Assistant General Manager/ Operations Manager

First Student, Inc.; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Assistant General Manager/Operations Manager at First Student, Inc. will lead the Essex County Paratransit operation, guiding daily dispatch, scheduling, fleet coordination, and customer service to ensure safe and reliable transportation.

You will work with the General Manager and local leaders to meet contractual and regulatory requirements, supervise staff, manage performance, and drive continuous improvements in service delivery.

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible supervisory or management experience in paratransit, community transportation, public transportation, logistics, or related field.
• Experience with transportation operations, scheduling, dispatching, and fleet management.
• Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Knowledge of regulatory compliance requirements.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day management of the Essex County Paratransit operation.
• Oversee dispatching, scheduling, routing, and daily transportation operations.
• Supervise staff and provide coaching and performance management.
• Ensure regulatory compliance and safety initiatives are followed.
• Coordinate with maintenance and fleet teams to ensure vehicle availability.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Operations management

Employee supervision

Dispatching

Scheduling

Fleet operations

Regulatory compliance

Personnel management

Leadership

Communication skills

Job description

This position is being recruited in support of a pending Essex County paratransit contract opportunity. Employment is contingent upon First Student being awarded the contract. Candidates may be contacted and interviewed prior to the contract award; however, an employment start date will not be confirmed until the award and implementation timeline are finalized.

Assistant General Manager / Operations Manager

Why First Student?

At First Student, our operations leaders are responsible for delivering safe, reliable, and efficient transportation service while supporting employees and maintaining strong customer relationships.

The Assistant General Manager/Operations Manager will help lead the Essex County Paratransit operation, supporting a 47-vehicle community transportation program and assisting with the day-to-day management of employees, service delivery, dispatch, scheduling, fleet operations, customer service, and regulatory compliance.

About the Role

The Assistant General Manager/Operations Manager supports the overall management of the Essex County Paratransit operation and works closely with the General Manager and other local leaders to ensure transportation services are delivered safely, efficiently, and in accordance with contractual and regulatory requirements.

This position provides hands-on operational leadership across multiple areas of the business, including employee supervision, dispatching, scheduling, fleet coordination, customer service, and personnel management.

The successful candidate will bring significant supervisory or management experience in paratransit, community transportation, public transportation, logistics, fleet management, or a closely related transportation environment.

What You'll Do

• Support the day-to-day management of the Essex County Paratransit operation.
• Assist with oversight of transportation service delivery, including dispatching, scheduling, routing, and daily operations.
• Supervise employees and provide day-to-day direction, coaching, and performance management.
• Support driver, dispatcher, customer service, and operational staff.
• Monitor service performance and help address operational issues as they arise.
• Coordinate with maintenance and fleet teams to support vehicle availability and service reliability.
• Help manage fleet operations and ensure vehicles are appropriately assigned and available for service.
• Support customer service activities and assist with the resolution of passenger or client concerns.
• Monitor regulatory and company compliance requirements.
• Assist with employee scheduling, staffing, attendance, and other personnel-management responsibilities.
• Support safety initiatives and operational compliance programs.
• Assist with service disruptions, emergencies, and other operational events.
• Review operational data and performance trends and help develop corrective actions or process improvements.
• Work closely with the General Manager and other leadership to maintain strong operational performance.
• Help promote employee engagement, accountability, teamwork, and a positive work environment.
• Perform additional operational and management responsibilities as required.

What You'll Bring

• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible supervisory or management experience in one or more of the following: Community transportation Paratransit Demand-response transportation Public transportation Logistics Fleet management a closely related transportation field
• Demonstrated experience with: Transportation operations Employee supervision Customer service Scheduling Dispatching Fleet operations Regulatory compliance Personnel management
• Strong leadership and employee-management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple operational priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making ability.
• Ability to work effectively with drivers, dispatchers, customers, management, vendors, and community partners.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Ability to support operational improvements and maintain consistent service performance.

Work Environment

• Position is full-time and on-site.
• Role will involve work in office, dispatch, vehicle, and transportation operating environments.
• Must be able to respond to operational issues and changing service needs throughout the workday.
• Additional availability may be required based on operational needs, emergencies, or service disruptions.

Why Join Our Team?

This role provides the opportunity to help lead a major paratransit operation while directly influencing employee performance, customer service, operational efficiency, and service reliability.

Language Requirement
This role requires English proficiency. Federal, state, and local requirements, including U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, require training, safety communications, company policies, employment documents, and other job-related communications be conducted in English.

First for a reason:

At First Student, we are a family of 60,000+ employees who take pride in safely transporting more than 5 million students and passengers to and from their destinations each day! Our family of brands include Transco, Total Transportation, Maggies Paratransit, and GVC II. Our employees are at the forefront of safety and innovation; they create and implement the most advanced training and technology the transportation industry has to offer.

In the state of Washington, all technician and driving positions, including but not limited to van drivers and any other position requiring employees to drive a company-owned vehicle, are considered safety-sensitive and are therefore subject to drug and alcohol testing, including cannabis.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. First is also committed to providing a drug-free workplace. First will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance, and any other fair chance law. Philadelphia's Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance Poster is at this link or upon request https://www.phila.gov/media/20210423160847/Fair-Chance-Hiring-law-poster.pdf.