Operations Analyst

Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA); Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 70,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Vision, Dental, Supplemental,

Life Insurance

COTA Bus Pass

Tuition Reimbursement

Student Loan Repayment Program

Public Pension through OPERS & Ohio DC

Paid Parental Leave

On-Site Health Coach

On-Site Chair Massage

Job summary

Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) is seeking an Operations Analyst to provide comprehensive data analysis and reporting for the Transportation department. The role focuses on developing performance metrics, KPIs, and executive summaries to guide process improvements and strategic decisions.

You will collaborate across departments, establish data governance, and support transit operations with accurate, timely insights using BI tools and advanced Excel.

Qualifications

• Requires a bachelor's degree in business administration, data analytics, statistics, mathematics, or related field and minimum of three (3) years' experience in data analytics and reporting.
• Experience analyzing transportation data and reporting on operational performance preferred.
• Relevant data analytics or project management certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Collect, extract, validate, and analyze Transportation operational data from multiple systems and sources.
• Develop, maintain, and improve reports, dashboards, scorecards, KPIs, trend analyses, and executive-level summaries.
• Analyze service reliability measures and identify trends, root causes, and opportunities.

Skills

Tableau

Power BI

Microsoft Excel

Data analysis

KPI development

Data governance

SOP development

Education

Bachelor's degree in business administration, data analytics, statistics, mathematics

Certifications in data analytics or project management (preferred)

Tools

Trapeze

Vontas

Infor

WFM

Job description

SALARY: $70,304.00 - $82,721.60

• Medical, Vision, Dental, Supplemental and Life Insurance
• Employee Discounts
• COTA Bus Pass
• Wellness Initiatives
• On-Site Health Coach
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Student Loan Repayment Program
• Public Pension through OPERS & Ohio Deferred Compensation

SALARY: $70,304.00 - $82,721.60

LOCATION: 1600 McKinley Ave Columbus, OH 43222

Benefits

• Medical, Vision, Dental, Supplemental and Life Insurance
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Discounts
• COTA Bus Pass
• Wellness Initiatives
• On-Site Chair Massage
• On-Site Health Coach
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Student Loan Repayment Program
• Public Pension through OPERS & Ohio Deferred Compensation

Position Summary

COTA's Operations Analyst performs professional work providing comprehensive data analysis and reporting for the Transportation department. This position is responsible for developing and presenting performance metrics, KPIs, and other operational data used to inform process improvement initiatives.
Performs duties that advance COTA's Strategic Plan and reflect the organization's core values of safety, empowerment, accountability, teamwork, and service, and support the mission of Moving Every Life Forward.

Essential Job Functions

• Collect, extract, validate, and analyze Transportation operational data from multiple systems and sources to ensure accuracy, consistency, and timely reporting;
• Develop, maintain, and improve reports, dashboards, scorecards, KPIs, trend analyses, and executive-level summaries to monitor Transportation performance and support leadership decision-making;
• Analyze service-reliability measures, including but not limited to on-time performance, scheduled and impacted blocks, missed trips, lost service hours, late pull-outs, excessive service gaps, cut service, and related causes;
• Identify trends, root causes, performance gaps, and areas of opportunity; develop insights and recommendations to support process improvements and evaluate potential solutions;
• Prepare recurring and ad hoc reports, presentations, briefing materials, audits, and special analyses for Transportation leadership;
• Coordinate with Transportation, Planning, Scheduling, Innovation & Technology, and other departments to validate data, reconcile reporting differences, standardize KPI definitions, and improve reporting processes;
• Establish and maintain data governance practices, including data dictionaries, calculation methodologies, reporting schedules, and quality-control procedures; and
• Support improvements to Transportation workflows, reporting tools, information storage, and operating practices by using data to measure outcomes, monitor progress, and inform adjustments.
• Organize and maintain Transportation SOPs, policies, and related records, including document ownership, approval status, revision history, effective dates, required review dates, and archived versions;
• Track assigned Transportation projects, initiatives, deliverables, decisions, and action items, and provide analytical or project support for other Transportation initiatives as assigned;
• Regular, predictable and punctual attendance required; and,
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Knowledge of Trapeze, Vontas, or similar platforms used for transportation operations management.
• Experience using Tableau, Power BI, or similar data visualization tools.
• Knowledge of Infor, WFM, or other HRIS and time management tools/platforms.
• Exceptional attention to detail and the ability to validate data, identify inconsistencies, and maintain accurate records.
• Strong analytical, critical-thinking, research, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to interpret operational information and present meaningful conclusions.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including formulas, pivot tables, charts, data validation, and analysis; proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite required.
• Ability to learn and use business-intelligence, dashboard, database, document-management, and transit-operating systems.
• Knowledge of KPI development, percentage calculations, trend analysis, data visualization, report preparation, and quality-control practices.
• Knowledge of SOP development, document control, version management, records organization, and continuous-improvement practices.
• Strong organizational, project-coordination, and time-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet recurring deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to translate complex data into clear reports, presentations, and recommendations for varied audiences.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, collaborate across departments, and handle operational information with appropriate discretion.

Minimum Education & Experience Required

• Requires a bachelor's degree in business administration, data analytics, statistics, mathematics, or related field and minimum of three (3) years' experience in data analytics and reporting. Experience analyzing transportation data and reporting on operational performance preferred.
• A relevant data analytics or project management certification preferred.

COTA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions are based on job needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status

Salary: $70304.00 - $82721.60