Manager, Rolling Stock Maintenance (Bus)

RTD; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 100,000 - 142,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Job summary

Regional Transportation District (RTD) seeks a senior leader to direct and coordinate rolling stock maintenance for diesel, gas, hybrid, and battery-electric fleets. You will guide maintenance programs, manage budgets, and drive safety, reliability, and cost efficiency in a high‑accountability environment.

Lead a multidisciplinary team, partner with Operations, Safety, and Finance, and report on performance metrics.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Transportation, Mechanical Engineering, or Automotive Technology required.
• Five years of progressively responsible experience in transit operations or fleet maintenance.
• Three years overseeing rolling stock maintenance operations with diverse vehicle types.
• Experience with regulatory compliance (FTA, EPA, OSHA or equivalent).
• Valid Colorado driver's license or ability to obtain within 90 days.

Responsibilities

• Plan, direct, and coordinate RTD's rolling stock maintenance for diesel, gas, hybrid, and electric vehicles.
• Oversee preventive and corrective maintenance, repair campaigns, and parts coordination.
• Develop policies, budgets, staffing, overtime, and cost control.
• Collaborate with Operations, Safety, Finance, Procurement, and other departments.
• Provide leadership and analytics to monitor KPIs and drive continuous improvement.
• Ensure safety, compliance, and accountability in a high-reliability maintenance environment.

Skills

Fleet maintenance

Regulatory compliance

Leadership

Budget management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Transportation, Mechanical Engineering, or Automotive Technology

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 leadership and oversight for RTD's bus fleet, including diesel, gas, hybrid, and battery-electric/zero-emission vehicles. This position ensures safe, reliable, and cost-effective fleet operations through strong operational management, regulatory compliance, and performance-driven maintenance practices. The role leads maintenance personnel in a high-accountability environment while supporting fleet reliability, operational continuity, and long-term asset sustainability. The Manager also contributes to budget stewardship, continuous improvement initiatives, and strategic fleet planning to align maintenance operations with agency goals and service standards.

The Manager collects, analyzes, and reports operational and performance data, monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate fleet effectiveness, identify trends, and implement efficiency and cost-reduction initiatives. The position maintains awareness of industry best practices, emerging vehicle technologies, and regulatory requirements to support continuous improvement in fleet maintenance and reliability.

This position collaborates closely with internal RTD departments, external partners, and vendors to resolve maintenance challenges, coordinate fleet initiatives, and implement strategic operational improvements. Success in this role requires strong leadership, analytical, and communication skills, the ability to guide multidisciplinary teams in a dynamic maintenance environment, and expertise in optimizing fleet performance, safety, and compliance.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Rolling Stock Maintenance and Management

• Plans, directs, and coordinates rolling stock maintenance operations for RTD's bus fleet, including diesel, gas, hybrid, and battery-electric/zero-emission revenue and non-revenue vehicles. Ensure vehicle readiness, safety, reliability, and compliance with operational standards and service requirements.
• Oversee preventive and corrective maintenance programs, repair campaigns, and resource coordination for parts, tools, and equipment. Monitor team performance, assign shift work, address complex mechanical or operational issues, and implement effective solutions to maintain fleet availability.
• Develop and maintain departmental policies, procedures, and maintenance documentation systems to ensure accurate records of repairs, inspections, and compliance activities. Administer departmental budgets, analyze expenditures, plan staffing and overtime, and ensure fiscal accountability and cost efficiency.
• Support labor contract administration and resolve labor-related issues in compliance with collective bargaining agreements and agency policies.
• Participate in new vehicle procurements by contributing to technical specifications and coordinating input from maintenance, operations, and other stakeholders to ensure operational and maintenance requirements are met.
• Direct the collection and analysis of maintenance performance metrics and operational data to evaluate fleet reliability, safety, vehicle availability, and cost efficiency. Implement continuous improvement initiatives to enhance performance and reduce costs.
• Collaborate with Operations, Safety, Service Planning, Finance, Procurement, and other departments to address maintenance challenges, coordinate fleet availability, and align operations with agency priorities. Represent RTD in industry and stakeholder forums and participate in committees related to fleet safety, performance, and operational improvement.
• Support strategic initiatives aligned with agency priorities, including safety, financial stewardship, operational reliability, and sustainability. Provide oversight for special projects, risk assessments, and executive-level reporting, including presentations to leadership and the Board as requiredThis position may be required to work in any of the following bus, commuter, light rail, and paratransit functions within operations and maintenance depending on business needs and/or career growth and development: Regional Operations Center, Operations, Maintenance, and Service Planning & Scheduling.

