Controller, Regional Operations Center (Bus)

RTD; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 77,000 - 109,000; Full time

Job summary

Regional Transportation District (RTD) in Denver seeks a Controller to provide real-time oversight of the bus network, ensuring safe, efficient, and reliable service. You will monitor operations via CAD/AVL, maintain radio communications, and coordinate with operators, maintenance, and supervisors to manage incidents and service disruptions.

The role emphasizes strong situational awareness, operational judgment, and collaboration across departments to support RTD’s safety and reliability goals.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; Associate degree in related field preferred.
• Minimum of two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in transit, transportation, or incident management-related operations.
• Experience in transit system & support, dispatching, or control center operations in public transit, police, or fire communications centers.
• Experience using CAD/AVL or similar automated transit management software preferred.
• Must have a valid Colorado driver's license with minimal moving violations in past 3 years.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and control real-time bus operations, ensuring safe, reliable, customer-focused service across normal, degraded, and emergency conditions.
• Maintain radio and electronic communications with Operators, Supervisors, Maintenance, and other personnel.
• Use CAD/AVL and other software to track route adherence, adjust service levels, mitigate delays, and manage incidents.
• Respond immediately to emergencies and coordinate with responders until normal operations are restored.
• Coordinate special and emergency bus movements to maintain service continuity; supervise adjustments as needed.
• Document operational incidents, service disruptions, and communications per agency procedures; support SMS & PTASP compliance.
• Prepare and review operational reports and communicate updates to leadership and stakeholders.

Skills

Real-time operations

CAD/AVL

Emergency response

Radio communications

Operations coordination

Safety compliance

Data analysis

MS Office

Education

High school diploma

Associate degree in Transit operations

Transit operations technical training

Tools

CAD/AVL

SCADA

Job description

At Regional Transportation District (RTD), We make lives better through connections!

When you join RTD, you will be among dedicated employees exhibiting RTD's values of passion, respect, diversity, trustworthiness, collaboration, and ownership. RTD is committed to an inclusive and diverse workplace. As part of our diversity value statement, we encourage our employees to honor diversity in thought, people, and experience. Come join RTD on this great journey to be the trusted leader in mobility, delivering excellence and value to our customers and community.

RTD Employee Benefits: https://www.rtd-denver.com/careers/benefits (RTD Represented Employee Benefits: Please refer to the Labor Agreement included in the above link for details.)

This position provides real-time operational oversight of RTD’s bus network to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable service. Working under the Assistant Manager, ROC, this position monitors normal, degraded, and emergency operations; maintains continuous radio communication with Operators, Supervisors, Maintenance, and other personnel; and manages scheduled service, special bus movements, and high‑volume events. Using the Integrated CAD/AVL system and other operational tools, the Controller maintains route adherence, mitigates delays, adjusts service levels as needed, and coordinates responses to incidents or disruptions in collaboration with internal and external partners.

The Controller responds immediately to emergency calls and alarms, coordinates with emergency responders, and directs special or emergency bus movements to maintain service continuity. The role works closely with Vehicle Maintenance to replace defective buses, resolve farebox issues, and minimize service interruptions. Additional responsibilities include documenting procedural violations and commendations, participating in required meetings and training, supporting SMS and PTASP requirements, and promoting safety awareness. Success in this role requires strong situational awareness, communication, and operational judgment to balance dynamic conditions and ensure reliable, customer‑focused bus service.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Monitor and control real-time bus operations, including Bus Operators, Service Supervisors, Transit System & Support (Bus), maintenance personnel, scheduled routes, special bus movements, and high-volume events. Ensure safe, reliable, and customer-focused service while responding to normal, degraded, and emergency operational conditions.
• Maintain radio and electronic communications with Operators, Supervisors, Maintenance, and other personnel to provide timely information and coordinate responses to operational issues.
• Use CAD/AVL and other operational software tools to track route adherence, adjust service levels and headways, mitigate delays, and implement failure management techniques.
• Respond immediately to emergency calls, silent alarms, accidents, and service disruptions. Assess the situation and coordinate with emergency responders, Maintenance, and supervisory staff until normal operations are restored.
• Modify bus operations as required due to incidents, service interruptions, or unusual operating conditions. Coordinate special and emergency bus movements to maintain service continuity.
• Instruct Service Supervisors and Operators on troubleshooting non-safety-critical vehicle issues to reduce service interruptions. Coordinate with Vehicle Maintenance to replace defective buses or resolve mechanical issues.
• Monitor fare collection and coordinate with maintenance or revenue personnel to resolve farebox or electronic payment equipment issues.
• Apply Safety Management System (SMS) principles and support all aspects of RTD’s Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP). Promote safety awareness and adhere to safety procedures to reduce the risk of accidents or incidents.
• Collect and monitor operational data, including service adherence, delay reports, incident logs and other key performance indicators. Identify trends, risks, and opportunities for service improvement, and elevate issues to the Assistant Manager, ROC as appropriate.
• Prepare and review operational reports, correspondence, presentations, and other documentation related to bus service performance and incident response for internal leadership and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with internal departments, including Operations, Maintenance, Safety, Customer Care, and Emergency Management, to ensure coordinated responses to service disruptions and efficient communication of operational updates.
• Participate in system-wide operational initiatives, task forces, and meetings focused on service reliability, emergency preparedness and customer service improvements.
• Represent RTD at internal and external meetings related to bus operations, emergency response coordination, and service continuity as assigned.
• Support the implementation of strategies and initiatives aligned with RTD’s strategic plan, including safety, operational reliability, customer service excellence and system sustainability.
• Assist in the coordination and monitoring of special projects or operational initiatives to improve bus service reliability, performance and incident management.
• Maintain strong relationships across departments and promote effective cross-functional collaboration to ensure safe, reliable and efficient bus operations.
• This position is rated essential and works onsite at the Regional Operations Center. The Regional Operations Center operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. Shifts will cover varying hours working nights, weekends and holidays.

