Chatham Area Transit

Background
Chatham Area Transit (CAT), serving 1,300 stops in beautiful historic downtown Savannah, GA, Chatham Co., and part of Garden City, provides over four million annual passenger trips with a fleet of 61 buses, 32 paratransit vehicles, and 4 ferries, seeks a customer-focused, innovative, strategic thinker and team player with a strong work ethic to serve as its Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).

Position
The CAO is at the highest level of Senior Management, reporting directly to the Executive Director/CEO, and is responsible for providing administrative control, guidance, direction and oversight. More specifically, the COO:

• Working with the CEO and thinking and operating strategically, s/he will be responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining the Enterprise Risk Management program, as well as managing Procurement and Contract Administration, Training, Human Resources, Diversity Equity, and Inclusion Program & Equal Employment Opportunity, Labor/Employee Relations support, IT Innovation Performance and Hardware and Software Management, Safety, Security & Risk Management (SMS), Civil Rights/DBE, Ethics Programs.
• S/he will maintain liaison with union leadership and assist in Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations, and ensures compliance with CBA provisions, and assists the CEO and COO in handling/resolution of grievances and other union-management relationships.
• Works collaboratively with the Executive Leadership Team to enhance the CAT’s reputation for excellence by employing best practices and monitoring key performance indicators, while developing strategies to achieve CAT’s short- and long-term goals and growth objectives.Assists CFO in developing annual operating and capital budget and spending plans.
• Leads compliance efforts with respect to Federal, State, and Local laws and regulatory actions and serves as primary contact with outside counsel, monitoring and advising senior management and Board on pending and ongoing litigation.
• Manages the development of human resources strategies, establishing accountability, recruitment, employment processing, compensation, benefits, training and development, and records management policies.
• Provides oversight to succession planning and mentoring programs, ethics training, employee relations and retention, and ensures both internal and contractor compliance with ADA, EEO, DBE/SBE/DEI/EEO and Civil Rights programs, as well oversees DEI activities.

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in transportation, business, administration, or finance. A law degree would be a plus.
• Administrative experience in a transportation/transit environment or equivalent public sector organization, with demonstrated personnel management and labor relations knowledge.
• Proven success in organizational transformation resulting in improved efficiency, effectiveness and enhanced brand value.
• Proven experience in developing performance management systems is a plus.
• Customer-focused, innovative, strategic thinker and team player.
• Prior Management experience, including procurement and/or an A.C.P.A. and/or Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM).
• Minimum 5-10 years of progressive administrative management experience in the transportation or a related field.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with both internal staff and external stakeholders, as well as the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

Salary
Competitive, dependent on experience. Relocation for successful candidate.

Equal Employment Opportunity
CAT is an equal opportunity employer.