Director of Operations

Position Summary

The Director of Operations is a senior operational leader responsible for driving safe reliable and efficient execution across SCR Medical Transportations paratransit and special needs school transportation contracts.

This role serves as the primary connector between strategy and frontline executionleading contract-level performance developing operational leaders and ensuring SCR consistently delivers a high-quality rider and customer experience. The Director of Operations partners closely with the Vice President of Operations to implement Beacon Mobility standards strengthen operating discipline and preserve SCRs people-first community-focused culture.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership & Contract Oversight

Provide direct leadership and accountability for contract-based operations ensuring each contract meets or exceeds performance safety compliance and financial expectations.

Lead and support Project Managers and Operations Managers responsible for paratransit and special needs school transportation services.

Translate company strategy Beacon values and operational priorities into clear expectations and measurable outcomes across all contracts.

Establish consistent operating rhythms communication cadences and escalation pathways across contracts.

Monitor and actively manage core performance indicators including:

o Transit on-time performance

o Beacon Connect adoption

o Labor as a percentage of revenue

o Cost per mile

o Vehicle availability and route efficiency

Safety Compliance & Risk Management

Champion a safety-first culture ensuring safety is embedded in daily decision-making at all levels.

Ensure full compliance with federal state local and contractual requirements governing paratransit and school transportation.

Oversee incident review processes corrective action plans safety audits and ongoing training efforts.

Partner with maintenance safety and compliance teams to reduce risk and improve fleet reliability.

Fleet Management & Asset Optimization

Partner closely with Maintenance and Safety leaders to ensure fleet availability reliability and readiness align with service demand and contractual requirements.

Monitor fleet availability utilization and cost per mile collaborating with cross-functional teams to identify opportunities to reduce downtime control operating costs and improve asset efficiency.

Support vehicle lifecycle planning and replacement strategies ensuring asset decisions balance reliability safety and long-term cost effectiveness.

Ensure fleet and facility practices support safe compliant and efficient operations and align with Beacon Mobility standards.

Financial & Performance Management

Support annual operating plans and budgets balancing fiscal discipline with service reliability and employee engagement.

Analyze operational and financial data to identify trends risks and improvement opportunities across contracts.

Drive accountability for staffing models overtime control scheduling efficiency and productivity.

Collaborate with finance and the Vice President of Operations on forecasting variance analysis and performance improvement initiatives.

Team Leadership & Development

Lead coach and develop a team of Project Managers and Operations Managers accountable for contract performance.

Build leadership capability through structured feedback performance management and development planning.

Foster a collaborative inclusive and accountable culture aligned with Beacon Mobilitys values

Reinforce clear communication ownership and consistency across teams.

Customer & Contract Relationships

Maintain strong working relationships with agencies school districts and municipal partners.

Proactively address service issues contract requirements and customer concerns with empathy and urgency.

Support contract retention by ensuring operational execution aligns with customer expectations and commitments.

Represent SCR in customer meetings audits and operational reviews as needed.

Innovation & Technology Adoption

Identify and lead continuous improvement initiatives that enhance service delivery efficiency and employee experience.

Change management execution across Beacon Mobility tools and platforms including Beacon Connect and related systems.

Leverage data standardized processes and technology-enabled insights to improve dispatch efficiency workforce utilization and operational visibility.

Promote simple clear communication so processes are well understood by drivers dispatchers and frontline leaders.

Qualifications
Required

Bachelors degree in Business Operations Transportation Management or a related field or equivalent experience.

710 years of progressive operations leadership experience in transportation logistics or other regulated service environments.

Demonstrated success leading contract-based people-intensive operations.

Strong knowledge of transportation safety regulatory and labor best practices.

Proven ability to analyze operational and financial data and drive measurable improvement.

Excellent leadership communication and relationship-building skills.

Preferred

Experience in paratransit and/or special needs school transportation.

Experience operating within a multi-brand or growth-oriented organization.

Familiarity with transportation management systems (TMS) scheduling tools and KPI dashboards.

Exposure to technology-enabled or analytics-driven operational improvement initiatives.

Ability to travel to work out of both the Chicago & Batavia locations.

Compensation

$130000-$140000 per year depending on experience.