Assistant Director of Transportation

Framingham Public Schools•Framingham, MA

11d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Assistant Director of Transportation is responsible for assisting in maintaining a safe, smooth, and highly efficient pupil transportation system across the district, as well as fulfilling the full executive duties of the Director of Transportation in his/her absence. This position combines strategic route planning, hands-on operational dispatch support, regulatory compliance tracking, and active stakeholder relations to optimize vehicle efficiency and capacity. The Assistant Director interfaces across school operations to coordinate routing patterns for both general and special education student populations, handles daily customer inquiries or service resolutions, and monitors road-level driver performance. This commitment aligns with Framingham Public Schools’ high expectations for achievement, equal access to quality instruction, academic proficiency for all students, and closing the achievement gap among subgroups within the schools.

Requirements

Valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL) with "P" (Passenger) and "S" (School Bus) endorsements.
A High School Diploma or equivalent required.
Proven experience working directly in the field of pupil or institutional transportation, logistics management, or fleet operations is preferred.
Strong oral and written communication skills; ability to present technical routing information clearly and respond effectively via two-way radio, text, and email to district staff, parents, public safety officials, and the School Committee.
Sound reasoning and problem-solving skills to evaluate district-wide transit variables, define boundary layout conflicts, troubleshoot fleet distribution breakdowns, establish facts, and recommend appropriate strategic policies.
Capacity to read, analyze, and interpret professional transit literature, state/federal regulations (Registry of Motor Vehicles, Department of Labor, DESE), and student demographic data to inform district-level logistics policies and long-term route planning.
Ability to establish and maintain positive, effective cross-departmental working relationships with building principals, special education directors, athletic coordinators, local police/safety personnel, and public transit agencies.
Demonstrated cultural proficiency and competence in fostering an equitable, respectful, and inclusive district environment for a highly diverse workforce of drivers, monitors, and the multicultural student and family populations they serve.
Maintain regular, predictable, and punctual attendance to ensure consistent district school transit operations.
Exhibit professionalism, composure, and quick decision-making when handling on-call transit emergencies, traffic delays, or vehicle incidents.
Strong organizational and project-management skills to work independently, prioritize complex schedules, set rider registration timelines, and manage a rolling fleet across constant disruptions and tight timeframes.
Ability to use complex data sets (such as automated routing optimization algorithms, state report metrics, and fuel expenditure tracking) effectively to maximize efficiency and minimize district mileage costs.
High proficiency in using technology and logistics software; expert capacity to operate or quickly master Education Logistics (Edulog) or related school routing databases, spreadsheet platforms, and district HR/Finance tracking applications.
Commitment to performing all duties in compliance with state and federal laws, student transport laws, Framingham Public Schools policies, and collective bargaining agreements.
Ability to maintain strict confidentiality of sensitive personnel data, student discipline files, and medical/special education transit profiles.
Must move about and traverse throughout the central office building.
Requires the ability to travel to and navigate effectively throughout various school buildings, dispatch depots, and vehicle storage yards for site visits, route audits, or emergency operational responses.
Frequently remains in a stationary position for considerable periods of time for administrative tasks, route optimization mapping, reporting, virtual/in-person meetings, and extensive data entry.
Must be able to see and hear continuously to participate in meetings, monitor active radio dispatch channels, track workplace safety, and ensure student safety when visiting active bus loading zones.
Frequent use of hands to finger, handle, or feel.
Must be able to operate a computer, input digital/printed routing data, and use other office productivity machinery or dispatch systems continuously throughout the day.
Ability to lift, move, and position field materials or basic tools (up to 20 lbs) used during route adjustments, compliance checks, or vehicle evaluations.
Works primarily in a professional office setting with moderate noise levels, but must frequently adapt to dynamic, loud outdoor loading docks, parking environments, and active school vehicles during line observations and field inspections.
Must interact routinely with diverse stakeholders, meet multiple high-stakes routing and safety demands simultaneously, and maintain focus on complex logistical tasks amid constant operational interruptions or emergency dispatch radio traffic.
Ability to step up, climb, board, and ride school buses, vans, or transit utility vehicles to conduct path audits and inspect driver performance criteria under a variety of roadway parameters.
Ability to work occasionally in varying outdoor weather parameters—including heavy rain, snow, extreme heat, or freezing cold—while responding to on-site vehicle blockages, mechanical failures, or municipal drills.
Ability to wear and utilize necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), including high-visibility safety vests, appropriate footwear, and winter safety gear during outdoor transit operations monitoring.

Nice To Haves

Corresponding college coursework preferred.
Bilingual proficiency in Spanish and/or Portuguese is preferred.

Responsibilities

Assist in the development and architectural planning of all home-to-school bus routes utilizing specialized routing software, with a primary objective of maximizing asset efficiency.
Formulate system-wide routing performance improvements that optimize the active ride-times and physical capacity of school buses by continuously monitoring, revising, pairing, sharing, and/or streamlining current pathways.
Assist in creating, generating, and running data-driven analytics report files by linking transportation software metrics with the Student Information System (SIS) to forecast ongoing district-wide transportation needs.
Conduct regular physical inspections of designated student bus stops and field-verify route safety metrics to assess potential road hazards.
Monitor, observe, and formally evaluate contracted bus drivers’ over-the-road safety performance and contract compliance patterns.
Lead routine route schedule reviews and operational pattern assessments alongside the district’s third-party transportation vendors to establish the safest solutions for municipal transit.
Assume primary dispatch desk responsibilities when operational spikes or absences demand, providing live directions, tracking road closures, managing dynamic schedule deviations, and transmitting critical alerts.
Manage incoming customer inquiries, school personnel alerts, and parent complaints via phone and email, driving rapid and professional conflict resolution.
Initiate, track, and systematically follow up on student disciplinary matters or behavior violation reports originating on transit vehicles, in partnership with building principals.
Establish, audit, and systematically update accurate student rider eligibility registries, organizing designated rosters for both general education students and special education specialized transport programs.
Perform financial cost estimations for auxiliary services, including field trips, athletic travel, and extracurricular journeys, and expedite administrative paperwork workflows associated with those transit orders.
Other duties as assigned by the Director of Transportation.