Director, Student Transportation and Traffic Safety

State of Washington•Thurston County – Olympia, WA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) seeks to fill the Director of Student Transportation and Traffic Safety. This full-time permanent position is based in Olympia, Washington. This position requires on-site work 3–4 days per week. Following successful completion of onboarding, the position may be eligible for telework 1–2 days per week, with a schedule that includes a combination of in-office and remote workdays. OSPI is the primary agency charged with overseeing public K–12 education in Washington state. Working with the state's 295 public school districts and 7 state-tribal education compact schools, OSPI allocates funding and provides tools, resources, and technical assistance so every student in Washington is provided a high-quality public education. OSPI is committed to its work but values the balance with its personal lives. It demonstrates its commitment to employees by providing an environment that stimulates professional growth and values them for their expertise. OSPI is a great place to work and has several initiatives to help create a great working environment, including: supporting a healthy work/life balance by offering flexible/alternative work schedules and mobile and telework options. It has an Infant at Work Program that is based on long-term values of newborns and infant-parent bonding. Eligible employees who are new parents or legal guardians can bring their infant (six weeks to six months) when returning to work. OSPI values and is actively involved in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within OSPI by way of cross-divisional, collaborative committee. The focus of the committee includes employee engagement and education; reinforcing OSPI values; and maximizing the value of diversity and identifying strategies for inclusion. The Director of Student Transportation leads statewide oversight of Washington’s student transportation program, including funding allocations, school bus depreciation, statewide bus bidding, driver qualification and authorization, and Traffic Safety Education. This role supervises staff, partners with regional transportation coordinators, and supports budget development, legislative analysis, fiscal notes, and agency representation to help ensure compliant, cost-effective transportation services for school districts statewide.

Requirements

A bachelor's degree in business or government administration (or a closely related field) and five years of management or administrative experience in a student transportation school bus operations program.
Minimum 3 years work experience supervising staff.
Expert knowledge of Washington State laws and administrative code related to student transportation and traffic safety education.
Understanding of school district operations, particularly related to student transportation and traffic safety education, including the STARS reporting process and an understanding of how the funding formula works.
Advanced working knowledge of Excel such as creating high level complex formulas, building multi-layer pivot tables, and connecting Excel to multiple data sources.
Must reside in the state of Washington.
Must be in the office 3 days per week.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards relating to school buses.
Successful completion of the Pupil Transportation Management Training Program at Central Washington University.
Successful completion of the School Bus Driver Instruction Training Course.
Project management skills to ensure appropriate scope development, staff allocation, cost management, contract compliance, and on-time delivery of quality products that meet customer and legislatively mandated requirements.
Ability to utilize technology in a management system, with a working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and web-based applications.

Responsibilities

Oversee Student Transportation Operations Funding
Oversee School Bus and Transportation Vehicle Funding and Bidding Process
Administer the Regional Transportation Coordinator (RTC) Program
Manage the administration of efficiency evaluations of school district transportation operations
Serve as Agency student transportation knowledge expert
Oversee school bus driver training and authorizations
Liaise with other state agencies and organizations
Oversee the Traffic Safety Education program
Supervise and lead a team of four