Driver Manager

Mountain Line Flagstaff; Flagstaff (AZ); On-site; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Mountain Line Flagstaff is seeking a Driver Manager to lead transit operators, coach performance, and ensure safe, professional service in support of daily operations. The role focuses on workforce development and adherence to policies to maintain service quality for northern Arizona.

You will partner with the Operations Manager to support attendance management, discipline processes, and continuous improvement across the organization, fostering accountability and a positive safety culture.

Responsibilities

• Acts as the primary manager responsible for operator performance, attendance, conduct, compliance, and workforce accountability.
• Establishes performance expectations and behavioral standards for assigned operator groups.
• Coaches, mentors, counseling, and performance-improvement activities to support employee success.
• Develops and implements improvement plans to address performance deficiencies and encourage employee growth.
• Maintains employee performance records and ensures accurate documentation of coaching, counseling, commendations, and corrective actions.
• Ensures employee compliance with organizational policies, procedures, safety requirements, and performance standards.

Job description

Company Description

Mountain Line is the public transit agency serving northern Arizona, providing fixed-route bus service on nine routes, paratransit service, vanpool options, and seasonal Mountain Express service to Arizona Snowbowl. The agency focuses on safe, reliable, and accessible transportation for residents, visitors, and the local community. Team members contribute to sustainable mobility solutions that support regional growth and connectivity. Working at Mountain Line offers opportunities to improve daily travel experiences while supporting equitable and environmentally conscious transit services.

Position Summary

The Driver Manager is responsible for leading, coaching, developing, and supporting assigned transit operators to ensure safe, professional, and effective performance of their duties in support of organizational service delivery goals. The position is accountable for operator attendance, performance, conduct, employee engagement, workforce development, and compliance with organizational policies and procedures.

The Driver Manager serves as a key member of the Operations leadership team and works collaboratively with the Operations Manager and Deputy General Manager of Operations to support organizational performance objectives, employee accountability, workforce reliability, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

Safety

• Promotes a culture of safety and regulatory compliance throughout assigned operator groups.
• Investigates accidents, incidents, and safety-related events involving assigned employees.
• Conducts follow-up coaching and corrective action resulting from safety investigations when appropriate.
• Monitors employee safety performance and develops strategies to reduce accidents and prevent workplace injuries.
• Ensures compliance with federal, state, local, and organizational safety requirements.
• Leads, coaches, mentors, and develops assigned transit operators.
• Establishes performance expectations and reinforces organizational values, customer service standards, and workplace expectations.
• Creates a positive work environment that promotes employee engagement, accountability, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
• Identifies training and development opportunities to improve employee performance and operational effectiveness.
• Recognizes and reinforces positive performance and employee achievements.

Operator Performance & Accountability

• Acts as the primary manager responsible for operator performance, attendance, conduct, compliance, and workforce accountability.
• Establishes performance expectations and behavioral standards for assigned operator groups.
• Conducts coaching, mentoring, counseling, and performance improvement activities to support employee success.
• Develops and implements improvement plans to address performance deficiencies and encourage employee growth.
• Maintains employee performance records and ensures accurate documentation of coaching, counseling, commendations, and corrective actions.
• Ensures employee compliance with organizational policies, procedures, safety requirements, and performance standards.

Employee Relations

• Serves as the designated management representative responsible for employee corrective action, progressive discipline, performance improvement plans for assigned operator groups.
• Conducts investigations related to attendance, performance, conduct, safety, policy compliance, and workplace concerns.
• Prepares and maintains documentation necessary to support corrective action.
• Responds to employee grievances.
• Ensures consistent application of policies and procedures.
• Supports conflict resolution and fosters productive employee-management relationships.

Customer Service & Employee Engagement

• Promotes exceptional customer service through employee coaching, recognition, and performance management.
• Investigates and resolves customer complaints and reviews commendations involving assigned operators, ensuring appropriate follow-up actions are taken and timely responses are provided to front desk staff for customer communication.
• Supports initiatives that improve employee morale, engagement, retention, and workplace culture.
• Encourages employee participation in organizational programs and continuous improvement efforts.

Collaboration with Operations Management

• Collaborates closely with the Operations Manager to align workforce performance with service delivery objectives and operational expectations.
• Utilizes operational observations, documentation, and performance information provided by Dispatchers and Transit Supervisors to support employee coaching, attendance management, performance improvement, and disciplinary processes.
• Works collaboratively with the Operations Manager to identify trends affecting workforce performance and develop strategies to improve employee accountability and operational outcomes.
• Ensures employee-related concerns identified through day-to-day operations are appropriately addressed through established performance management processes.
• Partners with the Operations Manager and Deputy General Manager of Operations to promote consistent leadership practices and operational excellence.

Performance Management & Continuous Improvement

• Partners with the Operations Manager and Deputy General Manager of Operations to establish measurable workforce performance standards and key performance indicators (KPIs) related to attendance, safety, customer service, employee performance, and workforce reliability.
• Regularly reviews employee performance results, attendance trends, customer feedback, safety data, and operational observations to identify performance gaps and development opportunities.
• Ensures action plans are developed, implemented, and monitored to improve workforce performance and achieve established organizational objectives.
• Utilizes performance data to support coaching, workforce planning, employee development, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Promotes a culture of accountability, professionalism, customer service, employee development, and performance-based decision-making.