Regional Director of Operations; West

Job Summary

People are at the heart of our business. We lead by example in promoting and ensuring we maintain a strong safety culture, where strict adherence to risk mitigation and safety/security protocols of our employees, passengers, clients, and communities is critical. We are seeking a people and client-centric Director of Operations to oversee regional bus and transit operations responsibilities. This role requires a results-driven leader with strong financial acumen, accountability, and a focus on safety and risk mitigation.

As a strategic leader, the Director of Operations ensures seamless service delivery across multiple locations, maintaining the highest standards in customer service, employee engagement, and regulatory compliance.

other duties may be assigned as necessary:

• Foster a positive, diverse, and inclusive work environment that encourages respect, collaboration, and well-being.
• Work with the local management teams to implement employee engagement and retention strategies to build a motivated, high-performing workforce.
• Provide ongoing professional, personal, and technical development opportunities, including continuous learning and mentoring.

• Oversee all aspects of transit operations, safety, financial outcomes, customer service, and maintenance for multiple locations.
• Coach and lead General Managers to ensure operational consistency and alignment with company goals.
• Serve as acting General Manager when needed to maintain continuity of leadership.
• Monitor operations through daily, weekly, and monthly reviews, providing clear expectations to location leaders.
• Partner with Safety, Risk, and Continuous Improvement teams to implement operational enhancements and ensure compliance.

• Collaborate with local management and clients on service planning, scheduling, and real-time service adjustments to meet demands and mitigate disruptions.
• Ensure contract compliance, audit readiness, and alignment with client expectations and requirements.
• Build strong relationships with clients, municipalities, unions, community stakeholders, and elected officials to drive service excellence.

• Oversee budgets and ensure financial performance aligns with established goals.
• Mitigate operational risks through strict adherence to safety protocols and risk management strategies.

• Works with all company and local team members to create a strong, vibrant, and engaging safety culture.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in coordinating transit safety and service delivery, field operations, labor relations, staff development, and collective bargaining negotiation skills in a union environment strongly preferred.
• Ensures compliance with local, state, and federal laws and regulations (EPA, OSHA, DOT, ADA, and EEOC).

• Excellent interpersonal and public communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage a large and diverse workforce, especially in a unionized setting that requires intense attention to customer service and the customer experience.

• Demonstrated ability to budget, plan, and allocate corporate resources in a large organization.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise critical thinking, analysis, and managerial judgment.
• Ability to establish credibility and influence constituencies quickly. Demonstrated ability to lead the implementation of strategic and operational initiatives.
• Demonstrated skills in managing large, complex organizations that are multi-modal, decentralized, and use multiple technologies.
• Demonstration of intense commitment to customer service. Results-orientated with a strong work ethic in a multitasking environment.

• Demonstrated ability to partner and collaborate with a diverse staff, address complex or sensitive situations, to advance the goals and strategies of the client.

• Bachelor’s degree preferred; master’s degree is a plus.
• Minimum of 10 years of operations management experience in fixed-route transit or bus operations.
• Prior experience as a General Manager or…