Transit Experience Manager

Lead the ride toward excellence! As SouthWest Transit’s Transit Experience Manager, you’ll shape every moment of the rider journey—connecting customer insights with operational performance to deliver a seamless, satisfying, and standout transit experience.

SouthWest Transit is an award-winning Transit agency serving the SouthWest Twin Cities area through bus, on-demand rideshare, and shuttle services. The agency is committed to serving the needs of their customers through diverse and innovative transit solutions that build community and connect customers from where they are to where they want to go.

Mission: 
We provide a premium experience for the southwest Twin Cities through safe, reliable, and cost-effective transit that builds community and connects our customers from where they are to where they want to go.

Vision:
SouthWest Transit is the leading provider of innovative transit solutions that improve livability and enhance economic opportunity in the communities we serve.

The Transit Experience Manager is a key leadership position responsible for developing and executing strategies that elevate the overall rider experience. This role focuses on understanding the entire passenger journey, from trip planning to post-ride feedback. The manager acts as the primary link between the customer's needs and the operational realities of the transit system, ensuring operational metrics align with customer satisfaction goals.

This job ad will remain posted until the position is filled. Applications will be reviewed as they are submitted.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Customer Journey Mapping

• Work with cross functional teams to map the customer journey, identifying pain points and opportunities for improvement across all touchpoints
• Collaborate with Transit Planner to ensure daily execution according to SWT’s system-wide transit plan.

2. Operational Integration

• Act as a liaison to internal departments to ensure customer experience is considered during service adjustments, technology rollouts, and other projects.
• Assist in the development and monitoring of budgets and departmental KPIs.
• Lead and/or support special projects related to customer experience, such as loyalty programs or the implementation of new technologies.
• Develop SOPs in Transit Ops/CX leading to streamlined and universally adopted processes.
• Manage the Transit Ops/CX budget; work with the Finance Team to develop and implement the budget.

3. Customer Feedback Management

• Oversee the collection and analysis of customer feedback from various channels including social media, surveys, focus groups, etc.
• Identify and execute on opportunities for enhancing customer experience from loyalty programs to appreciation events.
• Partner with Marketing Team for timely and accurate communication on service changes and key initiatives through all channels, physical and digital.
• Distribute surveys and coordinate focus groups as needed.

4. Service quality monitoring

• Use data to develop and track KPIs related to customer satisfaction, on-time performance, wait times and other metrics to increase customer satisfaction. 
• Collaborate on strategy and partner with team to evaluate route efficiencies, trip planning, and accessibility. 

5. Supervision

• Manage a team of dispatchers, customer experience reps, and the driver contracts.
• Develop and execute on the SWT training of all drivers and dispatchers ensuring compliance with FTA and other federal, state, and local transit regulations.
• Schedule, assign, and evaluate staff work - conduct quarterly and annual performance reviews. 
• Support staff development through identifying training, coaching, and professional growth opportunities. 

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Public Administration, Transportation, Planning, Communications, or a related field. 
• A minimum of five (5) years’ progressively responsible experience in the development and execution of external facing programs that serve the community.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills for engaging with customers, internal teams, and leadership.
• Proven ability to lead and motivate teams, mentor staff, and foster a collaborative, customer-focused culture.
• A creative and adaptive approach to problem solving in high-pressure in the moment situations
• Strong ability to analyze data, identify trends, and execute change
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite

Physical Demands & Working Conditions:

Work is indoors in a normal office environment. Occasional lifting of thirty pounds or less is required. Requires a high attention to detail or deadlines between 45% and 70% of the time. A typical workday involves about 85% of the time spent sitting and about 50% or more of the time using a keyboard. However, this varies depending on the season. A significant amount of time is spent handling paper and maintaining files. 

This employer participates in E-Verify, which means we will use the federal E-Verify system to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. Please be aware that you will be required to complete a Form I-9 and provide documentation to verify your identity and employment eligibility upon accepting a job offer.