Public Transit Dispatcher (Part-Time)

Van Buren County; Bangor (ME); On-site; USD 31,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Van Buren County in Maine is seeking an experienced Dispatcher to weekly schedule rides, match drivers and vehicles, and prepare daily manifests. You will coordinate real-time operations, monitor locations, and perform light bookkeeping under supervision of the Operations Manager.

Qualifications include at least 18 years old, a High School Diploma or GED, CDL driving experience in transit, strong Microsoft Office skills, and excellent customer service. Spanish is a plus.

Qualifications

• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• CDL driving experience in transit bus operations.
• Excellent attendance and performance record.
• Excellent public relations and customer service skills.
• Able to type a minimum of 30 words per minute.
• Spanish as a second language is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Take service requests by telephone and provide ETA.
• Process pre-booked and standing orders.
• Handle multi-line calls and dispatch communications.
• Assign clients to vehicles and process referrals.
• Keep general public files updated.
• Monitor vehicle locations and optimize movements.
• Use radio dispatch procedures for pickups.
• Maintain an accurate call log for evaluation.
• Support management with assigned tasks as needed.

Skills

Service area knowledge

MS Office proficiency

Customer service

Independent worker

Learn new concepts

Transit software

Scheduling accuracy

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Tools

Transit software

Job description

Pay Rate:

AFSCME Unified R2 – $22.71- $27.69 per hour

JOB SUMMARY:

Perform weekly scheduling of rides by matching drivers, hours and vehicles to duties. Create daily manifest for each run, real time reconciliation of pick up and assist drivers in contacting rider and/or caregiver. Be able to function continually at fast pace coordinating drivers and vehicles to meet customer requests within the service design. Dispatcher effective schedules employees/vehicles for maintenance, operational and administrative duties. Reconciliation of daily statistics, fares collected and assemble for monthly and yearly reporting. Assist with general bookkeeping and clerical tasks as needed. Be able to perform minor lead dispatch duties during their absences. Perform other tasks as directed and assigned by management. Dispatchers will receive guidance and direction from the Lead Dispatcher relating to daily operations including, but not limited to, scheduling and accuracy of duties.

Abilities, Knowledge, And Skills

• Knowledge of service area
• Have a working knowledge of Microsoft Office with exceptional know-how with Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint
• Maintain professional, courteous communications with proper customer etiquette and efficient telephone qualities and the ability to understand requests, information and directions while gathering information quickly and accurately
• Be able to initiate tasks independently
• Possess the ability to learn and grasp new concepts, practices and procedures
• Be able to grasp and operate software used in transit operations
• Consistently schedule requests with minimal mistakes and/or exceptions.

Principle Duties And Responsibilities

The following duties are normal for this position. These are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive. Other duties may be required and assigned.

• Take customer requests for service over the telephone and respond with accurate expected pickup time - Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA)
• Process and file pre-booked and standing orders
• Handle multi-line telephone calls in conjunction with managing radio dispatch communication and office operations.
• Assign clients to appropriate vehicles, process client referral forms cradle to grave
• Keep general public files updated
• Monitor vehicle locations and consciously, continually calculate movement patterns for efficient operations
• Utilize radio - dispatch of pickup addresses to drivers, using correct FCC radio procedures
• Keep an accurate log (Call Information Sheet) for evaluation purposes as necessary
• Any other tasks as assigned by management both written and verbal
• Be prepared to make immediate temporary/emergency decisions to keep the system functional/operational (short periods in the absence of management).
• Keep dispatch/office equipment operational by following manufacturer ' s instructions and established procedures.

Qualifications / Experience

Must be at least 18 years of age; High School Diploma or GED required

CDL driving experience in transit bus operations; excellent employment attendance and performance record; excellent public relations skills and excellent customer service skills, and able to type a minimum of 30 words per minute. Spanish as a second language is preferred and desirable.

Other Requirements

Training as normally required to operate any newly acquired software to a proficient and operable level.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Direct Reports: None
• Delegation of Work: Not Applicable
• Supervision Given: Not Applicable
• Reports To: All dispatchers will report to the Operations Manager, who reports to the Director of Public Transit.

WORK LOCATION AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Dispatcher performance will be evaluated according to this job description along with attendance records, proficiency in dispatch duties, maintaining bookkeeping records, and compliance with the organization rules, policies, procedures, and prescribed safety regulations.

Under the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Regulations, this position is a Safety-Sensitive position and included in the drug and alcohol testing pool and is subject to reasonable suspicion and post-accident testing for drugs and alcohol.