Associate Chief Operating Officer Jobs in Minnesota

The Director of Paratransit (STRIDE) Operations and ADA Compliance is responsible for the leadership, management, and performance of DTA's STRIDE service and related ADA operational functions within the On-Demand/Paratransit department. This position directs day-to-day STRIDE operations, including staffing, scheduling coordination, dispatch practices, service performance, investigations, policy and procedure development, and ADA-related operational compliance.

This role reports to the Chief Operating Officer and is responsible for meeting department performance metrics and operational expectations as directed by the COO. The Director manages assigned collective bargaining and non-represented employees and is responsible for employee accountability and disciplinary action consistent with the STRIDE collective bargaining agreement, DTA policy, and applicable labor practices.

Working across operations, maintenance, safety, security, scheduling, customer experience, human resources, and other internal partners, this role helps ensure STRIDE service is safe, reliable, compliant, efficient, and responsive to customer needs.

The DTA is an award-winning transit agency that provides safe, convenient and affordable public transit service (both fixed-route and paratransit) within the Twin Ports of Duluth, MN and Superior, WI. We transport just under 3 million passengers annually by way of our 75+ bus fleet and we employ approximately 200 team members.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Direct and oversee the daily operation of the STRIDE department, including service delivery, dispatch, scheduling coordination, staffing, and operational performance.
• Lead assigned dispatch staff and collective bargaining employees, including hiring, onboarding, coaching, performance management, employee development, scheduling oversight, and workforce planning.
• Administer employee accountability, investigations, corrective action, and disciplinary action consistent with the STRIDE collective bargaining agreement, DTA policy, and established labor-relations practices.
• Ensure the department meets performance metrics and operating expectations established by the Chief Operating Officer, including on-time performance, missed trips, trip denials, no-shows, complaints, productivity, attendance, safety, and service reliability.
• Develop, implement, and maintain dispatch playbooks, standard operating procedures, departmental policies, and operating practices for STRIDE service delivery and ADA-related operations.
• Lead ADA-related investigations, service complaints, incident follow-up, compliance reviews, and operational response to customer accommodation issues.
• Ensure compliance with ADA requirements, DTA policies, and service standards applicable to STRIDE operations.
• Monitor service and workforce performance, identify trends and operational concerns, and implement corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Partner with safety, security, training, maintenance, scheduling, customer experience, human resources, and other departments to support coordinated service delivery and effective response to daily operating issues.
• Prepare reports, recommendations, and presentations for the Chief Operating Officer and other leadership regarding service performance, staffing, compliance activity, budget needs, and operational priorities.
• Support department budget development, resource planning, procurement activities, and vendor or contract oversight for assigned areas of responsibility.
• Represent DTA in meetings involving STRIDE operations, ADA service matters, customer concerns, and community stakeholder issues.
• Participate in irregular operations response, emergency coordination, and after-hours operational support as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in transit, paratransit, demand-response transportation, dispatch, scheduling, service delivery, customer operations, or a related operational environment.
• Minimum of two (2) years of supervisory, management, or lead responsibility for employees, programs, or day-to-day operations.
• Demonstrated experience supporting employee accountability, investigations, corrective action, or discipline in an operational environment.
• Experience developing or administering procedures, service standards, performance measures, complaint resolution processes, or compliance-based operations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare professional documentation, reports, and executive-level summaries.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and ability to learn scheduling, dispatch, reporting, and transit management systems.
• Valid driver's license required and ability to meet DTA driving and insurability standards, if applicable.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in public transit, paratransit, healthcare transportation, human services transportation, or another public-service environment.
• Experience managing collective bargaining employees in a unionized environment.
• Familiarity with ADA service requirements, paratransit operations, complaint handling, investigations, dispatch operations, or policy and procedure development.
• Experience working in a public-sector environment.
• Experience using service data and operational metrics to support performance improvement.
• Experience with budget monitoring, vendor oversight, or contract administration.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to lead employees and operations in a fast-paced public-service environment.
• Ability to interpret and apply policies, procedures, and collective bargaining agreement provisions consistently and fairly.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and respond effectively to time-sensitive service issues.
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments and build productive relationships with employees, union representatives, customers, and community partners.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment in sensitive employee, customer, and operational matters.

Working Conditions

• Work is performed in a combination of office, dispatch, field, and transit operating environments.
• Position may require work outside normal business hours, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and on-call support, based on operational needs.
• Must be able to travel between DTA locations and respond to operational matters in the field as required.

hysical Requirements

• Ability to communicate effectively in person, by phone, by radio, and in writing.
• Ability to review documents, data, reports, and computer-based systems with reasonable accuracy.
• Ability to move throughout office, dispatch, garage, and operating locations.
• Ability to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Fringe Benefits

• Competitive Salary
• Training and Career Development Opportunities
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account (FSA)
• Health insurance-full paid monthly premiums for employee and family
• Dental Insurance-fully paid monthly premiums for employee and family
• Vision Insurance-fully paid monthly premiums for employee and family
• $500 health insurance deductible per person annually, low max out of pocket spend
• Life insurance-fully paid monthly premiums for employee
• Paid vacation
• Paid sick time
• Pension-company contribution of 12%
• Access to Minnesota Deferred Compensation Plan
• Free bus passes for employee and immediate family