Transportation Manager

Capital Area Transit System (CATS); Baton Rouge (LA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Capital Area Transit System (CATS) in Baton Rouge, LA seeks an experienced Transportation Manager to oversee day-to-day fixed-route service. You will lead Supervisors and Dispatchers, ensure on-time performance, safety, and reliable service, and coordinate with planning, HR, and maintenance to resolve issues.

Ideal candidates bring 5+ years in transit operations with supervisory experience and strong leadership, communication, and data-driven decision-making skills.

Qualifications

• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in public transit operations, fixed-route transportation, passenger transportation, dispatch/service control, or a closely related transportation environment.
• Minimum of three (3) years of supervisory or management experience involving responsibility for transportation employees, supervisors, Dispatchers, Operators, or comparable operational staff.
• Demonstrated experience managing daily transportation service, workforce deployment, staffing, Dispatch, service interruptions, or service recovery.
• Working knowledge of fixed-route transit operations, Dispatch/service control, workforce scheduling, attendance management, and service reliability.
• Experience managing employee performance, documentation, attendance, or other workforce-accountability processes.
• Ability to use operational data and technology to monitor service performance and make timely operating decisions.
• Strong leadership, coaching, conflict-resolution, communication, organizational, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple operational priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Direct daily fixed-route service delivery, including pull-out, route coverage, service interruptions, detours, missed trips, and service recovery.
• Ensure appropriate Transportation Supervisor and Dispatch coverage throughout the operating day.
• Coordinate responses to employee callouts, uncovered work, vehicle shortages, incidents, special events, and unusual service conditions.
• Directly supervise, coach, evaluate, and hold Transportation Supervisors and Dispatchers accountable for performance.
• Establish expectations for field supervision, terminal/hub monitoring, operator support, service control, documentation, and communication.
• Develop supervisors' ability to independently manage routine employee and service issues.
• Monitor operator and supervisory staffing, attendance, callouts, vacation, overtime, and uncovered assignments.
• Identify recurring staffing and service-coverage issues and recommend corrective action.
• Coordinate with Service Planning regarding schedules, run cuts, running times, and other issues affecting service reliability and operability.
• Facilitate attendance and employee-performance management in coordination with Human Resources.
• Ensure employee documentation is timely, accurate, and consistent with agency policies and applicable collective bargaining requirements.
• Coordinate significant employee and labor-relations matters with the Director and Human Resources.
• Ensure effective communication among Operators, Dispatch, Transportation Supervisors, Maintenance, Risk and Safety, Customer Engagement, and management.
• Coordinate service-impacting vehicle issues and operational incidents with Maintenance and Risk and Safety.
• Ensure customer-impacting service information is promptly communicated to appropriate departments.
• Monitor service reliability, missed trips, on-time performance, overtime, attendance, complaints, incidents, and other operational performance measures.
• Analyze performance trends, initiate corrective action, and prepare recurring management reports.
• Ensure operational systems, records, and data are used consistently and accurately.

Skills

Leadership

Coaching

Communication

Problem-solving

Conflict resolution

Organizational skills

Decision-making

Prioritization

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Degree in Transportation, Business Administration, Public Administration, Operations Management, or related field

Tools

CAD/AVL

Dispatch systems

Workforce-management software

Transit scheduling software

Job description

Position Summary

Capital Area Transit System (CATS) is seeking an experienced Transportation Manager to manage the day-to-day delivery of fixed-route transit service and provide leadership to Transportation Supervisors, Dispatchers, and other assigned staff. The Transportation Manager is accountable for daily service reliability, workforce deployment, supervisory and Dispatch performance, employee accountability, operational communication, and timely resolution of service issues. The Manager leads through supervisors and Dispatch, establishes clear expectations, monitors operational performance, and ensures scheduled service is delivered safely, reliably, and efficiently.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct daily fixed-route service delivery, including pull-out, route coverage, service interruptions, detours, missed trips, and service recovery.
• Ensure appropriate Transportation Supervisor and Dispatch coverage throughout the operating day.
• Coordinate responses to employee callouts, uncovered work, vehicle shortages, incidents, special events, and unusual service conditions.
• Directly supervise, coach, evaluate, and hold Transportation Supervisors and Dispatchers accountable for performance.
• Establish expectations for field supervision, terminal/hub monitoring, operator support, service control, documentation, and communication.
• Develop supervisors' ability to independently manage routine employee and service issues.
• Monitor operator and supervisory staffing, attendance, callouts, vacation, overtime, and uncovered assignments.
• Identify recurring staffing and service-coverage issues and recommend corrective action.
• Coordinate with Service Planning regarding schedules, run cuts, running times, and other issues affecting service reliability and operability.
• Facilitate attendance and employee-performance management in coordination with Human Resources.
• Ensure employee documentation is timely, accurate, and consistent with agency policies and applicable collective bargaining requirements.
• Coordinate significant employee and labor-relations matters with the Director and Human Resources.
• Ensure effective communication among Operators, Dispatch, Transportation Supervisors, Maintenance, Risk and Safety, Customer Engagement, and management.
• Coordinate service-impacting vehicle issues and operational incidents with Maintenance and Risk and Safety.
• Ensure customer-impacting service information is promptly communicated to appropriate departments.
• Monitor service reliability, missed trips, on-time performance, overtime, attendance, complaints, incidents, and other operational performance measures.
• Analyze performance trends, initiate corrective action, and prepare recurring management reports.
• Ensure operational systems, records, and data are used consistently and accurately.

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in public transit operations, fixed-route transportation, passenger transportation, dispatch/service control, or a closely related transportation environment.
• Minimum of three (3) years of supervisory or management experience involving responsibility for transportation employees, supervisors, Dispatchers, Operators, or comparable operational staff.
• Demonstrated experience managing daily transportation service, workforce deployment, staffing, Dispatch, service interruptions, or service recovery.
• Working knowledge of fixed-route transit operations, Dispatch/service control, workforce scheduling, attendance management, and service reliability.
• Experience managing employee performance, documentation, attendance, or other workforce-accountability processes.
• Ability to use operational data and technology to monitor service performance and make timely operating decisions.
• Strong leadership, coaching, conflict-resolution, communication, organizational, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple operational priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate or bachelor's degree in Transportation, Business Administration, Public Administration, Operations Management, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Significant fixed-route public transit operations experience.
• Experience managing Transportation Supervisors, Dispatchers, or other operational leaders.
• Experience working in a unionized transportation environment.
• Knowledge of collective bargaining agreements and their application to attendance, scheduling, overtime, work assignments, and employee accountability.
• Experience with CAD/AVL, scheduling, dispatch, workforce-management, or other transit operational systems.
• Experience using service-performance data to improve on-time performance, reduce missed trips, control overtime, and improve service reliability.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work variable shifts, evenings, weekends, and holidays as operational needs require.
• Ability to respond to significant service disruptions, incidents, staffing shortages, and other urgent operational issues.
• Ability to work in office, terminal, transit, and field environments as necessary.

Capital Area Transit System is an Equal Opportunity Employer.