Executive Director

Mass Transit magazine; Cape Girardeau (MO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority in Missouri seeks an Executive Director to lead the agency’s direction, operations, and long-range planning under the Board’s guidance. You’ll ensure safe, reliable, accessible, and efficient public transportation across Cape Girardeau County.

The role requires strong budgeting, grants management, and regulatory compliance, with demonstrated leadership and public-facing communication skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in transportation, public administration, business, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressively responsible leadership experience in public transportation, government, nonprofit management, or a related field.
• Demonstrated budgeting, financial oversight, grants, procurement, audits, and regulatory compliance experience.
• Strong written, verbal, analytical, interpersonal, and public presenting skills.
• Public transit leadership experience and familiarity with FTA and MoDOT programs preferred.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Board of Directors to set goals, policies, priorities, and long-range plans with timely operational, financial, and compliance information.
• Lead, supervise, and evaluate staff while maintaining a safe, accountable, and public-service oriented workplace.
• Oversee fixed-route and demand-response services including scheduling, dispatch, customer service, and maintenance coordination.
• Prepare and administer annual operating and capital budgets; monitor revenues, expenses, and internal controls.
• Identify, apply for, manage, and close out federal, state, local grants and comply with grant requirements.
• Oversee procurement, contracts, asset purchases, capital projects, and regulatory compliance.
• Serve as primary liaison with MoDOT, FTA, local governments, and the public.
• Oversee safety plans, asset management, and compliance with applicable laws and grant assurances.
• Oversee risk management, insurance, public information, marketing, and administrative functions.
• Perform other duties as needed by the Board of Directors.

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

Grants management

Strategic planning

Public administration

Public speaking

Regulatory compliance

Staff supervision

Education

Bachelor's degree (transportation / public administration / business)

Job description

The Executive Director is the chief administrative officer of the Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority (CGCTA) and is responsible for the agency’s leadership, operations, financial stability, regulatory compliance, and long-range planning. Working under the direction of the Board of Directors, the Executive Director ensures that CGCTA provides safe, reliable, accessible, and efficient public transportation throughout Cape Girardeau County.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Work with the Board of Directors to establish agency goals, policies, priorities, and long-range plans and provide the Board with accurate and timely operational, financial, and compliance information.
• Lead, supervise, and evaluate agency staff directly or through designated managers and maintain a professional workplace focused on safety, accountability, teamwork, and public service.
• Oversee fixed-route, demand-response, and other transportation services, including scheduling, dispatch, customer service, maintenance coordination, incident response, and service improvement.
• Prepare and administer the annual operating and capital budgets; monitor revenues, expenses, cash flow, internal controls, payments, audits, insurance, and the responsible use of public funds.
• Identify, apply for, administer, and close out federal, state, local, and other grants, including reimbursement requests, reporting, recordkeeping, and compliance with award requirements.
• Oversee agency procurement, contracts, vehicle and equipment purchases, asset disposition, capital projects, and compliance with applicable Federal Transit Administration and state requirements.
• Serve as the primary liaison with the Missouri Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, local governments, elected officials, community partners, passengers, and the public.
• Oversee the agency’s Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan and Transit Asset Management Plan and serve as the Accountable Executive.
• Ensure compliance with Title VI, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Equal Employment Opportunity requirements, drug and alcohol requirements, and other applicable laws, regulations, policies, and grant assurances.
• Oversee compliance, risk management, insurance claims, public information, marketing, community outreach, records, and other administrative functions needed to support the agency.
• Perform other duties assigned by the Board of Directors or necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in transportation, public administration, business administration, management, logistics, or a related field.
• At least five years of progressively responsible experience in public transportation, government, public administration, nonprofit management, or a related field, including leadership and supervisory responsibility.
• An equivalent combination of education and directly related experience may be considered.
• Demonstrated experience with budgeting, financial oversight, grants, procurement, audits, regulatory compliance, strategic planning, and organizational administration.
• Strong written, verbal, analytical, interpersonal, and public-presentation skills.
• Public transit leadership experience and familiarity with Federal Transit Administration and Missouri Department of Transportation programs are preferred.

Conditions of Employment

All CGCTA employees must successfully complete a pre-employment drug screen. Under the agency’s current Drug and Alcohol Policy, this position is not classified as safety-sensitive and is not subject to random drug and alcohol testing.

This description summarizes the primary responsibilities of the position and does not list every duty that may be assigned. CGCTA may revise the description as organizational or regulatory needs change.