Purpose of Position:

The Vice President, Safety & Security provides executive leadership for the development, implementation, oversight, and continuous improvement of the company’s safety and security programs for transit operations across the United States. This position is responsible for establishing and maintaining a comprehensive, performance-based safety program grounded in Safety Management System (SMS) principles and aligned with all applicable Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Department of Transportation (DOT), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), state, and local requirements.

This leader drives the company’s Agency Safety Plan / Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan, security and emergency management programs, accident and injury reduction strategies, safety risk management activities, training standards, compliance monitoring, and safety performance improvement initiatives. The role partners with operating divisions and senior leadership to strengthen safety culture, reduce operational risk, improve employee and passenger safety, and ensure regulatory compliance across bus, rail, and paratransit services.

This position requires senior-level experience in transit safety, regulatory compliance, operational risk management, accident investigation, training program administration, and organizational change leadership. The ideal candidate is strategic, data-driven, collaborative, and experienced in building accountable safety systems in complex, multi-location transportation environments.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The following duties are representative of this position and are not intended to be all-inclusive. Other duties may be assigned.

• Leads the development, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of corporate safety, security, emergency management, and regulatory compliance programs for all transit operations.
• Provides executive oversight of the company’s Agency Safety Plan / Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan and related policies, procedures, records, certifications, and annual review processes, as applicable to each operation.
• Ensures safety programs are structured around the four components of Safety Management Systems: Safety Management Policy, Safety Risk Management, Safety Assurance, and Safety Promotion.
• Directs enterprise safety risk identification, hazard analysis, safety risk assessment, mitigation planning, and monitoring activities for operational, maintenance, facility, and security-related hazards.
• Oversees the development and use of safety performance measures, safety performance targets, trend analyses, dashboards, and corrective action tracking to support data-informed decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Leads the design and administration of safety risk reduction initiatives intended to reduce injuries, accidents, incidents, assaults, and other reportable safety events.
• Ensures cooperation with frontline transit worker representatives in safety planning, safety program development, and hazard resolution activities, and supports or oversees formal Safety Committee processes where required.
• Directs accident, incident, injury, near-miss, and security event investigation processes to determine causal factors, identify systemic issues, develop corrective actions, and prevent recurrence.
• Oversees safety compliance during new contract mobilizations, start-up operations, transitions, and major service changes.
• Ensures robust safety training and recertification programs for safety sensitive employees (such as bus and paratransit operators)
• Oversees training content and delivery in areas including safe vehicle operations, rule compliance, accident prevention, hazard reporting, fatigue awareness, security awareness, emergency procedures, customer interaction, de-escalation, assault mitigation, and post-incident response, as applicable.
• Ensures proper documentation and retention of accident files, investigation materials, claims-related records, corrective actions, disciplinary support documentation, and safety performance records.
• Serves as the senior transit safety liaison with clients, insurers, claims administrators, attorneys, auditors, regulators, and external investigators regarding accidents, claims, litigation, corrective actions, and safety compliance matters.
• Oversees internal safety audits, compliance reviews, field observations, facility inspections, contractor reviews, and operational assessments to verify conformance with company standards and legal requirements.
• Advises executive leadership on enterprise safety risk exposure, emerging trends, regulatory changes, significant incidents, and recommended corrective or strategic actions.
• Promotes a just, accountable, and reporting-oriented safety culture that encourages hazard identification, employee involvement, learning, and continuous improvement across the organization.

Minimum Training and Experience Required:

Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety, Transportation, Industrial Engineering, Safety Management, Public Administration, Emergency Management, Criminal Justice, Risk Management, or a related field required. Master’s degree preferred.

Minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in transit, transportation, safety, security, risk management, or operations leadership, including significant experience in a senior or executive-level safety role.

Demonstrated experience developing and administering transit safety programs, regulatory compliance systems, accident investigation processes, corrective action programs, and safety training initiatives in a multi-site operating environment.

Strong working knowledge of applicable FTA, DOT, FMCSA, OSHA, and related state and local regulatory requirements. Experience with Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans, Safety Management Systems, National Transit Database / safety reporting practices, security and emergency preparedness programs, and labor-management safety collaboration strongly preferred.

Relevant certifications such as ASP, CSP, TSSP, PTSCTP, SMS-related training, transit safety certification, accident investigation certification, emergency management certification, or similar credentials are preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong knowledge of transit safety and security principles, operational risk controls, accident causation, regulatory compliance, and emergency management.
• Ability to interpret laws, regulations, technical guidance, contracts, policies, and claims-related documents.
• Ability to analyze safety data, identify trends, develop corrective strategies, and communicate findings to executive, operational, and frontline audiences.
• Ability to lead complex investigations and make sound recommendations based on evidence and risk.
• Strong leadership, coaching, presentation, facilitation, and change management skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with clients, regulators, union representatives, operations leaders, safety committees, and frontline personnel.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities across geographically dispersed operations.
• Sound judgment, discretion, and ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters.

Computer Skills:

To perform this job successfully, an individual should be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and have experience with safety reporting systems, learning management systems, incident management platforms, spreadsheet and database tools, and other business software used to analyze performance, track corrective actions, and maintain compliance documentation.

 We are an Equal Opportunity Employer!