School Transportation Program Manager (Administrator V)

Position Summary

The School Transportation Program Manager (PM) must have a comprehensive working knowledge of school bus and school pupil laws, regulations and policies. The Program Manager has oversight of the two segments of School Transportation regulated by the RMV; School Bus and School Pupil. This includes the inspection of 9,000 school buses three times a year, the issuance of school bus certificates to credential school bus drivers and the school bus company record audits. The School Pupil transport is very much the same with oversight of the issuance of school transport certificates to properly licensed drivers and creating the program to ensure all 7D vehicles meet the legal requirements and are maintained. This is currently done by random compliance checks and company record audits of the school pupil transport companies.

The Program Manager needs to create and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the school bus and school pupil credentialing and oversight process. In addition, a comprehensive catalogue of supporting policies needs to be created and maintained. A review of all existing policies and procedures needs to be conducted to ensure accuracy, increased modernization as well as standardization to ensure their integrity and consistency and that we are in compliance with the Laws and Regulations of Massachusetts and policies of the Registrar of Motor Vehicles.

The incumbent oversees the training material and process of school bus inspection procedures for all field staff to ensure relevance to modernizations within the vehicles and industry. There must be a SOP that includes documenting all training; interacts with school bus manufacturers, school bus companies, the RMV CDL Coordinator and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) on a regular basis always maintaining a keen awareness of changing industry practices and standards and communicating them to RMV management, staff, and the pupil transportation industry. The school pupil transportation industry is a key element of the position. Processes and procedures need to be put into place to ensure proper oversight of the school pupil companies, drivers and vehicles that must include regular communications with the industry, a comprehensive data base of the companies.

It also involves assisting the general public answering inquiries/questions pertaining to School Transportation and role of the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The administrative staff of the School Transportation driver certificate issuance and renewal process report directly to this Program Manager. A comprehensive knowledge of the certification laws, regulations and process is imperative to offer guidance and direction to the staff to ensure consistent and sound decisions. The field investigators conducting the school bus inspections are a shared resource and not a direct report to this position. Therefore, the School Transportation Program Manager needs to work closely with the Assistant Director for staff oversight. Documentation and maintenance of School Transportation standard operating processes and policies are the responsibility of the PM to ensure that all are clearly documented and updated as necessary and held in the RMV database. Provide training requirements to the industry and develop a process for continual improvement as well as an auditing/oversight process to ensure that the curriculum is being followed.

Detailed Outline of Duties

• Create and maintain the standards for conducting school bus inspections three times a year. Identify trends, policy or procedure updates needed to support introduction of new vehicle types Ensure all school buses are inspected three times a year during Aug/Sep, Jan/Feb and May/Jun; roughly 9,000 inspections per cycle, through use of data tools such as ATLAS and PowerBI to monitor the progress of the inspections. The PM will act as liaison with the school bus company when issues arise and work closely with the regional supervisors to ensure all inspections are scheduled. The PM will review school bus inspection results to analyze data for safety related trends and school bus company performance. Research school bus safety issues and standards to determine the appropriate practices RMV should incorporate or adopt for policy and procedural changes.
• Manage school bus and 7D driver certification staff to ensure all certificates are issued in accordance with exiting statutes, rules and regulations, and documented policies of the Registrar. The business process must meet key performance goals set.
• Monitor the completion of on-site audits of school bus and school pupil transport companies and work closely with regional supervisors to ensure all companies are audited in a timely manner. The PM is responsible for developing the SOP of the company audits as well as any policy needs. And must be able to produce the data from these audits. In addition, the PM will consult with the Director and/or Asst. Director to determine the action to be taken when a company is not in compliance.
• The PM should create an evaluation process to ensure that the training being provided to drivers meets the requirements set forth by the RMV.
• Monitor all School Bus and School Pupil Transport (7D) industry issues, complaints and requests for information, accidents, and other related events. Create an ATLAS process to record the findings after investigation of a school bus or School Transportation vehicle accident.
• Develop a regular communication strategy to keep the industry informed and updated and ensure that the website, manuals and forms are up to date at all times.
• Oversee the training of the existing field staff of 40 to ensure that all are up to date with the latest techniques and information pertaining to school bus inspection and other industry trends.
• Interact with the RMV CDL Coordinator, school bus manufacturers and school bus companies regarding School Transportation issues. Act as a liaison between the RMV and industry associations, making presentations to business partners, maintaining a cooperative working relationship and contributing to agency meetings regarding all School Transportation issues.
• Other duties, as assigned.

Pre‐Hire Process

Upon a conditional offer of employment, applicants must agree to and successfully satisfy: (i) a comprehensive name‐based and fingerprint‐based background check of his/her state and federal criminal history records information from all U.S. states, the District of Columbia and certain U.S. Territories and from some foreign nations; (ii) an employment reference check, and (iii) a satisfactory review of his/her driving records to be eligible for this position.

About MassDOT

The 4,000+ employees of Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) take great pride in connecting the Commonwealth’s residents and communities. MassDOT is responsible for developing, implementing, and coordinating transportation policies and projects for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and to efficiently plan, design, construct, and maintain a safe statewide transportation system which effectively meets the transportation needs of the Commonwealth. Information about MassDOT’s inclusive culture and career opportunities can be found at mass.gov/massdot-careers.

MassDOT’s divisions include Highway, Registry of Motor Vehicles, Aeronautics, and Rail & Transit. Headquarters (Planning & Enterprise Services) provides business and administrative support and policy leadership for each of the four (4) divisions.

First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.

All job applications must be submitted online through MassCareers to be considered.

Please provide a complete, accurate and current resume / application for MassDOT to review to determine if your submitted materials meet the minimum entrance requirements for the position.

Current MassDOT employees should use their internal MassCareers account to apply.

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants must have at least (A) five (5) years of full-time or, equivalent part-time, professional, professional internship, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in business administration, business management, public administration, public management, clinical administration or clinical management or (B) any equivalent combination of the required experience and substitutions below.

Substitutions:

I. A certificate in a relevant or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required experience.

II. A Bachelor's degree in a related field may be substituted for two (2) years of the required experience.

III. A Graduate degree in a related field may be substituted for three (3) years of the required experience.

IV. A Doctorate degree in a related field may be substituted for four (4) years of the required experience.

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!

• For questions regarding the job posting, please email the MassDOT Talent Acquisition Team at talentacquisition@dot.state.ma.us.
• For general questions regarding MassDOT, call the Human Resources Service Center at 857-368-4722.
• For a disability-related reasonable accommodation or alternative application method, call Lucy Bayard, ADA Coordinator, at 857-274-1935.

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.