Your new company

This is a national transport provider offering regional and intercity bus services, as well as school transport across the country. It operates under a larger public transport group and plays a key role in connecting rural and urban communities. The organisation manages a large fleet and workforce, ensuring accessibility and mobility for a wide range of passengers.

Your new role

• Lead the delivery of safe, timely, and efficient school transport services across Cork and Waterford.
• Implement and uphold school transport policies and procedures in line with Department of Education & Youth (DEY) guidelines.
• Collaborate with DEY and senior leadership to implement recommendations from the “School Transport 2030” review.
• Plan and monitor resources to optimise bus and driver utilisation across the region.
• Ensure all school buses meet roadworthiness standards in coordination with engineering teams.
• Manage recruitment, training, vetting, and compliance for school bus drivers and contractors.
• Oversee contractor relationships, ensuring documentation, safety, and vehicle standards are maintained.
• Conduct FTA checks on a minimum of 12.5% of the fleet.
• Manage procurement and tendering processes in line with central procedures.
• Review and optimise the School Transport Network to ensure value for money and policy compliance.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting to central offices and the Department of Education.
• Provide leadership and support to regional office teams, including disciplinary oversight and GPS compliance.
• Address school bus misconduct in line with Child Protection Policy.
• Ensure GDPR compliance and staff training in data protection.
• Respond to political, customer, and media queries professionally and in line with protocols.
• Engage with stakeholders, including schools, escorts, SENOs, local authorities, and elected representatives.
• Promote a safety-first culture across all transport operations.
• Maintain audit readiness and support internal audit processes.
• Support the implementation of new IT systems and digital transformation initiatives.

What you'll need to succeed

• Proven management experience, ideally within the transport sector and in leading teams.
• Strong knowledge of road passenger transport legislation and school transport scheme policies.
• Proficiency in route planning, vehicle scheduling, and contractor management.
• Experience in procurement and tendering processes.
• Familiarity with IT systems such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Power BI, SAP, and Business Warehouse.
• Understanding of staff agreements and conditions.
• Ability to monitor expenditure across multiple categories.
• Experience with Trapeze school transport system is an advantage.
• Strong leadership competencies include:
  • Customer Focus: Proactive problem-solving and stakeholder engagement.
  • Safety: Commitment to regulatory compliance and risk management.
  • Collaboration: Inclusive decision-making and cross-functional teamwork.

What you need to do now

If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call Karen Rodrigues in Hays on 086 0111276.

If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.

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