REPORTS TO: Executive Director of Transportation

POSITION OVERVIEW:

The BPS Department of Transportation (DOT) is responsible for transporting 30,000 students across the Boston area to school safely and on-time every day. With a $120m budget, DOT makes up 10% of the overall BPS budget and is the largest single department within BPS.

DOT is looking to hire someone who is engaging to support the Director of Transportation across various areas. As a key member of the transportation team, the Special Assistant will gain deep exposure both to the workings of a school district and school district transportation.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The role will evolve over time, and we are expecting the Special Assistant to be willing to grow in various areas while gaining responsibility quickly. Some of your work may include:

• 
  Community engagement - 30%
• Customer engagement - Over the course of the year, thousands of families come to the DOT office with specific and often unique problems. The Special Assistant will help support families in finding tailored solutions.
• Outreach - Thousands of communications are sent each year to families letting them know about their bus information (e.g. stops, bus number, etc.). The Special Assistant will draft letters and other essential communique to families.

• Project work - 30%
• Support and conduct analyses – Work with the Strategic Projects Manager to use internal data to improve our on-time performance, reduce costs, or improve the overall student experience. For example, projects may include identifying and addressing chronically late buses, identifying promising locations for bus stops, or managing the implementation of new software.
• Coordinate the Transportation Team __ DOT has 20+ employees __ the Special Assistant would organize team meetings, develop agendas and report out action items to all BPSDOT Staff.
• Manage projects – Dot is constantly working on projects with other departments to improve services. The Special Assistant can ensure that DOT staff are setting deadlines, running effective meetings, and achieving deliverables.

• Team support - 20%
• Scheduling - Support the coordination of the Director’s schedule, take notes in some meetings, manage compliance paperwork, and coordinate other workflows as necessary.
• Administrative – Support processing payroll, managing budgets, working with procurement and compiling expense reports.

• Other projects as needed - 20%

• The Transportation Office is fast pace and the type of support needed may change over time. For example, the Special Assistant may be responsible for managing DOT back to school processes timeline, strategic planning timelines, planning department retreats, and other duties, as assigned by the Director.

QUALIFICATIONS - REQUIRED:

While welcoming candidates from a wide range of backgrounds, DOT is looking for someone who meets the following traits:

• Strong interpersonal skills - this role will involve significant engagement with customers who have had a negative experience (e.g. a late bus). You need to be able to stay calm, polite, and collaborative under pressure. You should also be able to build deep relationships with all of our DOT staff, who come from a wide range of backgrounds.
• Strong organizational skills - The ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail and ability to work independently, and perform well under stress.
• Task orientated - Given clear instructions, the candidate will complete the task with little oversight. The candidate should be able to keep track of multiple missions, prioritize among them, and communicate if more support is needed.
• Flexible - This job may require flexible hours. DOT is a fast-paced and often high-stress environment. Candidates will need to learn quickly and may require working on problems late at night or (rarely) on weekends.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills - The ability to communicate complex ideas to a range of audiences. DOT sends letters to thousands of families and schools, they need to be clear and accurate.
• Office skills - Proficient in Excel, Microsoft Office Suite, and Google Suite
• K-12 education experience- A background in education is preferred, but not required Candidates should be excited about a career in K-12 education.
• Confidentiality - Candidates will work closely with the Director of Transportation, which requires handling confidential information with discretion.
• Current authorization to work in the United States- Candidates must have such authorization by their first day of employment. You must also live in the City of Boston.
• An understanding of and commitment to gain a greater understanding of what is necessary for an urban school system to enjoy continuous improvement in an increasingly complex and competitive environment.
• A deeply held and unyielding belief in the overarching mission of public education

QUALIFICATIONS - PREFERRED:

• Bachelor Degree
• 5 years experience
• Familiarity with Boston and Boston Public Schools

TERMS: Managerial, C42.

This position involves steady extra time with many deadlines. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

The Boston Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, does not discriminate in its programs, facilities, employment, or educational opportunities on the basis of race, color, age, criminal record (inquiries only), disability, homelessness, sex/gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetics or military status and does not tolerate any form of retaliation, or bias-based intimidation, threat or harassment that demeans individuals’ dignity or interferes with their ability to learn or work.