Division Manager, Paratransit

Job Description:

Under the Direction of the Regional Manager, Paratransit, the Division Manager, Paratransit collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to implement key initiatives of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) and Pace Suburban Bus for demand response services in accordance with Pace quality standards, goals, and objectives in the six-county region of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties of Illinois. Manages all aspects of Pace Paratransit programs with an annual operating budget of over $300M (FY 2025), a fleet of over 1,200 vehicles and an approximate 45 full-time staff. Essential functions include:

1. Managing Paratransit Division operations, complex demand response planning, and development, including implementation of key initiatives and directives in the region. Analyzes key performance indicators. Evaluates the cost, risk, customer impact, and benefits of transit initiatives and funding requirements.
2. Assuring compliance of applicable local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations governing transportation policies, funding, and planning. This includes Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) of the Department of Transportation (DOT) Americans with Disability Act (ADA) regulations, Title VI of Civil Rights Act, the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) regulations and Pace human resource policies.
3. Responsible for service contract procurement, local and ad hoc agreements with local stakeholders, the development of budgets, forecasts, and monitoring of budgets for projects/programs. This includes managing federal grants (531 O, 5307) and federal directives of Council on Community Access and Mobility (CCAM). Provides technical support, policy, and regulatory guidance.
4. Representing Pace at internal and external meetings employing proficient presentation skills and demonstrates effective written and verbal communication skills.
5. Performing other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education:

Qualified candidate must have a Bachelor’s degree in Urban or Transportation Planning, Business Administration, Transportation and Logistics, Public Administration, or related field is required. Master's Degree in a related field is preferred.

Experience:

Qualified candidates Must have a minimum of 10 years’ transportation management of FTA ADA paratransit including experience with implementation of Title VI of Civil Rights Act, FTA DOT ADA regulations and FTA procurement best practice is required. Experience in paratransit best practices, contract administration including the development and implementation of purchase of service agreements, IGAs, MOUs, service provider contracts and FTA DOT procurement processes is required.

Certifications: 

Must have valid state of Illinois, Wisconsin or Indiana driver’s license with good driving record is required. 

Proficiencies:

Must be proficient in the use of computer software specifically, Microsoft Office suite applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).

Experience with Trapeze software (transportation scheduling and routing software) including Viewpoint dashboards, ParaCutter, Itinerary Planner, and Pass-Web, electronic fare payment systems, interactive voice response systems (IVR), Mobility as a Service (MaaS) software, Oracle and Apex databases and Adobe Docs is preferred.

Must be able to work with large amounts of data to assess and analyze service performance and project goals, while managing multiple concurrent projects. 

Must have excellent written and oral communication skills, public speaking skills, customer service and interpersonal skills.

Must be able to analyze cost trends to manage multiple project budgets and data specific to each project in response to local initiatives. Must be able to interpret various types of contracts to assure compliance with Pace, federal, state and local requirements.

Must have strong math skills needed to manage budgets, invoice local partners, process vendor payments and assist with annual budget projections.

Physical Requirements:

This role requires sitting for extended periods, typing on a computer, and attending meetings. Must be able to lift objects weighing up to 25 lbs.

Working Conditions:

Work is mostly performed in an office setting. Work is sometimes performed in an outdoor or warehouse environment where the employee will be expose to extreme temperatures, loud noises, and toxic or caustic chemicals, substances or waste. 

This position is not eligible for a hybrid work schedule or remote work.

Salary:

Anticipated Starting Salary Range: $110,093 – 161,131

Full Salary Range: $84,574 – 186,650

Midpoint: $135,612

Pace provides full pay ranges so candidates can consider their growth potential. 

BENEFITS SUMMARY

Pace, the Suburban Bus Division of the Regional Transportation Authority (“Pace”), was established to aid and assist public transportation in the six-county northeastern Illinois area consisting of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties.

As an equal opportunity employer, Pace seeks to employ qualified personnel in all job classifications and to provide equal opportunities in a manner that will not discriminate against any person because of actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, marital or civil union status, citizenship status, disability, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, order of protection status, childbirth, medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic defined under applicable law.

Thank you for your interest in Pace. If you are having difficulty completing this application or require other assistance, please contact Devlin Collins at devlin.collins@pacebus.com.