Location Manager

First Student; Normal (IL); On-site; USD 86,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401k plan

Paid time off (PTO)

Job summary

First Student location in Normal, IL seeks an experienced Location Manager to oversee daily operations, staffing, budgeting, and customer relations. You will manage route planning, safety compliance, payroll, and reporting while driving service quality and cost efficiency.

Responsibilities include recruiting, coaching, performance management, budget preparation, and ensuring adherence to contracts and safety standards.

Qualifications

• 4-year degree or equivalent experience.
• High School Diploma or Equivalent.
• 5 Years Operations Experience; committed to safety and efficiency.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and payroll/timekeeping systems.

Responsibilities

• Ensure safe, timely transportation of passengers and manage route scheduling.
• Oversee budgeting, expenses, and financial reporting for the location.
• Recruit, onboard, train, coach, and manage location staff and performance.
• Manage contract compliance, customer relations, and KPI/billing targets.
• Coordinate with school officials, drivers, and maintenance for operations.
• Lead the location team toward safety, quality, and cost-efficiency goals.

Skills

Management experience

Operations experience

Budgeting

Communication

Leadership

Education

Bachelor-level degree or equivalent

High School Diploma or Equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office

Timekeeping / Payroll systems

Smart technology (FGA)

Job description

Provides operational oversight, day-to-day management, customer interface, and required reporting and compliance mandates (both internal and external) for a specific location. Represents company management with school officials concerning issues of passenger management, route scheduling, billing, charter activities, driver issues, safety, fleet maintenance and general logistics matters. Directly supervises exempt and non-exempt staff and manages financial performance. Position has full supervisory responsibility for recruitment, hiring, on-boarding, retention, performance development, performance management, teammate relations, salary adjustments, and termination of direct reports. Responsible for on-line learning courses and completion of courses individually and for the location. Will coach and develop location employees to support company initiatives and location/region goals. Identifies issues related to resource needs (driver shortage) for the locations needs and customer requirements. Responsible for stimulating local commercial and/or charter growth. Responsible for development, preparation and analyzing of location budget and financial controls. Schedule: Monday through Friday, 6:00am to 5:00pm Pay: Up to $95k/yr, based on experience (plus bonus potential of 20% of annual salary based on location success metrics) Benefits: Full health, dental, vision, 401k, plus PTO 31 days after start date

