Chief Operations Officer

Trinity Metro • Fort Worth, TX

244d

About The Position

To help lead and support our continued growth in bus operations and maintenance, Trinity Metro is seeking a highly qualified, knowledgeable and innovative Chief Operations Officer. The COO plays a key role in executive leadership, overseeing core operational areas including fixed route operations, fleet maintenance, safety functions for in-house bus and paratransit services, and on-demand services. As an essential member of the executive team, the COO encourages collaboration, innovation, and effective change management across the organization. In this role, the COO works to develop strong operational leaders, align daily functions with strategic organizational goals, and promote a culture of excellence and continuous improvement. The COO also plays a central role in labor negotiations, budget planning, capital spending, and community and government engagement, while advancing innovation and service quality. Successful candidates will be collaborative, driven, and committed to both the operational and overall success of Trinity Metro.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Transportation or related field.
• A master's degree is preferred.
• A minimum of 10 years of leadership in a public transit field with at least 5 years in an operating role.
• Any combination of experience, training and/or education that provides the required knowledge, abilities, and skills may substitute for the required education.

Responsibilities

• Promotes a culture of excellence by modeling leadership behaviors and promoting the mission, vision, and values of the organization.
• Leads the operating modal divisions of the organization at the executive leadership team level.
• Serves as the executive leadership team member responsible for Trinity Metro fixed route, Trinity Metro On-Demand paratransit services and fleet maintenance.
• Negotiates collective bargaining labor agreements and maintains a productive and successful relationship with labor unions.
• Creates a culture of continuous improvement where operational data (i.e., key performance indicators) is used to inform resource allocation and investment decisions.
• Collaborates with the executive leadership team to develop policy recommendations (e.g., fares, service, work rules) for approval by the President & CEO or Board of Directors as appropriate.
• Works closely with the Chief Financial Officer to ensure proper funding is available to support operations.
• Directs and monitors expenditures in accordance with the approved budget; determines operational resource allocation and levels of service to meet business goals.
• Cultivates and maintains professional relationships with community leaders, government officials, and key stakeholders to enhance the authority's operational effectiveness, ensure alignment with community transportation needs and advance economic development objectives.
• Makes recommendations for capital spending to support business goals.
• Maintains rapport with frontline staff by riding services, convening employee meetings to share information and solicit employee feedback and participating in company events.
• Identifies, recommends and/or implements new innovations to achieve benefits such as improved customer service, service reliability and ridership.
• Continuously looks for ways to provide better service at a lower cost.
• Maintains productive relationships with the Federal Transit Administration and regulatory agencies as applicable.
• Makes recommendations to management to improve operations, decrease inefficiencies and streamline work processes; works cooperatively with all customers, internal and external.
• Participates in company community activities to promote transit on off duty hours.
• Directly supervises employees; applies supervisory responsibilities according to organizational policies and applicable laws.
• Interviews, hires and trains employees; plans and directs work; sets goals for the department; evaluates and manages employee performance; addresses complaints and resolves employee issues.
• Performs other duties, as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Executive
• Industry: Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree