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Title: Chief Executive Officer
Company: San Joaquin Regional Transit District
Location: Stockton, California
Job Status: Full-time
Job ID: 134813
ABOUT RTD
San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) is seeking a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) following the announcement by Ms. Gloria Salazar of her upcoming retirement.

RTD serves the vibrant, diverse city of Stockton, California, offering fixed route, bus rapid transit, Hopper service, on-demand rideshare service Van Go!, Countywide accessible mobility paratransit, and vanpool within San Joaquin County. Beyond county limits, RTD offers commuter services connecting Stockton to Sacramento and the Dublin BART station in Pleasanton.

RTD is governed by a five-member Board of Directors appointed by the Stockton City Council and San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors. Created in 1963, the agency has grown into a nationally recognized transit system with a commitment to environmental sustainability. In 2004, the agency introduced the first hybrid diesel-electric buses in California. The commitment to keeping Stockton safe, clean, and healthy has only grown with RTD unveiling the nation’s first all-electric, zero emissions bus rapid transit route in 2017. RTD is committed to transforming its entire fleet to zero-emission buses by 2025.

Committed to providing safe, reliable, and efficient transportation services to a growing San Joaquin County, RTD provides excellent customer service, a commitment to environmental sustainability, and safe and responsible service to their riders. RTD continually innovates and works to improve and streamline its operations to reflect the changing needs of its community. By upholding its commitment to excellence, RTD seeks to be the region’s transportation service of choice for the unique, diverse community it serves.

More details about RTD can be obtained by visiting the agency’s website at https://sanjoaquinrtd.com/.

BE A PART OF A WINNING TEAM
RTD is recognized both locally and nationally for its innovation, infrastructure, leadership, and operations excellence. Accolades include American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Transit Agency of the Year award in 2018, the Government Finance Officers Association Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting for 17 consecutive years, the Construction Management Association of America Award for our Regional Transportation Center project, the Employer of the Year by Women’s Transportation Seminar, and numerous Transportation Marketing and Sales Association Compass Awards. These awards illustrate that RTD’s mission is deeply rooted in providing outstanding transportation service for the residents it serves.

WHAT THE AREA OFFERS
Located in the heart of the agriculturally fertile San Joaquin Valley—the County is situated an hour drive from San Francisco Bay Area to the west and California’s capital Sacramento to the north. Due to its proximity to I-5 and Highway 99, Stockton Metropolitan Airport, and a $600 million improved Burlington Northern Rail Road, Stockton is a transportation hub. A tremendous economic base in our community is the Port of Stockton, the longest deep water Port in California.

San Joaquin County is a dynamic region with strong agricultural roots, establishing itself as a growing economic force. The city of Stockton is the heart of the county; its population accounts for nearly half of the 755,000 people who call the County its home. New residents move to the County to take advantage of quality affordable homes in the area. Schools are an important draw as well. Families have many choices for education among the County’s 14-school districts including San Joaquin Delta College (a community college) as well as public and private four-year universities—University of the Pacific, Stanislaus State Stockton campus.

Leisure:
Ideally located halfway between the mountains and the sea, San Joaquin County offers access to a wide variety of sporting, leisure, and cultural activities. Boating, fishing, and other recreational activities abound in the 1,000 miles of San Joaquin Delta waterways. Stockton is a waterfront community where visitors and community members can enjoy a variety of dining and recreational activities at one of the Stockton Channel’s many marinas. Visitors can also sightsee aboard one of the Delta cruises. Opportunities within two hours of Stockton include shopping and entertainment in San Francisco, and year-round adventure in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Lake Tahoe.

Culture
Made up of people from a variety of socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds, Stockton and San Joaquin County residents celebrate diversity and heritage in everyday life. Cultural events, arts and entertainment are thriving in the County, including the Stockton Symphony, Stockton Civic Theatre, Stockton Ports baseball, Stockton Heat hockey, and Stockton Kings basketball. Stockton’s Victory Park hosts a free weekly summer concert series where attendees can enjoy a picnic in the park, live music, and visiting with fellow community members. Its unique architecture, public art, and thriving culture makes Stockton a beautiful place to live, work, and explore. Stockton’s Miracle Mile shopping and entertainment district as well as the downtown waterfront promenade are excellent destinations for strolling Stockton’s scenic views, enjoying a diverse array of fine dining, and more.

SCOPE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
San Joaquin Regional Transit District is seeking a CEO to provide strategic executive management to lead the agency in achieving its mission of providing safe, reliable, environmentally sustainable, and efficient transportation services to the greater Stockton region. RTD’s CEO reports directly to the five member Board of Directors and serves as the agency representative in front of both internal and external stakeholders including employees, Board members, riders, community members, the media, and elected officials.

