Transportation Director bei Craven County, NC

About the Department

Performs complex professional and difficult administrative work planning, organizing, and directing the operation of the Craven County’s rural and urban public transportation system. An employee in this class is responsible for planning, organizing, and directing all aspects of the county’s rural and urban public transportation services for the general public including clients of public and private human services agencies. Services are provided to the general public and clients of public and private human service agencies for a three-county area including Craven County, Jones County, and Pamlico County. The employee coordinates and oversees transporting of elderly, low-income, and disabled residents to and from various human service agency offices, medical facilities, and shopping areas.  Work involves identifying funding sources, writing grants, and administering contracts and budgets. Work also involves establishing cost-effective transportation routes, supervising administrative and day-to-day operations, and driving a van or bus to evaluate coordinated routes and ensuring vehicles are maintained. Employee is responsible for assisting administrative personnel in human service agencies in gathering information and ensuring efficient and comprehensive service for elderly and handicapped County residents. Supervision is exercised over a staff of drivers and clerical personnel. Considerable independent judgement and initiative are required in accomplishing program objectives within a framework of established policies and applicable laws and regulations.  Considerable tact and courtesy are required in frequent contacts with customers, department heads, employees, and the general public. Work is performed under the general supervision of the Assistant County Manager and is evaluated in terms of ability to fulfill requested transportation needs.

Position Duties

Ensures the county’s public transportation system is operated in accordance with, and in compliance with, federal, state, and local laws, rules and regulations to include U.S. Department of Transportation programs overseen by the Federal Transit Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Highway Administration, and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; N.C. Department of Transportation programs overseen by N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles; Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act; and public transit procurement regulations.

Coordinates provision of transportation services as requested for clients of County and private human services agencies, ensuring safe operation of vehicles and adherence to applicable federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations.

Ensures timely and efficient maintenance of county’s public transportation vehicle fleet. 

Provides reports and responsible advice to Assistant County Manager, County Manager, and Board of Commissioners on transportation system projects, activities and challenges. Researches and recommends comprehensive short and long-range plans and strategies for all aspects of the county’s public transportation system to include meeting customer needs, service levels, economic impact, fee structure and policy changes.

Responds to complex citizen and customer questions, concerns, and requests for service; meets with members of the community and client agencies to assess issues and challenges; identifies and recommends solutions. Interacts with county administrators, the media, citizens, regulatory agencies, other governments, contractors and vendors to effectively support operations. Maintains positive public relations through ensuring the timely dissemination of information and customer complaint resolution. Ensures transportation department provides excellent customer service.

Develops emergency preparedness plans to ensure the provision of essential transportation services. Evaluates and minimizes impact of emergency service disruption and plans for scheduled service disruptions.

Prepares and administers budgets, contracts and monitors expenditures to ensure they remain within established budgets. Prepares revenue projections; recommends rates to management and the Board of Commissioners. Prepares requests for proposals and bids for professional services; makes recommendations for contract awards. Researches and initiates the purchase of new equipment through the county’s purchasing agent; approves all major department purchases. Budgets include rural operations, rural administration, urban operations, and urban administration.

Identifies grant and other funding sources available to support transportation services. Prepares grant applications to include research and information gathering. Manages and monitors grant funding. Responsible for grant compliance and reporting requirements. Assures all local, state and federal policies, rules and regulations are complied with and properly implemented. Acts as the accountable executive for Transit Asset Management (TAM). Oversees revenue collection to include invoicing.  Collects and accounts for County match funds through advertisement sales and fare box collections.

Responsible for submission of monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reports to NCDOT.

Manages staffing, organizational structure delegation of work; recruits, interviews, coaches, evaluates employee performance; recommends employee hiring, promotion, disciplinary action and merit increases; takes disciplinary action in consultation with the HR Director and Assistant County Manager. Directly supervises the Assistant Transportation Director and two Accounting Technician III positions. 

Develops and implements standard operating procedures for the department. Ensures department employees maintain required level of training and compliance with safety procedures. Ensures adherence to established policies, procedures, and standards. Trains assigned employees, ensures employees understand instructions, counsels and coaches for necessary performance improvement. 

Stays abreast of industry developments related to transportation system operation. Plans for relevant changes in regulations, safety and other related issues. Identifies transportation service needs, solicits community feedback, participates in discussion of transportation service needs with community agencies. 

Participates in meetings concerning the transportation program on a regular basis and provides all necessary staff reports regarding the operations and activities of the management entity. Leads grant-required public engagement activities, serves as voting member of the New Bern Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Coordination Committee (TCC) and Transportation Advisory Committee, and the Down East Rural Planning Organization TCC representing the public regarding modes of transportation in the covered areas.

Coordinates transportation department projects and activities with other departments such as Emergency Services and the public information officer.

Prepares agenda items and presents to the Board of Commissioners. Prepares, completes and submits reports; analyzes reports. Maintains files.

Minimum Qualifications

Graduation from a four-year college or university with major course work in public administration, business administration, operations management, planning or a related field. Five years of progressively responsible experience in transportation planning and/or management and supervision; or an equivalent combination of related experience and training. Experience in managing a human service program and large-scale vehicle fleet management preferred. 

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Considerable knowledge of federal, state, and local transit regulations and reporting schedules.
Considerable knowledge of rural and urban public transportation programs.
Considerable knowledge of governmental and private grants and other funding sources available to support public transportation services and the associated reporting and record keeping requirements.
Considerable knowledge of modern office practices, procedures, and technological resources.
Considerable knowledge of fleet management and the materials and parts used for the repair of automotive vehicles.
General knowledge of governmental budgeting, accounting, purchasing and human resources practices. 
General knowledge of the principles of supervision, organization, and administration. 
General knowledge of the county’s socioeconomic demographics and the rural and urban transportation needs of the elderly, handicapped, and disadvantaged populations.
General knowledge of customer service principles to include problem resolution.
Ability to use personal computers and related systems software to include Microsoft Office 365.
Ability to read, interpret, compose and present complex written materials to include federal and state regulations and reports. 
Ability to research, collect and compile data. Ability to make arithmetic computations using whole numbers, fractions, and decimals to compute rates, ratios, and percentages. 
Ability to prioritize and organize multiple complex projects and to meet routine and annual deadlines independently. 
Ability to demonstrate critical thinking and logic to effectively resolve problems and conflicts and make routine decisions independently in accordance with established procedures, ordinances, regulations, and county policies.
Ability to provide leadership in the planning, development and implementation of new or improved services or activities. 
Ability to plan, coordinate, and supervise the work of others.
Ability to express ideas effectively, orally, and in writing. Ability to produce written documents. Ability to effectively speak to large public groups and at Board of Commissioner meetings.
Ability to exercise considerable tact and establish and maintain effective working relationships with county officials, public officials, employees, contractors, diverse groups and the general public.
Ability to safely operate a van or bus.

Other Qualifications

Subject to Drug and Alcohol Pre-employment, Random and Post Accident Testing. 
Must possess and maintain a North Carolina issued Commercial Driver’s License Class C with a Passenger Endorsement.
Craven County residency is required.
May be required to serve during times of emergency or disaster.
Performs other related work as required.