People Power Management

• Maintains appropriate staffing levels and reviews progress to ensure the quality and quantity of work meet standards and deadlines for deliverables to meet program goals and objectives.
• Fosters a safety-first culture, prioritizing prevention, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Takes action to advance the goals of Equal Employment Opportunity, Small/ Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, Title VI and ADA Plans, thereby ensuring RTD's hiring programs, work environment, contracting and procurement practices, and transit services/programs are fair, equal, and non-discriminatory.

OTHER:

All job-related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Transportation, Mechanical Engineering, or Automotive Technology required, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.

• Five years (5) of progressively responsible experience in transit operations, fleet maintenance, vehicle engineering, or a related support function. Experience must include leading a complex, diverse workforce and working directly with internal stakeholders, maintenance staff, and regulatory agencies.

• Three years (3) of experience overseeing or supporting rolling stock maintenance operations, including diesel, gas, hybrid, and battery electric/zero-emission revenue and non-revenue vehicles. Experience should include supervising staff performing vehicle maintenance, coordinating repair and preventive programs, monitoring performance metrics, and implementing process improvements. Experience in budget management, staff scheduling, labor relations, and departmental performance management is required.

• Experience with regulatory compliance in the context of FTA, APTA, EPA, and OSHA or similar safety and operational standards for transit vehicle maintenance.

• Must have a valid Colorado driver's license or the ability to obtain one within 90 days of hire. No DUI, DWI, or Reckless Driving violations in the past 5 years.

Preferred

Master's degree in Transportation, Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Technology, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES:

• Extensive knowledge of public transit operations and bus fleet maintenance, including diesel, gas, hybrid, and battery-electric/zero-emission vehicles. Strong understanding of preventive and corrective maintenance programs, performance-based maintenance management, and rolling stock lifecycle practices within a public-sector or highly regulated environment.
• Knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local regulations governing transit vehicle maintenance, including FTA, OSHA, EPA, and related safety and compliance standards. Familiarity with fleet planning, maintenance scheduling, resource allocation, and operational performance measurement.
• Knowledge of budget development, cost analysis, and fiscal oversight related to labor, parts procurement, and maintenance operations.
• Ability to lead and evaluate maintenance personnel, ensure compliance with procedures and safety standards, administer corrective actions, and monitor performance metrics to maintain fleet reliability and operational effectiveness.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret maintenance and operational data, identify trends and risks, and implement process improvements and cost-efficiency strategies.
• Demonstrated leadership ability to supervise, coach, and develop a diverse maintenance workforce while promoting accountability, equity, and professional growth.
• Proven ability to collaborate cross-functionally with Operations, Safety, Finance, Procurement, and other stakeholders to resolve complex maintenance challenges and align efforts with agency priorities.
• Ability to develop, implement, and enforce policies and procedures; communicate effectively in both written and verbal formats; exercise sound judgment in high-accountability environments; and manage multiple priorities with strong organizational skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and maintenance or fleet management systems used for reporting and performance tracking.
• Maintains discretion in handling confidential information and effectively influences others with credibility and professionalism

OTHER:

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

WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The work environment and physical demands described here are representative of those required by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodations.

• 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).
• Work is performed both inside and outside. Subject to weather.
• Ability to independently travel between multiple locations as required by operational needs.

CAREER MAP:

Based on job performance, experience, education and position availability the next step on the career map for this position may be:

Deputy Chief Operating Officer (Bus)

We are considering all applications for this position up until the position close date of 11/10/2026 at 11:59PM. For consideration, please be sure to apply before the posting end date.

Pay Range:

$100,284.00 - $141,650.25 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.