Director Of Transportation

Washington County Schools (TN); Jonesborough (TN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Washington County Schools in Tennessee seeks a Director of Transportation to provide strategic and operational leadership for student transportation, ensuring safety, reliability, compliance, and efficiency across the district's fleet and workforce.

This full-time 12-month administrative role requires strong leadership, CDL and transportation‑management knowledge, and the ability to coordinate with principals, special education, and central offices to deliver timely, safe transport for all

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
• Five or more years of progressively responsible transportation-related experience.
• Demonstrated supervisory or management experience with a sizable workforce.
• Knowledge of safety management, budgeting, fleet management, routing, emergency response, and customer service.
• Ability to obtain and maintain all Tennessee transportation-management certifications.
• Valid driver's license and clean driving record.

Responsibilities

• Direct the safe and efficient transportation of students district-wide.
• Oversee dispatch, route coverage, and daily service disruptions.
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, and evaluation of transportation staff.
• Maintain compliance with state and federal transportation laws.
• Coordinate with schools, special education, and central offices.

Skills

Leadership

Supervision

Budgeting

Communication

Customer service

Safety management

Data analysis

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

GPS/telematics

Fleet management

Camera systems

Student information systems

State transportation reporting systems

Routing software (e.g., BusRight)

Job description

Job Description

WASHINGTON COUNTY SCHOOLS

DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION

Job Description

Reports To

Superintendent or Designee

Department

Operations / Transportation

Supervises

Transportation Department personnel, including supervisors/coordinators, dispatchers, driver trainers, bus drivers, bus assistants/monitors, mechanics, and other assigned personnel

Employment

Full-Time, 12-Month Administrative Position

FLSA Status

Exempt

POSITION PURPOSE

The Director of Transportation provides strategic and operational leadership for the Washington County Schools student transportation program. The Director is accountable for safe, reliable, efficient, compliant, and student-centered transportation services and for the effective stewardship of the district's transportation workforce, fleet, technology, and financial resources.

The Director leads a service-oriented department focused on safety, operational excellence, employee effectiveness, fiscal responsibility, communication, and continuous improvement. The Director serves as the district's designated Transportation Supervisor for purposes of Tennessee law unless otherwise designated by the Superintendent.

