Are you being given the opportunity to lead at your full potential?
You’re already a strong operations leader. You’ve spent years learning how to run a transportation operation: managing people, solving problems, improving performance and delivering results. But maybe you’re ready for something more. More ownership. More influence. More opportunity to put your ideas into action, and a chance to help shape the future of a growing business.
Care Calgary Inc. is an established and growing paratransit service provider, and we’re looking for an Operations Manager to lead our passenger transportation operation in Calgary. This isn’t simply a role overseeing schedules and dispatch. Our scheduling, dispatch and service teams run the day-to-day. You’ll be accountable for operational performance, people leadership, labour relations, safety and continuous improvement, and you’ll oversee our Care Auto garage. You’ll also be a go-to partner to the President, working closely on new projects, growth opportunities and strategic initiatives beyond the operation. As you settle into the position, there will be an opportunity to take on responsibility beyond Calgary.
You’ll have the independence to lead, the accountability to deliver results and room to grow.
Why This Role
- Real ownership. You’ll lead the operation independently, with minimal direction. You’ll be trusted to set priorities, solve problems and improve systems.
- Direct access to the President. Your ideas go straight to the person who can act on them, and you’ll work on new projects together.
- A chance to build. Even a strong operation can be stronger. You’ll improve procedures, develop people, introduce smarter technology and strengthen accountability.
- A broader remit. You’ll also oversee our Care Auto garage and take part in growing its client base.
- Impact on people. Our drivers, dispatchers and riders depend on your leadership. For many riders, our service is their independence.
What Success Looks Like
- The operation runs reliably, safely and efficiently without constant intervention from senior leadership
- On-time performance and vehicle allocation are managed proactively, and KPIs are met and exceeded
- Drivers and dispatchers know what’s expected, are coached well and are held accountable fairly and consistently
- Labour relations are handled professionally and with sound judgment
- Problems are caught early and fixed for good
- SOPs across every process are clear, current and followed
- Customer concerns are resolved promptly and professionally, and recurring issues are eliminated
- Leadership receives accurate, organized, decision-ready reports
- Projects move forward with clear plans, milestones and reliable execution
- Technology and AI are used intelligently and responsibly to strengthen the operation
What You’ll Do
Lead the operation
- Be accountable for the effective delivery of daily paratransit operations, including scheduling, dispatch, on-time performance (OTP) and fleet and vehicle allocation, by overseeing and developing the teams that run them
- Address driver performance issues, including OTP shortfalls, fairly and consistently
- Ensure vehicles, including our hybrid fleet, are distributed equitably across drivers and routes
- Coach dispatch staff on communication tone, professionalism and documentation standards
- Find and close gaps in our processes, and own the development and updating of SOPs across every part of the operation
- Track KPIs on an ongoing basis, working to meet and exceed targets
- Be visible, on site and approachable to drivers and dispatchers
Keep our people and riders safe
- Champion a strong safety culture: safe driving for our drivers and operators, and safe transport for our riders
- Apply accessible transportation safety procedures, including vehicle securement, and coach drivers in real time
Lead our people
- Be the primary contact for day-to-day labour relations, bringing in legal counsel or senior leadership only when a matter requires it (such as certification activity or litigation risk)
- Interpret and apply the collective agreement, manage grievances through to resolution, and support collective bargaining
- Manage discipline fairly and consistently, with documentation that meets legal and organizational standards
- Be firm and fair with employees and their representatives, and build the trust that brings concerns forward early
- Own full-cycle recruitment for drivers and dispatchers, and own training: onboarding, ongoing skills development and compliance
Be our go-to partner on what’s next
- Work directly with the President on new projects and strategic initiatives that go beyond the operation
- Think long term, bring forward proposals and business cases, and lead growth initiatives, including new service opportunities and contract expansion
- Oversee the Care Auto garage and take part in growing its client base
- Own the execution of operational, process improvement and facility projects, from planning through rollout, with clear milestones and status reporting
- Be open to expanding your role beyond Calgary in the future
Serve our riders and partners
- Build strong, trust-based relationships with Calgary Transit Access and our other key stakeholders
- Champion service excellence, and address every customer concern promptly, with improvements that prevent it from happening again
Reporting and systems
- Prepare detailed, highly professional reports for senior leadership on a regular basis, without needing to be chased for updates
- Keep all written and verbal communication consistently professional
- Maintain organized, systematic records with consistent file naming and filing
- Support presentations to leadership and stakeholders as required
Technology and AI
- Identify, evaluate and roll out AI and technology tools that improve scheduling, dispatch, reporting and training
- Apply AI responsibly by protecting passenger and employee data and keeping people accountable for decisions
What You Bring
- 5+ years of management experience in paratransit, specialized transit or a closely related transportation service, with a track record of leading an operation independently
- A completed university degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration or a related field
- Experience in labour relations in a unionized or newly unionizing environment: collective agreement interpretation, grievance handling and bargaining support
- Experience taking projects from planning to completion on schedule, without close oversight
- Strong people management skills, including performance management, coaching and discipline, and sound judgment with sensitive HR and labour matters
- Exceptionally professional written and verbal communication in every channel, from formal email to text and WhatsApp
- Excellent attention to detail and a systematic approach to your work and records
- Proven ability to track, measure and drive performance against KPIs
- Working knowledge of accessible transportation safety procedures, or a genuine willingness to learn them quickly, with a strong focus on safe driving and safe rider transport
- A strong customer service focus
- Strong technical skills, including Microsoft Office, and hands-on experience using AI tools in a thoughtful, responsible way
- Openness to growing your role beyond Calgary in the future
Nice to Have
- Experience working with municipal transit authorities, such as Calgary Transit Access
- Exposure to working with legal counsel on labour relations matters
- Familiarity with ATU or similar transit union structures
- Experience leading SOP development or technology and AI-enabled process improvement
- Experience overseeing a vehicle maintenance garage or fleet maintenance operation
- Experience leading growth initiatives or contract expansion
Who You Are
You take ownership. You volunteer information and action rather than waiting to be asked, and you follow through without repeated check-ins. You bring a can-do attitude: when something new comes up, your first answer is “let’s look into it,” and you come back with a plan and realistic options. You’re a genuine people person who builds trust with drivers, dispatchers and partners. You’re professional, detail-oriented and systematic, and your reports show it. You put safety and the customer first. You think long term, you’re growth-focused, and you’re technically strong with a responsible approach to AI. You take feedback and criticism well, welcome new ideas and new projects, and work as a close partner to the President rather than in a silo.
If you’ve built your career on delivering results and you’re ready for your next challenge, we’d like to hear from you. Apply for the Operations Manager, Passenger Transportation position at Care Calgary Inc.
Reporting Structure
Reports to the President on strategic direction, growth initiatives and matters requiring legal counsel. Works closely with the President on new projects. Leads the operation independently and coordinates directly with dispatch and service teams.
We are an equal opportunity employer.
Pay: $85,000.00-$120,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Dental care
- Extended health care
- On-site parking
- Vision care
Application question(s):
- Have you managed in a unionized environment, including handling grievances or collective agreement matters as part of management (not as a union representative)?
- Are you legally authorized to work in Canada?
Education:
- Master's Degree (required)
Experience:
- Management: 5 years (preferred)
Location:
- Calgary, AB T1Y 7H1 (preferred)
Work Location: In person
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