Quality Assurance Specialist – (San Francisco Bay Area)

R&D Transportation Services, Inc.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 41,000; Full time

Job summary

R&D Transportation Services, Inc. is seeking a Quality Assurance Specialist to support Field Operations in the San Francisco area.

The role focuses on ensuring safety and quality across contracted transportation vendors and driving continuous improvements. The QA Specialist will conduct vendor audits, lead compliance workshops, investigate incidents, and collaborate with Scheduling and Customer Service to resolve issues affecting riders and program outcomes.

Qualifications

• College degree preferred or 5+ years related experience in transportation services.
• Experience with audits, compliance and safety procedures within transportation sectors.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and data collection processes.

Responsibilities

• Vendor audits to ensure safety, reliability, and contractual compliance.
• Conduct monthly compliance workshops and training for drivers and staff.
• Investigate and document special incident reports with timely escalation.
• Monitor field operations to improve efficiency, route execution, and on-time performance.
• Coordinate with Scheduling and Customer Service to resolve service issues with stakeholders.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Problem solving

Independent work

Time management

Education

College degree preferred

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Job Title: Quality Assurance Specialist

Department: Field Operations

Office Location: San Francisco Satellite Office

Service Region: San Mateo, San Francisco, and Marin Counties

Reports to: Operations Manager

FLSA Status: Full-Time, Non-Exempt

Wage Range: $25.00-$30.00

THE COMPANY

Since 1991, R&D Transportation Services, Inc. (R&D) has successfully worked with California Regional Centers and School Districts to deliver a comprehensive brokerage model that consists of Scheduling, Billing and Contract Administration, Customer Service Center, and Quality Assurance for Field Operations. Although not a direct transportation service provider, R&D coordinates with vendors to ensure that they operate safe, reliable, and efficient transportation services for people with developmental and physical disabilities.

POSITION SUMMARY

R&D’s Quality Assurance Department works in an oversight capacity in the area of field operations with the multiple transportation vendors that are contracted by our customers. The department monitors the vendors for contractual compliance with service standards for safety and quality. R&D’s Quality Assurance (QA) Specialists are the liaison between our customers, passengers, families, day programs, and transportation vendors. To support this important work, the QA Specialist must establish and nurture working partnerships with and between stakeholders to address and resolve service issues, complaints, and concerns. The QA Specialist position is responsible for vendor audits, compliance workshops, investigating incident reports, monitoring efficiencies in the field, and providing technical assistance to service providers as needed. Thus, effective communication both internally and externally is an essential part of the position.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include, but are not limited to the following:

Vendor Audits

• Monitor vendor performance to ensure safety, reliability, and effective transportation that is in compliance with Regional Center contracts and R&D’s person-centered model.
• Conduct transportation vendors’ quarterly service audits to monitor operational expectations such as: vehicle / insurance requirements, driver credentials, hiring, and training procedures.
• Generate audit findings and recommendations to correct deficient areas with timelines for corrective action.
• Collaborate extensively with Scheduling Department staff regarding vehicle configurations, tentative program changes, vehicle inspections, and other vendor contract requirements that impact the routing efficiencies.
• Provide consultation, recommendations and assistance with reporting, data input, and data collection.
• Effectively communicate R&D information, including procedures, processes, manuals, trainings, and technologies to ensure consistent implementation and follow-up.

Compliance Workshops

• Conduct monthly driver training workshops to educate vendors regarding driver and attendant responsibilities, proper procedures related to behavior management, passenger sensitivity, safety, and quality service delivery.
• Develop person-centered training modules to align workshops with emerging service issues.
• Educate drivers, attendants, support/administrative staff regarding operational requirements, Special Incident Reporting, and other vendor expectations.

Special Incident Reports

• Investigate, document, and submit records to appropriate parties within required timelines.
• Follow established procedures to address and resolve the reported service issue(s).
• Ensure that all reported incidents are appropriately documented through established protocols.
• Collaborate extensively with Customer Service Department staff to document effective resolutions.
• Implement results-oriented solutions that are considerate of our population with developmental disabilities.

Transportation System Efficiencies

• Conduct monthly visits to client program sites to observe service delivery by transportation providers.
• Establish and maintain collaborative relationship with day-program and transportation providers to nurture a team approach in effecting safe and quality-based service delivery to clients.
• Conduct monthly, and as needed, road observations of driver performance related to safe driving habits, route execution, on-time performance, and client interaction to ensure safe and quality-based service delivery to clients. Road observations are generally done by route audits that consist of bus shadowing or riding along with the driver in the bus.
• Collaborate extensively with Scheduling Department staff and Customer Service staff to mitigate any inconsistencies or service issues that may develop during road observations.

Partnerships with Customers

• Coordinate and facilitate internal/external meetings with customers.
• Collaborate with necessary parties to address and resolve transportation providers’ service issues.
• Assist transportation providers, as appropriate, to address challenges that impede safe and quality-based service delivery.
• Effectively communicate externally with Regional Center personnel, and internally with other departments to correct service issues and achieve successful outcomes for our riders.
• Participate in monthly Vendor Advisory Committee meetings to foster communication with transportation service providers.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and education necessary to be successful in this position. Individuals must be comfortable working in oversight role that requires good judgment, ethical track record, and be prepared to assert organizational goals and objectives. Additionally, must be dependable, have excellent time management skills, and be able to work independently to achieve contractual expectations.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

College degree preferred or 5+ years related experience in transportation services. A combination of education and experience may be considered. Comprehensive passenger-transportation operations background is preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES:

1. Excellent attention to detail, communication, and organizational skills.
2. Exceptional confidentiality, organizational and prioritization skills.
3. Strong objective/critical thinking and problem solving skills
4. Knowledge of State and Federal governing transportation laws and regulations.
5. Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and Outlook.
6. Proven ability of working independently to meet monthly and quarterly performance objectives.
7. Demonstrated ability of working remotely to support the project team.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and business correspondence, speak before groups of customers or employees of an organization, effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of customers, clients, consumers, and the general public. Effective written and verbal communication is essential to satisfy the requirements of this position.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percentage, and draw and interpret bar graphs.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to manage practical problems and complex situations. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. This position requires analytical skills and familiarity with conducting objective field investigations. Conflict resolution skills are a must.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

A valid driver’s license, personal vehicle, and proof of insurance are required. Position requires use of personal vehicle for business purposes. The company will reimburse for business miles. Driving is required and is an essential function in order to complete field assignments.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, and talk, or hear. The employee is occasionally required to sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or moved up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

When conducting vendor audits, vehicle inspections and conducting program visits, the employee is exposed to outside weather conditions, and occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts and fumes or airborne particles. When in the office, such exposures are not involved in the work.

Although this position has an assigned work scheduled, the work hours of this position may be impacted from one day to the next depending upon the immediate need when addressing a service issue.