Transportation Call Center Technician

Human Resources announces an opening for a 1.0 FTE Call Center Technician in the Department of Transportation. This is a full-time, 260-days Grade G-8 position. 

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES

Call Center Technicians respond to telephone requests for transportation needs, answers

questions, and concerns from parents, media, the general public, to support communication

efforts between department and school-based administrators. This position provides assistance to

the Dispatchers in relaying important information and facilitating communication during bus

accident and incident investigations.

SUPERVISION

Call Center Technicians receives general direction and reports to the Transportation Services

Coordinator. This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This is a single position class classified in the work of telecommunications, customer service and

data entry. Work in this class is distinguished through its knowledge of bus routes, field trips,

and assignments, skills in efficient and timely communication with internal and external

customers and ability to effectively respond and provide accurate information concerning pupil

transportation.

GUIDELINES

Guidelines include but are not limited to, Federal and Virginia regulations and guidelines

concerning transportation of PreK-12 students; Arlington School Board Policies and policy

implementation procedures (PIPs), especially E-5 (Transportation), and transportation issues

related to support of students with special needs under I-7 (Special Education Programs and

Services); standards and practices of PreK-12 bus transport route planning/scheduling and

operations; and general references. Some of these guidelines leave gaps. Others allow for wide

discretion. The incumbent uses mature professional judgment in selecting and applying, or

adapting and adjusting, guidelines to specific problems and individual cases such as solving

customer service problems.

The incumbent uses sound professional judgment to select and apply, or to adapt, adjust

guidelines.

CONTACTS

Frequent contacts include but are not limited to internal department staff (e.g. Dispatch,

Operations Manager, etc.), School based and central office administrative and support staffs,

Occasional contacts include officials/staff/peers of Federal, State and local governments and

school/professional associations; broadcast and print media reporters; members of public/special

interest groups; local businesses; responding to parent/administrator inquiries about student

transportation issues including issues concerning students with special needs; looking into

complaints; recommending or approving emergency arrangements, as needed; Purposes also

include individually researching transportation issues to support, and recommended changes to

procedures to improve transportation services.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE CLASS (May not include all duties)

Respond to telephone requests for information concerning student transportation to include

changes in bus assignments, accidents/incidents, scheduling, etc.;

Provide consistently excellent customer service to all parents, administrators, district-staff, and

community residents, with a solutions-oriented approach to meeting transportation needs.

Update drivers of any changes as soon possible/practical; inform drivers of relevant assignment

and trip details, including special transportation needs of students.

Assists operational supervisors in the handling of day-to-day problems and acts as a resource

person to supervisors on management and transportation questions.

Perform general clerical tasks, including filing, copying, and related duties.

Fields phone calls and e-mails about transportation services.

Accesses transportation and student related databases (e.g Synergy) to update pupil

transportation records.

Provide on-call coverage as scheduled to respond to transportation requests outside of regular

business hours.

Assists Dispatch, supervisors and department with bus accident and incident protocols and

communication.

Coordinates with other counties to arrange transportation when necessary.

Provides support during crisis communications including sharing messages via website, email,

text, television, and social media outlets.

Maintains working relationships with local law enforcement, and county government

transportation and public information offices.

Represent department and district in a professional, positive manner.

Performs other tasks within the general scope of the position to include providing back-up

support to departmental administrative staff.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of school bus transportation needs of students, including students with special

transport needs, and of bus transportation planning/scheduling and operations (such as routing,

dispatching, driver training/licensing, and safe bus operation) to help plan and coordinate day-to-

Knowledge of, and skill in using, community engagement principles and techniques to report and

present information to, and to interact with, data consumers and decision makers across the

spectrum of stakeholders.

Skill in problem solving to select, organize and logically process relevant information (verbal,

numerical or abstract) to solve a problem. This includes ability to recognize subtle aspects of

problems, identify relevant information and make balanced recommendations and decisions.

Examples include using quantitative and non-quantitative measures to assess effectiveness of

Transportation Services (route planning/scheduling, dispatch, school bus operations, budgeting,

personnel administration, etc.); managing special projects; adjusting services consistent with

priorities and ‘environmental’ conditions; ensuring effective coordination internally and

representing Transportation Services externally with the full range of stakeholders; and ensuring

that subordinates have the support to enable them to work effectively.

Skill in written communication to understand written information (including instructions,

descriptions, and ideas), and to express such information in writing so that others will understand

and, at times, be convinced or persuaded. Examples include reading administrative directives,

technical manuals, route plans, dispatch reports, driver training plans/reports, bus maintenance

status reports and routine correspondence; writing or reviewing specifications for acquisition of

vehicles and equipment; drafting or reviewing procedures, management plans and personnel

management documents; writing routine and non-routine correspondence, etc.

Skill in oral communication to understand verbal information (including instructions,

descriptions, and ideas), and to express such information verbally to diverse audiences so they

will understand and, as pertinent to the situation, be convinced or persuaded. This includes skill

in issuing clear, complete, and concise instructions to subordinates, and coordinating within APS

and externally; and the ability to listen ‘actively’ and encourage effective oral communication by

others, such as administrators, parents and subordinate employees regarding policies, procedures,

costs, complaints, and other matters.

Interpersonal skills to interact with contacts in a businesslike, customer service-oriented manner

by establishing and maintaining effective working relationships and working in harmony with

supervisors, staff, students, and the public.

Skill in using a computer, modern office suite software (such as MS Office) and

telecommunications devices to plan, schedule, communicate, word process, research (Internet),

etc. This includes basic skill in using transportation routing/planning/scheduling software to

monitor transport plans and operations.

Ability to exercise sound judgement and appropriately respond to stressful and/or unexpected

situations. This includes strong communications skills, with the ability to actively listen and

respond respectfully, and to interact and communicate over the telephone.

Ability and willingness to work under pressure of recurring deadlines and short- or no-notice

changes, such as weather-related late openings and early closings, as well as sub-optimum

staffing/other resourcing problems, and other factors beyond one’s control that adversely impact

functions/services within one’s area(s) of responsibility.

MINIMUM EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent degree (e.g., General Education Degree – G.E.D.) is

required.

Experience

Three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in a customer service role tasked with

managing a high volume of calls in a call center environment, communicating with persons of

different backgrounds, and utilization of telephone and computer-based information management

systems is required.

Experience in K-12 public education, pupil transportation, and considerable supervisory

experience, in the training, vehicle maintenance, and CDL compliance testing is preferred.

Any other combination of education, training and experience which demonstrates the candidate

is likely to likely to provide the skills, knowledge and abilities to successfully perform the

essential functions may be considered.

LICENSE/CERTIFICATION

A valid state driver’s license is required.

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

Work is predominantly sedentary and involves light physical effort. Must be free of the influence

of medication or other substances which could significantly decrease alertness or impair reaction

time at all times while performing, visual acuity to read text in various formats, including a video

display terminal, manual dexterity to operate keyboard and telephone, constantly required to

speak and hear in order to effectively communicate over the telephone, frequently required to

operate a computer, keyboard, mouse, and other devices.

HAZARDS/UNUSUAL DEMANDS

This position is based in an open, shared office environment with moderate noise levels.

This position may require working in potentially stress-inducing situations and may require

working with customers who present challenging behaviors. Medical and other emergencies

involving students or employees may occur during working hours; employees will be required to

contact emergency services for assistance with these events as necessary and to alert their

supervisor of such events as soon as possible.

Work may include after-hours duty, high volume communication. Regular, consistent and

predictable attendance during regular business hours as scheduled is required.

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