The CEO provides visionary leadership for all functions of the agency including operations, service delivery, maintenance, contract management, administration, business services, finance, external relations/communication, and strategic planning. Working in collaboration with the Board of Directors, the executive team, and RTD employees, the CEO empowers the agency to achieve short- and long-term objectives and serves as an advocate for RTD in the local community and the industry as a whole.

The ideal candidate for CEO will have the following skills, knowledge, and personal attributes:

SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
  • Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of transit and transportation including operations, infrastructure, best practices and procedures, funding, regulatory agencies, public policy, ridership, performance metrics, key stakeholders, industry trends, and technology.

  • Demonstrated experience managing a large, complex organization with a focus on customer service, safety, sustainability, and an ability to foster a positive work environment.

  • Experience working with a Board of Directors and the ability to maintain an effective, collaborative, and transparent relationship with the Board.

  • Experience engaging and interacting with employees, community members, customers, Board members, industry peers, elected officials, potential funding sources, and regulatory bodies.

  • Demonstrated experience managing, empowering, mentoring, and communicating with employees and fostering an inclusive and positive work environment for employees at all levels.

  • Knowledge of labor relations including negotiations, collective bargaining agreements, and working with union leadership.

  • Experience managing employees in a unionized environment.

  • Experience serving as an advocate and representative for a complex organization and its needs, services, and goals.

  • Demonstrated ability to advance emerging technologies coupled with experience implementing new technologies, including the implementation of zero-emission bus technology.

  • In-depth knowledge of all aspects of project management and delivery as it relates to transit, including budgets, funding/grant management, staffing, stakeholder engagement, regulatory agencies, and best practices and procedures.

  • Ability to utilize performance metrics and data to make informed business decisions and improve customer service.

  • Thorough understanding of business and financial operations for a complex organization, including managing operating and capital budgets and the ability to balance organizational needs and services with limited financial resources.

  • Ability to interpret financial data to determine the financial implication of decisions, identify new potential revenue streams, maintain financial stability, optimize resources, and resolve inefficiencies.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
  • Demonstrates a passion for transit, transportation, and for providing visionary leadership for RTD to achieve its mission of providing excellent, sustainable, and safe service to its customers.

  • Serves as a passionate and energetic advocate for RTD and public transit; possesses the ability to communicate RTD’s vision, services, goals, and mission to a broad audience of internal and external stakeholders.

  • Engages with external stakeholders, including industry peers, community organizations, elected officials, and community members to communicate RTD’s needs and partner on innovative projects.

  • Demonstrates skill in problem-solving and critical thinking in a variety of high-pressure situations; possesses the ability to make decisions independently and to collaborate and delegate when appropriate.

  • Possesses strong project management knowledge and acumen; has the ability to balance and manage multiple high-priority projects simultaneously.

  • Acts with the highest level of integrity and maintains an agency-wide culture of transparency and accountability.

  • Has the ability to make difficult decisions and have difficult conversations when needed.

  • Possesses strong financial management skills and is capable of communicating financial information to key stakeholders, including the Board of Directors in a clear, concise, and transparent manner.

  • Demonstrates a strategic approach to management with excellent team building, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills.

  • Communicates effectively with a variety of internal and external stakeholders; possesses the ability to distill complex information in a way that is engaging and accessible to all audiences.

  • Demonstrates skilled and empathetic executive leadership; mentors, develops, and empowers employees at all levels to achieve success and work toward a cohesive vision for RTD.

  • Encourages and empowers staff to achieve individual, professional, and agency-wide success.

  • Embraces diversity, values inclusion, and maintains a positive work culture throughout the Agency.

  • Balances the Agency’s short and long-term needs and objectives by providing a vision that is comprehensive and cohesive.

  • Demonstrates a willingness to listen to new ideas, consider different perspectives, find creative solutions, embrace new technologies, and collaborate with partners both internally and externally to help the Agency be a leader in offering innovative solutions to the customers’ needs.

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
The ideal candidate will have a minimum of five (5) years of executive management experience in a transit or transportation agency of comparable size and complexity to San Joaquin RTD. A Bachelor’s degree in transportation, public administration, business management, engineering, or a related subject is preferred. In lieu of a Bachelor’s degree, an equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

TO APPLY
For additional information or to submit a resume, please contact Gregg A. Moser at [email protected].

When applying, mention that you saw this opening listed at TransitTalent.com.