Chief operating officer

SALARY: $142,001 - $217,193

LOCATION: 33 N. High Street, Columbus, OH 43215

BENEFITS:

• Medical, Vision, Dental, Supplemental and Life Insurance
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Discounts
• COTA Bus Pass
• Wellness Initiatives
• On-Site Chair Massage
• On-Site Health Coach
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Student Loan Repayment Program
• Public Pension through OPERS & Ohio Deferred Compensation

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) serves as a key member of COTA's Executive Leadership Team and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of service operations and customer care. Reporting directly to the Deputy CEO, the COO provides vision, strategy, and leadership to ensure safe, reliable, innovative, and accessible mobility services.

Performs other duties in alignment with the COTA Strategic Plan and in support of the organization's vision to Move Every Life Forward.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Executive Leadership & Strategy

• Provide overall leadership for COTA's operations division, aligning strategies with organizational goals and regional mobility priorities.
• Partner with the CEO, Deputy CEO and executive team to define and execute long-term strategies for service growth.
• Advance data-driven decision-making by leveraging technology platforms and analytics tools to optimize transit operations, improve fleet performance, enhance maintenance planning, and support real-time service monitoring and customer responsiveness.
• Ensure integration and coordination between fixed-route, paratransit, on-demand, and customer care operations.

Operational Excellence

• Drive a culture of safety, reliability, and accountability across all operational areas.
• In collaboration with the Director of Safety, oversee and implement risk management strategies, ensuring proactive identification, assessment, and mitigation of risks related to service reliability, fleet performance, regulatory compliance, and workplace safety.
• Direct emergency preparedness and crisis management planning for Operations division, including development of response protocols, coordination with local agencies, and execution of drills to ensure continuity of service and safety of passengers and staff during critical incidents.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for service reliability, customer satisfaction, safety, and efficiency.
• Lead efforts to modernize fleet, facilities, and technology to enhance service delivery and sustainability.
• Champion sustainability initiatives across transit operations, including the adoption of low-emission technologies, optimization of fleet efficiency, and integration of environmentally responsible practices into maintenance and service delivery strategies.

Financial & Resource Stewardship

• Oversee operational budgets, ensuring fiscal responsibility, transparency, and alignment with strategic priorities.
• Optimize resource allocation across departments to maximize value for the community.

Workforce & Culture

• Provide leadership, guidance, and mentorship to Deputy Chief Operating Officers and operational leaders.
• Lead organizational turnaround and culture transformation by embedding the agency's core values, SEATS – Safety, Empowerment, Accountability, Transparency, and Service – into daily operations, leadership practices, and workforce engagement, fostering a resilient, high-performance, and customer-centric culture.
• Ensure strong labor-management relations and compliance with collective bargaining agreements.

Community & Stakeholder Engagement

• Represent COTA in external forums, industry associations, and with community stakeholders.
• Partner with regional agencies, municipalities, and mobility providers to expand access and improve service delivery.
• Act as a visible leader and spokesperson for COTA's operational initiatives.

MINIMUM EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

• Requires a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Transportation Management, Engineering, or a related field and at least fifteen (15) years' increasingly responsible managerial experience working in a multi-modal public transportation operations and/or maintenance environment at the director or executive level.

• An equivalent combination of education in business or public administration and experience in transit operations leadership will also be considered.

• Certified Transit Manager (CTM) preferred.

TO APPLY:

COTA has engaged David Gomez Partners, a retained executive search firm, to assist with this recruitment. To request more information or to apply by submitting a resume, please contact David Gomez at [email protected].

COTA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions are based on job needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.