Senior Director of Lean Strategy & Operations Analytics
Job Summary
At the MBTA, we envision a thriving region enabled by a best-in-class transit system. Our mission is to serve the public by providing safe, reliable, and accessible transportation. MBTA’s core values are built around safety, service, equity, and sustainability and each employee that works for the MBTA performs their roles based on our vision, mission, and values.
All MBTA employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and demonstrate, at appropriate intervals, that they have received all subsequent doses (“boosters”) of the COVID-19 vaccine as recommended by the CDC’s Advisory Council on Immunization Practices and as those recommendations may be updated.
Purpose and Scope
The Senior Director of Lean Strategy and Operations Analytics position will oversee the people, processes, and tools that drive continuous improvement across the MBTA to build, sustain and manage a world-class transit agency. Overseeing both Lean Strategy and Operations Analytics teams, the Senior Director works to integrate analytics and continuous improvement practices deeply into the MBTA’s organizational culture. The Senior Director will identify and drive operational improvements across the agency by combining strategic project management with data analytics, focused on Operations. Reporting to the Chief of Operations Strategy, Policy & Oversight, the Senior Director will align the MBTA’s existing resources to create an organization which can deliver on its service-related goals.
The Operations Analytics team is a new team at the MBTA, and the Senior Director will play a leading role with the Director of Operations Analytics to set up the team, and define the vision, strategy and roadmap for the team. Key elements will likely be root cause analysis on system performance, building tools and dashboards to help Operations leaders make more informed decisions, and improve the quality of internal data.
The Senior Director will work in partnership with Bus & Rail Transportation, Vehicle Maintenance, Operations Control Center, Engineering & Maintenance, and Service Planning/OpsTech, as well as the IT Division, Office of Performance Management and Innovation, HR, and other administrative and shared services to strengthen a culture of data driven decision making.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Develop and implement 3-5 year plan for Lean Strategy & Operations Analytics teams.
- Design and implement policies, programs, and initiatives to drive operational improvements across the agency.
- Partner with department heads across both the operations and administrative segments of the MBTA to drive safety, quality, and efficiency initiatives across the organization.
- Manage and support the Director of Lean Strategy and Director of Operations Analytics and their associated teams.
- Drive business process mapping and KPI development, as well as operational dashboard building across the agency.
- Work with MBTA leadership to embed performance management, operational excellence practices, and data-driven decision making within all facets of the organization.
- Participate in the development of department goals and identification of critical areas for improvement throughout the organization.
- Develop robust working relationships with diverse set of internal MBTA and external stakeholders.
- Participate in team meetings, staff meetings, organization events and other duties as necessary.
- Attend and participate in public meetings, sometimes occurring in evenings after regular work hours.
- Assist in the procurement of consultants and contractors, as required
- Organize and prioritize workload, be pro-active in identifying project needs/requirements.
- Prepare project-related correspondence, reports, charts and presentations utilizing Microsoft Word, Excel, Database and PowerPoint.
- The role regularly interacts with other OPSS leadership, internal MBTA stakeholders such as Bus and Rail Operations, and occasionally external MBTA stakeholders.
- Work independently in addressing complex tasks in a time-sensitive environment
- Respond to each inquiry, whether from a customer, vendor or co-worker in a courteous and professional manner consistent with the Authority's Customer Service quality standard.
- Uphold the rights and interests of the Authority while building and maintaining an effective relationship with employees.
- Visit work sites and/or attend off-site meetings throughout the MBTA service area.
Additional responsibilities may include focus on one or more departments or locations. See applicable addendum for department or location specific functions.
Physical Demands and Working Conditions
- The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Available to work all shifts and locations as assigned or directed
- Available to work as per assignment by the MBTA twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week as directed by supervisory staff for severe weather conditions, emergencies or any other circumstances that may potentially impact service or the safety of service
- Have the ability to work any and all shifts and/or locations assigned or directed.
Supervision
- The Senior Director will manage the Director of Lean Strategy and the Director of Operations Analytics, and may be asked in the future to oversee other related teams.
- Additionally, the Senior Director may be required to manage cross functional teams of MBTA staff from other sections/departments, staff from various external agencies, and consultants contracted with the MBTA.
The statements contained in this job description are intended to describe the general nature and complexity of the work being performed by staff assigned to this job and do not represent an exhaustive list of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities required of staff assigned to this position. The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here-in are representative of those an employee may encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
Minimum Requirements & Qualifications
- A Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
- Ten (10) years full-time (or equivalent part-time) experience working in transportation planning, continuous improvement, data analysis, data science, or statistics.
- Seven (7) years full-time (or equivalent part-time) experience of people management and/or major/enterprisewide project/program leadership.