Other Responsibilities

• All job-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required. Associate’s degree in Business, Transportation, or a related field preferred. Additional technical training in transit operations or dispatch systems is desirable.
• Minimum of two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in transit, transportation, or incident management-related operations. Experience must include working directly with internal stakeholders, operations staff and responding to service disruptions or emergency situations.
• Experience in Transit System & Support, dispatching, or control center operations in public transit, police, or fire communications centers. Demonstrated ability to monitor, coordinate, and respond to dynamic operational conditions is required.
• Experience using CAD/AVL or similar automated transit management and vehicle tracking software preferred. Familiarity with data radio, SCADA, or related operational technologies is a plus.
• Must have a valid Colorado driver's license with no more than 4 moving violations in the past 3 years; cannot have a violation of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs within the last 5 years.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Working knowledge of bus operations, real-time service delivery, and centralized transit control procedures, including managing normal, degraded, and emergency service conditions.
• Familiarity with control center functions, including CAD/AVL, data radio, vehicle location, smart bus systems, SCADA, and other operational technologies used to monitor and manage bus operations.
• Knowledge of applicable local, state, and federal regulations, rules, and statutory requirements governing transit control center operations, bus service delivery, and safety compliance.
• Ability to monitor and control bus operations, including service adherence, headways, special movements, emergency response, and high-volume events, ensuring safe, reliable, and customer-focused service.
• Strong operational judgment, critical thinking and problem‑solving skills to assess dynamic conditions, mitigate delays, and implement service adjustments effectively.
• Skill in coordinating with internal departments and external partners, including Operations, Maintenance, Safety, Emergency Response Agencies, and regulatory bodies, to resolve operational issues and maintain continuity of service.
• Knowledge of incident response and emergency management methods, including evaluating situations, dispatching resources, and executing contingency plans to minimize service disruptions.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills, with the ability to convey operational information clearly to leadership, ROC staff, Operators, and external stakeholders.
• Ability to analyze operational and system data, identify trends, recurring issues and risks, and make informed recommendations for corrective or preventive actions.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, including the ability to prioritize tasks, manage multiple incidents simultaneously and maintain attention to detail under pressure.
• Ability to accurately document operational incidents, service disruptions, vehicle issues, and communications in accordance with agency procedures.
• Ability to assist in making operational decisions regarding resource deployment, service adjustments and emergency response under the direction of the Assistant Manager, ROC.
• Ability to manage confidential and sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.
• Skill in coaching, influencing, and providing guidance to colleagues, demonstrating approachability, credibility, and confidence in a high‑pressure operational environment.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite and relevant operational software used for reporting, monitoring and documentation.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, work independently, and collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams to achieve safe, efficient, and reliable bus operations.

Other

An equivalent combination of education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities.

Working Environment and Physical Requirements

• Worker is subject to varying inside and/or outside temperatures, which may include extreme heat (temperatures above 100 degrees) or extreme cold (temperatures below 32 degrees).

Career Map

Based on job performance, experience, education and position availability the next step on the career map for this position may be: Assistant Manager, Regional Operations Center (Operations).

Pay Range

$77,437.00 - $109,380.25 Annual

EEO Policy and ADA Accommodations

RTD is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, supporting diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. All applicants will be considered for employment regardless to the race, sex, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law. RTD is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, promotions and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to our Employment ADA Coordinator Kris Frazier at [e-mail], or the Talent Acquisition team [e-mail]. To learn more or see our EEO policy, please visit our EEO page at: https://www.rtd-denver.com/open-records/reports-and-policies/eeo-policy

RTD posts a compensation range that represents a good faith estimate of what RTD anticipates paying for the position at the time of posting. Starting salary is based on the candidate’s relevant and verified education, training and work experience. Applicants should submit all relevant and verifiable education, training and work experiences at the time of application.