Major Responsibilities

Ensures the safe and timely transportation of passengers to and from their destinations. Manages operational expenses to optimize all cost per bus. Manage all contractual services to include administrative functions, information systems, parts purchasing, and inventory control. Ensures purchases (including parts) follow company processes and policies. Leads the Location in managing the day-to-day activities to support operations, safety, maintenance, dispatch, fleet and facility management, payroll, routing/scheduling, AR/AP and other interrelated functions. Foster and maintain positive relationships within and outside of the Location, including senior management and customer contacts. Provide prioritization of work assignments and management of functional team resources and their activities as needed or required. Leads and oversees all aspects of customer contract compliance and management with a concentrated focus on retaining the customer. Includes adherence to all staff, driver, and vehicles requirements, as well as KPI, billing and budget management. Also, covers delivery of all contract-specific technologies and other requirements. Ensures delivery of training and other needs as per company, location, state and customer requirements. Builds and maintains positive relationships with employees, local school officials, parents and the community. Resolves concerns with employees, local school officials, parents, and the community. Implements fair and consistent recognition and/or corrective discipline. Communicates with customer by telephone, electronically or in regular face-to-face meetings. Responds promptly to customer inquiries, identifies and escalates priority issues, obtains and evaluates all relevant information to resolve inquiries and complaints. Follow-ups with customers as required. Develops action plans to ensure customer retention. Provides and promotes effective communication with customer and escalates issues if needed to AGM and/or Senior Management. Ensure services are provided within budget and action plans developed and implemented to improve operational efficiencies. Manages location budget through but not limited to: development, preparing and analyzing of the budget and forecast. Ensures any budget variances are identified and can be addressed. Provides accurate timely operational and financial reporting as requested by AGM and/or finance. Maximizes all charter revenue and supports AGM on identifying or biding on local commercial growth opportunities Leads by example. Builds and maintains a strong Location team through effective recruiting, on-boarding, training, coaching, team building and succession planning. Prepare and participate in the preparation of staff development plans for each functional employee who is a member of the Location team. Assess the skills and skill levels necessary to achieve Location objectives. Ensures all on-line learning courses required have been completed by location staff including their own individual completion. Manages and monitors location compliance with federal, state, local, contractual, and company policies and procedures. Ensures FS safety practices and applicable regulations are obeyed by all employees. Manages injury and collision claims. Ensure location compliance to all security policies and procedures. In the event of a security issue, involves appropriate leadership from AGM, Sr. Director of Security and Human Resources. Maintains company assets (vehicles, facilities, inventories, tools and equipment). Ensures facilities and buses are maintained to FS safety and applicable regulatory standards, including environmental standards, i.e., idling time. Sets accurate scheduled hours for routes. Minimizes route drive times and mileage while adhering to contractual and regulatory mandates. Assesses resource needs, problems, and trends and plans accordingly. Tracks and addresses labor variances, efficiently uses stand-by drivers, minimizes driver labor schedule. Partners with Corporate Recruiting for strategies on driver shortages as needed. Partners with Compensation related to understanding local market for wages. Administers and executes the terms and conditions of the local and national collective bargaining agreements (as applicable). Ensures compliance with all aspects of the CBA. Investigates and defends union grievances, including meeting with union officials as required. Prepares for and participates in union negotiations, in coordination with Regional leadership and Corporate Labor Relations. Maintains a proactive and productive relationship with local union officials (as applicable). Drives employee engagement and recognition within the location. Champion and is visible at location sponsored events for the community or for location employees. Promotes new company initiatives and assist AGM in supporting changes and being the local champion at the location. May act as mentor for Location Manager I at other locations. Other responsibilities as required or requested

Minimum Education or Certifications Required

4-year degree or equivalent experience High School Diploma or Equivalent

Minimum Experience or Skills Required

3 years management experience with 1 year managing a small location or equivalent experience with management responsibility 5 Years Operations Experience Committed to Safety Lifestyle Proficient computer literacy essential with Microsoft Office products including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Experience with other software such as timekeeping and payroll systems is preferred. Literacy in technology used to manage the operation to include but not limited to FGA approved Smart technology, Apps, encrypted drives, shared drives and other Smart technology Solid oral and written communications. Strong presentation skills. Strong interpersonal skills in dealing with customers, parents, and community. Solid financial and budgetary skills with ability to interpret and analyze P&L, budgets and forecasts. Strong business background in financial, strategic, and organizational analysis. Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with others in a team setting Demonstrated ability to train, coach and provide leadership

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

Incumbent must be able to move about the office and between floors; utilize standard office equipment; access filing system/cabinets; and communicate effectively and efficiently in person or by telephone.

Disclaimer

Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. This job description reflects management's assignment of essential functions, it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

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.

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.

MISSION

Provide unmatched care and the safest ride to school, so when students arrive, they start and end their day with an exceptional experience and are ready to achieve their full potential.

FOCUS ON SAFETY

Safety is at the heart of everything we do.

CARE FOR OUR STUDENTS

Ensure our vehicles are welcoming and trusted places where students feel comfortable and secure.

SURPASS CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS

Go the extra mile to deliver an extraordinary experience for our customers and communities.

FOSTER TEAMWORK

Work together, act with integrity, respect each other, champion diversity and inclusion.

SET THE HIGHEST STANDARDS

Continually seek a better way to do things with innovation, sustainable practices, financial discipline, commercial excellence, and operational excellence.