- Demonstrated data-driven decision-making skills and a willingness to make test-and-learn hypotheses
- Effective organizational, analytical, confidentiality, quantitative, writing, multi-tasking and time management skills.
- Proven track record of collaboration, transparency, and problem-solving skills.
- Demonstrated success working across multiple departments and guiding projects without having direct supervisory authority over all the staff involved.
- Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills with ability to obtain buy-in with key stakeholders at all levels of the organization (with both technical and non-technical audiences).
- Experience successfully delivering data tools or analyses to non-technical users.
- Experience working closely with operational and/or similar front-line employees, e.g. through user research or process improvement efforts.
- Expertise in data visualization and experience with Tableau, PowerBI, or similar tools.
- Demonstrated ability to supervise and work effectively with a diverse workforce.
- Must be able to pass the MBTA's background checks including drug and alcohol screening.
- Proficiency with office productivity software such as Microsoft Office, Slack, and similar applications
- Ability to comprehend, communicate, and respond to instructions, orders, signs, notices, inquiries, etc. in English
- Ability to provide internal and external customers with courteous and professional experiences
- Ability to supervise or work effectively with diverse workforce
- Ability to adhere to rules, regulations, collective bargaining agreements (if applicable) and policies of the MBTA including the EEO, anti-discrimination, anti-harassment, and anti-retaliation policies
- Ability to pass a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check, comprehensive background screening, and role appropriate MBTA’s medical clinic screening, potentially including a physical examination and drug and alcohol screening
- Have a satisfactory work record for the two (2) years immediately prior to the closing date of this posting, including overall employment, job performance, discipline, and safety records (infractions and/or offenses occurring after the closing of the posting and before the filling of a vacancy may preclude a candidate from consideration for selection)
- Ability to uphold the rights and interests of the MBTA while building and maintaining effective relationships with employees and co-workers
- Ability to work all shifts and / or locations assigned, directed, or necessary for this position, including (for some transit / operations roles) up to twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week as necessary to accommodate severe weather conditions, emergencies, or any other circumstances that may potentially impact service or the safety of service
- All MBTA employees, including full-time, part-time, temporary and contract employees, and interns, must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless a medical or religious exemption has been filed and approved. The MBTA also strongly encourages employees to receive booster doses of the vaccine. All employees must complete a COVID-19 Vaccine Attestation Form before starting work.
Specific Skills:
- Analytical - Synthesizes complex or diverse information; Collects and researches data; Uses intuition and experience to complement data; Designs work flows and procedures.
- Interpersonal - Focuses on solving conflict, not blaming; Maintains confidentiality; Listens to others without interrupting; Keeps emotions under control; Remains open to others' ideas and tries new things.
- Strategic - Analyzes market and competition; Adapts strategy to changing conditions.
- Judgment - Exhibits sound and accurate judgment; Supports and explains reasoning for decisions.
- Professionalism - Reacts well under pressure; Accepts responsibility for own actions.
- Adaptability - Manages competing demands.
Substitutions Include
Preferred Experience and Skills:
- Master’s Degree in transit planning, public policy, public administration, business management or a related field from an accredited institution.
- Experience in transit or transportation.
- Operational experience with Lean Six Sigma and DMAIC problem solving methods, or similar frameworks.
- Experience with statistical modeling or data science.
Substitutions:
- Master’s degree can substitute for two (2) year of experience
- PHD degree can substitute for two (2) additional years of experience
Job Conditions:
- All MBTA employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and demonstrate, at appropriate intervals, that they have received all subsequent doses (“boosters”) of the COVID-19 vaccine as recommended by the CDC’s Advisory Council on Immunization Practices and as those recommendations may be updated.
- Adhere to rules, regulations, collective bargaining agreements (if applicable) and policies of the MBTA including the EEO, anti-discrimination, anti-harassment, and anti-retaliation policies.
- Ability to pass a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check, background screening, and the MBTA’s medical requirements, including a physical examination and drug and alcohol screening.
- Have a satisfactory work record for the two (2) years immediately prior to the closing date of this posting, including overall employment, job performance, discipline, and safety records (infractions and/or offenses occurring after the closing of the posting and before the filling of a vacancy may preclude a candidate from consideration for selection).
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and complexity of the work being performed by staff assigned to this job, and do not represent an exhaustive list of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities required of staff assigned to this position.
- Safety Sensitive: Incumbents will be subject to periodic physical examinations plus random drug and alcohol testing
- On-call 24/7: Employee must be available to respond to page/text/call and report to work as determined by assigned department or the Authority
- Emergency Staff: During declared “states of emergency,” employees working in this classification are required to report to work for their assigned work hours or as directed by management