Senior Director of Transportation

Company Description

About KIPP Texas

KIPP Texas Public Schools is a network of 57 public charter, open-enrollment, pre-k-12 schools educating nearly 34,000 students across Austin, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Together with families and communities, our mission is to create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose - college, career, and beyond - so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

Founded in Houston in 1994, and operating as KIPP Texas since 2018, our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism in our classrooms, in our offices, and in the communities we serve is unwavering. We are looking to hire a diverse team of dynamic, collaborative, and dedicated individuals with an unyielding belief that every child will succeed. Join our Team and Family and champion equity, chase excellence, persist with purpose, bring joy, and help us rise together.

KIPP Public Schools is a national network of public charter schools that prepares students with the skills and confidence to create the future they want for themselves, their communities, and us all. We are a network of 280 schools, nearly 15,000 educators, and 175,000 students and alumni.

Job Description

The goal of the KIPP Texas Transportation Department is to provide on-time and safe transportation services for all KIPPsters to and from school daily through a cost-effective and fiscally responsible program while maintaining compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. The Senior Director of Transportation will oversee transportation services for all KTX regions: Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. The Senior Director of Transportation will lead Regional Directors and Managers in driving efficient daily operations, leveraging creative routing strategies, optimizing resources, maintaining high ridership levels, and delivering cost-effective, seamless transportation services while upholding vendor accountability and prioritizing exceptional stakeholder management and customer service. 

The Senior Director of Transportation will manage a fleet bus contract, ensuring compliance with KIPP Texas’ terms and conditions, oversee Key Performance Indicators for operational efficiency, and ensure the timely submission of annual reports to the Texas Education Agency TEA).   

Key Responsibilities

Oversee transportation services for KTX regions:

• Leading, managing, and developing Regional Directors and Managers across all KTX regions

• Owns and manages the transportation service contracts, ensuring full compliance, effective communication with providers, and the timely resolution of issues to maintain high-quality and cost-effective transportation services  

• Collaborates with Student Recruitment and Enrollment teams during the enrollment season to gather ridership data in preparation for the accurate planning and optimization of transportation routes.  

• Oversee processes for route development and optimization ensuring a standardized and efficient service delivery model  

• Ensure routing and accountability services are compliant for all transportation services (General Education, Special Education, and McKinney Vento)

• Oversee and evaluate daily operations to ensure bus services are executed efficiently and cost-effectively, aligned with standard operating procedures, policies, and guidelines

• Oversees Radio Frequency Identification  (RFID) processes to ensure all bus riders are equipped with RFID tags and that all buses maintain fully functional scanning capabilities at all times 

• Actively participates in operations-focused meetings with team members and school-based personnel to strengthen relationships, collaborate on process improvements, and streamline transportation services

• Lead the development and implementation of policies, procedures, system upgrades, and service standards across the state, focusing on innovation, driving continuous improvement, and aligning with best practices for all areas of transportation services 

• Maintains a strong support structure for schools and students by ensuring timely responses, proactive communication, promptly addressing concerns, and fostering collaboration to meet transportation needs and enhance overall service quality 

• Adjust and recommend transportation schedule modifications during periods of inclement weather or other disruptions ensuring continued service focused on safety 

•  Participates in various task force initiatives and performs other duties as assigned

Lead budget management for transportation service:

• Provides dat