Transit General Manager

City of Racine•Wi 53405, WI

1d•Onsite

About The Position

RYDE Racine serves as the public transportation system for Eastern Racine County, providing an extensive network of nearly 700 stops throughout the region. The system stretches from the shores of Lake Michigan west to Interstate 94 and from Four Mile Road in the north to Lake Park and Georgetown in the south, providing convenient, reliable, and accessible fixed-route and paratransit transportation for communities across Eastern Racine County. RYDE Racine provides approximately 1,000,000 rides annually and is supported by a staff of approximately 80 employees dedicated to serving the transportation needs of the community. The General Manager is responsible for overseeing all daily transit operations and maintenance (vehicle and non-vehicle) functions of Racine's transit system. The management functions of the transit system include overseeing the daily operations of fixed-route and paratransit service for the greater Racine region.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience managing daily transit operations, including service delivery, scheduling, safety, fleet, facilities, and maintenance coordination.
Ability to make independent, sound decisions that support safe, reliable, efficient, and compliant transit operations.
Strong knowledge of transit operations, regulatory requirements, labor practices, and service delivery standards.
Demonstrated ability to develop, implement, and evaluate operational policies, procedures, and performance measures.
Strong problem-solving and analytical skills with the ability to identify operational issues and implement effective solutions.
Ability to manage operational budgets, resources, staffing, and competing priorities effectively.
Experience overseeing operational technology, scheduling systems, timekeeping, and other tools supporting service delivery.
Ability to manage capital projects and operational initiatives while minimizing impacts to transit service.
Demonstrated leadership skills with the ability to promote safety, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
Ability to build effective working relationships with employees, labor representatives, vendors, regulatory agencies, and community partners.
Ability to use operational data, ridership trends, and performance measures to improve service reliability, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
Ability to support long-range service, workforce, fleet, facility, and budget planning in collaboration with the Transit & Mobility Director.
Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in Public Administration, Business Management, and Finance, Accounting, Transportation or related field; or equal to greater experience.
Must have at least five (5) years minimum of transit-related management level experience.

Responsibilities

Directs and coordinates the day-to-day operations of the Transit Department, ensuring services are delivered safely, efficiently, and in compliance with established Federal, State, and local regulations, policies, standards, and procedures.
Develops, implements, and continuously evaluates operational policies, procedures, and service standards in consultation with the Transit & Mobility Director.
Monitors changes in Federal and State regulations, guidance, and industry practices to ensure operational activities remain compliant and responsive to evolving transit requirements.
Oversees daily transit operations and coordinates activities with other City departments to ensure compliance with Federal Transit Administration and Wisconsin Department of Transportation requirements and policies.
Manages and monitors fixed-route service delivery, including operator scheduling, Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) software, timekeeping systems, and other operational technology and service platforms.
Oversees transit personnel assigned to the Transit Administrative and Maintenance Garage at 1900 Kentucky Street, providing direction and support to ensure effective staffing, service delivery, safety, and accountability.
Plans and conducts quarterly meetings with operational staff to reinforce compliance, safety, accessibility, service standards, and customer service expectations.
Monitors ridership, service performance, operational trends, capital needs, and labor matters and communicates key issues and recommendations to the Transit & Mobility Director.
Serves as management liaison to Teamsters Local 200, ensuring operational compliance with the collective bargaining agreement and participating in labor negotiations and related activities.
Develops and standardizes operating procedures and performance measures to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, reliability, and consistency of transit services.
Evaluates operational workloads, staffing, administrative processes, support systems, and internal reporting relationships; identifies opportunities for improvement and recommends changes to enhance service delivery.
Manages multiple capital projects in partnership with the Transit & Mobility Director, ensuring projects support operational needs and departmental goals established by the Transit Commission.
Coordinates and contributes to procurement activities for transit projects, equipment, technology, and operational services.
Participates in Federal and State audits, compliance reviews, inspections, and other regulatory activities as required.
Represents RYDE Racine on transportation committees and participates in professional transportation associations, particularly those focused on transit operations, service delivery, safety, and mobility.
Maintains current knowledge of emerging transportation technologies, operational practices, service delivery models, and industry innovations; evaluates their potential application to RYDE Racine's operations.
Works collaboratively with the Transit & Mobility Director, City departments, employees, labor representatives, regulatory agencies, and external partners to address operational issues and maintain high-quality transit service.
Performs other duties as assigned in support of the effective and efficient operation of the Transit Department.