Public Transit Dispatcher (Part-Time)

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

Job summary

Van Buren County is seeking a Dispatcher to weekly schedule rides by matching drivers, hours and vehicles to duties. You will create daily manifests, reconcile real-time pickups, and coordinate with riders and caregivers.

The role includes general bookkeeping, clerical tasks, and possible lead dispatch during absences. The position requires CDL driving experience in transit bus operations, strong Microsoft Office skills (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), and excellent communication.

Qualifications

• Must be at least 18 years of age
• High School Diploma or GED required
• CDL driving experience in transit bus operations
• Excellent attendance and performance record
• Excellent customer service and Spanish as a second language preferred

Responsibilities

• Take customer requests for service over the telephone and respond with accurate expected pickup time (ETA)
• Process and file pre-booked and standing orders
• Handle multi-line telephone calls and manage radio dispatch communication
• Assign clients to appropriate vehicles and process referral forms
• Maintain general public files
• Monitor vehicle locations and optimize movement patterns for efficiency
• Dispatch pickup addresses to drivers using FCC procedures
• Maintain an accurate log for evaluation purposes
• Perform other tasks as assigned by management
• Be prepared to make immediate temporary decisions to keep system functional
• Keep dispatch/office equipment operational

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.

1. Take customer requests for service over the telephone and respond with accurate expected pickup time - Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA)
2. Process and file pre-booked and standing orders
3. Handle multi-line telephone calls in conjunction with managing radio dispatch communication and office operations.
4. Assign clients to appropriate vehicles, process client referral forms cradle to grave
5. Keep general public files updated
6. Monitor vehicle locations and consciously, continually calculate movement patterns for efficient operations
7. Utilize radio - dispatch of pickup addresses to drivers, using correct FCC radio procedures
8. Keep an accurate log (Call Information Sheet) for evaluation purposes as necessary
9. Any other tasks as assigned by management both written and verbal
10. Be prepared to make immediate temporary/emergency decisions to keep the system functional/operational (short periods in the absence of management).
11. 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.