Leadership Accountabilities

• Safety, Compliance & Risk Management
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal and Tennessee laws, regulations, school bus specifications, State Board requirements, Board policies, and district procedures.
• Complete and maintain all transportation-management training and continuing education required for the district's designated Transportation Supervisor.
• Maintain effective systems for receiving, investigating, documenting, resolving, and retaining transportation safety complaints and related corrective or disciplinary actions within required timelines.
• Oversee transportation emergency preparedness, accident response, evacuation procedures, incident review, required state reporting, and corrective‑action processes.
• Serve as the district transportation operational lead, in coordination with law enforcement, emergency responders, district leadership, and school administration, during significant school bus accidents and transportation emergencies.
• Oversee the district's DOT drug and alcohol testing program for covered transportation employees, including pre‑employment, random, post‑accident, reasonable‑suspicion, return‑to‑duty, and follow‑up requirements as applicable.
• Ensure required records are maintained for driver qualifications, background/fingerprint checks, medical and motor‑vehicle records, training, inspections, accidents, complaints, vehicle maintenance, and other compliance obligations.
• Ensure authorized school bus drivers are properly credentialed and reported/authorized through applicable Tennessee systems, including TITAN, and that drivers with suspended or revoked privileges are immediately restricted from driving.
• Transportation Operations & Service Reliability
• Direct the safe and efficient transportation of students to and from school, school-sponsored activities, and other authorized programs, including transportation required for students with disabilities and students eligible under McKinney‑Vento.
• Oversee dispatch, route coverage, substitute assignments, loading/unloading practices, school coordination, and response to daily service disruptions.
• Monitor early‑morning road and inclement‑weather conditions; assess transportation safety and operational impacts; and advise the Superintendent/designee regarding delays, closures, alternate routes, or other adjustments.
• Establish operational protocols for severe weather, road closures, mechanical failures, accidents, student emergencies, and other transportation disruptions.
• Coordinate transportation requirements with principals, special education personnel, student support staff, athletics/activities personnel, and central‑office departments.
• Maintain effective systems for timely communication with schools, drivers, families, emergency responders, and district leadership during routine operations and disruptions.
• People Leadership & Workforce Development
• Lead recruitment, selection, onboarding, development, supervision, evaluation, recognition, retention, and accountability for transportation personnel.
• Recommend qualified personnel for employment and ensure appropriate staffing levels, succession planning, and substitute coverage.
• Ensure drivers and other covered employees satisfy applicable CDL, endorsement, training, medical, background‑check, fingerprinting, motor‑vehicle‑record, drug/alcohol testing, and other eligibility requirements.
• Oversee initial and recurring driver training, in‑service programs, evacuation training, student‑management training, safety instruction, and emergency preparedness in accordance with state standards.
• Establish clear performance expectations, supervisory practices, and professional standards; investigate performance or conduct concerns and recommend appropriate corrective action consistent with district policy.
• Develop and implement strategies to strengthen driver and transportation employee recruitment, engagement, attendance, retention, and professional growth.
• Routing, Technology & Data
• Oversee the design, evaluation, and continuous improvement of routes, stops, schedules, school transportation patterns, and transportation assignments using automated routing systems such as BusRight or successor platforms.
• Use GPS/telematics, routing, camera, fleet‑management, parent‑communication, and state reporting technologies to improve safety, service, and accountability.
• Establish consistent safety and operational criteria for evaluating route and stop changes and community requests for transportation service.
• Analyze and report key indicators such as ridership, mileage, travel time, capacity utilization, on‑time performance, route coverage, driver availability, overtime, and cost.
• Ensure student transportation data are accurate, appropriately protected, and effectively integrated with district student information and transportation systems.
• Fleet & Asset Management
• Oversee preventive maintenance, repairs, service schedules, annual inspections, pre‑ and post‑trip inspection processes, and documentation for school buses and assigned district fleet vehicles.
• Ensure buses meet applicable Tennessee equipment, inspection, service authorization, and record‑retention requirements.
• Monitor vehicle age, mileage, condition, reliability, fuel/energy use, maintenance cost, downtime, and lifecycle cost to inform replacement decisions.
• Develop and maintain a long‑range capital fleet replacement plan and recommend annual vehicle and equipment priorities.
• Provide leadership for vehicle specifications, procurement, acceptance, disposal, vendor/service contracts, inventory controls, and appropriate grant opportunities, including alternative‑fuel or clean‑energy initiatives when operationally and financially advantageous.
• Financial & Resource Management
• Develop and administer the Transportation Department's annual operating and capital budgets in coordination with district leadership.
• Monitor expenditures, purchasing, inventory, contracts, fuel/energy costs, maintenance costs, overtime, and other major cost drivers; maintain appropriate internal controls.
• Analyze cost‑per‑mile, cost‑per‑student, route utilization, staffing, fleet, and other operational measures to identify opportunities for improved efficiency and service.
• Prepare or oversee specifications and recommendations for buses, vehicles, equipment, technology, fuel, parts, and contracted services.
• Develop multiyear resource forecasts addressing fleet, staffing, facilities, technology, and transportation capacity.
• Communication & Customer Service
• Establish responsive systems for addressing parent, student, employee, school, Board, and community transportation questions, concerns, and service requests.
• Communicate clearly and promptly regarding delays, route changes, emergencies, service disruptions, safety matters, and other transportation issues.
• Provide regular operational, safety, staffing, fleet, and performance updates to the Superintendent/designee and prepare information for the Board of Education when requested.
• Represent the district professionally with families, community organizations, contractors, county/highway department, law enforcement, emergency responders, state agencies, vendors, and other partners.
• Ensure students, parents, staff, and drivers have access to and understand applicable transportation policies, procedures, bus conduct expectations, discipline/reporting processes, and safety responsibilities.
• Strategic Planning & Continuous Improvement
• Develop annual departmental goals aligned with the Washington County Schools strategic plan and the district mission to ensure every student graduates globally competitive and community-minded.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators for safety, service reliability, workforce stability, fleet condition, efficiency, customer service, and compliance.
• Conduct periodic operational and safety reviews; benchmark district practices against relevant state and national standards and high‑performing transportation organizations.
• Develop long‑range plans for staffing, fleet replacement, routing, facilities, technology, emergency readiness, and transportation capacity.
• Recommend policy, procedure, organizational, technology, and operational improvements to the Superintendent/designee and lead implementation of approved changes.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in business administration, logistics, transportation, operations management, education, public administration, or a related field preferred. An equivalent combination of education, training, and substantial progressively responsible experience may be considered.
• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in transportation, fleet operations, logistics, school operations, public‑sector operations, or a closely related field preferred.
• Demonstrated supervisory or management experience involving a sizable workforce and complex, safety‑sensitive daily operations.
• Demonstrated knowledge of safety management, personnel supervision, budgeting, fleet management, routing/logistics, regulatory compliance, emergency response, technology, and customer service.
• Ability to obtain and maintain all transportation‑management training and certifications required by Tennessee law.
• Valid driver's license and satisfactory driving record.
• Must satisfy all Washington County Schools employment, background‑check, and other applicable requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Leadership experience in K‑12 student transportation or a comparable transportation, logistics, public transit, military logistics, municipal fleet, emergency‑services, or large‑scale fleet operation.
• National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) certification, including Certified Director of Pupil Transportation (CDPT) or Certified Supervisor of Pupil Transportation (CSPT), or another recognized pupil‑transportation credential; willingness to pursue appropriate professional certification is desirable.
• Experience with computerized routing, GPS/telematics, fleet‑management, camera, parent‑communication, student information, and state transportation reporting systems.
• Experience managing CDL‑regulated employees and federal DOT drug/alcohol compliance.
• Experience with public‑sector budgeting, procurement, contracts, grants, and capital planning.
• Demonstrated success improving safety, service reliability, operational efficiency, workforce recruitment/retention, fleet performance, or customer service.
• Commercial Driver License (CDL) Class B with Passenger (P) and School Bus (S) endorsements preferred. If the district determines such licensure is operationally necessary, the successful candidate must obtain the appropriate CDL and endorsements within a district‑established timeframe.

LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES

Safety Leadership

• Operational Excellence
• People Leadership
• Strategic Thinking
• Accountability
• Data‑Informed Decision Making
• Communication
• Customer Service
• Fiscal Stewardship
• Problem Solving
• Collaboration
• Integrity
• Continuous Improvement

Physical & Work Environment Requirements

The position requires the ability to work in office, transportation facility, school, roadside, vehicle, and outdoor environments; travel throughout the district; inspect buses, transportation facilities, and loading/unloading areas; respond to transportation emergencies and operational issues outside regular business hours when necessary; and perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. The position may require occasional lifting, stooping, kneeling, pushing/pulling, reaching, hearing, seeing, and speaking consistent with transportation operational responsibilities.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT

Salary, work year, benefits, and other terms of employment shall be established by the Washington County Board of Education and applicable district policies and administrative procedures.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

Performance shall be evaluated in accordance with Washington County Schools procedures. Evaluation should emphasize Director‑level outcomes and may include safety and compliance; operational reliability and efficiency; people and culture; routing, technology and data; fleet and fiscal stewardship; communication and customer service; and strategic improvement.

Other Duties

Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Superintendent or designee. This job description is intended to identify the principal responsibilities and qualifications of the position and is not an exhaustive list of every task that may be required.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT

Washington County Schools is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its employment practices on the basis of any status protected by applicable federal or state law.