTC encourages applications from all applicants, including members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to equity, including but not limited to, Indigenous, Black and racialized groups, people with disabilities, women and people from the LGBTQIA+ community. The TTC values and supports an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment and selection process. Accommodations for applicants are available upon request throughout the recruitment and selection process, including for those who identify as having a disability. Please contact Talent Management at [phone]. Any information received related to an accommodation will be addressed confidentially.

The TTC’s policy prohibits relatives of current TTC employees from being hired, assigned, transferred or promoted into positions, where there is a conflict of interest due to a relationship. Should you be selected for an interview, you will be required to disclose the name, relationship and position of any relative who is a current TTC employee.

We thank all applicants for their interest but advise only those selected for an interview will be contacted.