Program Manager, Customer Experience

Central Ohio Transit Authority•Columbus, OH

22h•$88,130 - $103,688•Onsite

About The Position

COTA's Program Manager, Customer Experience is responsible for implementing COTA's Customer Experience Strategy & Action Plan which aims to improve the experience of current customers, draw new customers, enhance brand awareness, and deliver industry leading customer service. The Program Manager will foster a customer-centric culture across COTA, serving as the voice of the customer within the organization, and championing policies, programs, projects and innovations that promote customer satisfaction and loyalty. Performs other duties in alignment with the COTA Strategic Plan and in support of the organization's vision to Move Every Life Forward

Requirements

Requires a bachelor's degree in business administration, public administration, communications, marketing or related field and a minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in customer experience, service design, public engagement, user experience or program management.
An equivalent combination of education, relevant experience, and/or training will also be considered.

Responsibilities

Drives the development and execution of customer experience strategies that elevate rider satisfaction, expand accessibility, and strengthen service quality across all transit modes, aligned with COTA's mission, vision, and organizational goals.
Builds and activates project roadmaps that align CX priorities and resources to deliver measurable results against key performance metrics.
Leads cross ‑ functional teams to implement CX improvements through strategic initiatives and pilot programs, ensuring customer insights inform service design, operational enhancements, communications strategies, and policy development.
Collaborates across divisions to drive organizational change and embed a customer ‑ focused mindset in daily operations and decision ‑
Partners with the Data Analytics team to design, develop, and monitor systems that collect and analyze customer data, including surveys, feedback, ridership trends, and service reliability.
Translates customer data into actionable insights by identifying trends, service gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
Monitors key performance indicators to advance the CX Success Outcomes defined in COTA's Strategic Plan.
Establishes, tracks, and communicates CX insights with internal stakeholders to strengthen decision ‑ making and guide priority projects.
Produces clear, data ‑ driven reports summarizing customer insights and progress toward strategic goals.
Conducts customer journey mapping audits to identify pain points and opportunities to deliver a more seamless and positive experience.
Collaborates with internal teams to ensure timely, accurate, consistent, and accessible communications across all customer touchpoints-including digital channels, mobile apps, trip planning tools, real ‑ time information, fare systems, kiosks, signage, audio announcements, and onboard or facility ‑ based information.
Advises on customer ‑ facing communications related to schedules, fares, service alerts, and system changes to ensure clarity and alignment with CX standards.
Builds CX capabilities across the organization by sharing knowledge, tools, and best practices that elevate the customer experience.
Guides the creation and delivery of customer service and cross ‑ training programs that strengthen staff skills and promote high ‑ quality rider interactions.
Provides technical expertise to managers and project leads to drive alignment and champion customer experience priorities across initiatives.
Guides the development, implementation, and monitoring of customer ‑ focused operational processes and standard operating procedures (SOPs).