Assistant Manager of Rail Transportation
Description
Department: Charlotte Area Transit System Department
Salary: $81,226.00 - $116,762.94 Commensurate with Experience
Thank you for your interest in joining the team that keeps Charlotte moving, at a very exciting time for our organization. At the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), we’re committed to delivering safe, reliable, and innovative transit services for our growing community, and we value employees who bring professionalism, passion, and a commitment to public service.
This position is currently employed by CATS, a department of the City of Charlotte. With the passage of the PAVE Act and last year’s sales tax referendum, CATS is preparing to transition from a City department to the newly created Metropolitan Public Transit Authority (MPTA). The MPTA was established to strengthen regional transit governance, improve accountability, and support long‑term investment in mobility. It’s an important and exciting step forward for transit in our region.
Employees hired into this role will remain City employees through December 31, 2026, and will transition to MPTA employment on January 1, 2027. Benefits and compensation will follow City provisions through 2026 and shift to MPTA provisions in 2027, with clear information shared in advance. Your core duties, reporting structure, and daily responsibilities will remain consistent, with no break in service. If anything delays the transition, your City employment, including compensation and benefits, will remain in place until the move to the MPTA occurs.
The creation of the MPTA positions us for a more modern, sustainable, and efficient transit system, one that can better support the Charlotte region for decades to come. We’re excited about what’s ahead and appreciate your interest in being part of it.
SUMMARY
The Assistant Manager of Rail Transportation supports the day-to-day management of rail transportation operations, including rail dispatch and field service delivery, to help ensure safe, reliable, coordinated, and procedurally compliant service. Reporting to the Manager of Rail Transportation, this role provides operational leadership to dispatch and field supervision staff and supports effective execution of daily service across assigned shifts, lines, or operating areas.
This position helps coordinate rail dispatch activities, frontline field operations, staffing and coverage, service response, operating rule compliance, communications, and documentation. The Assistant Manager works closely with Rail Field Supervisors, Lead Rail Field Supervisors, Rail Dispatchers, the Rail Control Center, maintenance, safety, security, and other transportation personnel to maintain service continuity and support timely response to changing operating conditions.
The role also supports workforce performance, training and qualification activities, incident response and follow-up, field and dispatch quality assurance, implementation of operating procedures and service changes, and continuous improvement. This position requires sound operational judgment, strong communication, and the ability to lead effectively in a fast-paced, safety-sensitive transit environment.
Major Duties and Responsibilities
Rail Transportation Operations Leadership
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Support the day-to-day management of rail transportation operations, including field supervision and rail dispatch functions.
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Provide direction and operational support to Lead Rail Field Supervisors, Rail Field Supervisors, Lead Rail Dispatchers, Rail Dispatchers, and other assigned staff.
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Help ensure transportation activities are carried out safely, reliably, and consistently with operating rules, procedures, service priorities, and management expectations.
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Maintain awareness of system conditions, staffing, service performance, and emerging operational issues across assigned areas.
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Support consistent execution of transportation responsibilities across shifts, lines, and operating conditions.
Service Execution and Operational Coordination
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Support daily service execution by coordinating staffing deployment, shift coverage, field assignments, dispatch activities, and other transportation requirements.
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Work closely with the Rail Control Center, field supervisors, dispatchers, maintenance, and other operational partners to address service conditions and maintain continuity of operations.
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Monitor delays, service disruptions, equipment-related impacts, staffing concerns, and other issues affecting transportation service.
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Support implementation of temporary operating changes, service adjustments, special instructions, and operating bulletins.
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Help ensure transportation resources are deployed effectively to support safe and dependable service.
Dispatch and Communications Oversight
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Oversee day-to-day dispatch activities, workload distribution, staffing coverage, communications practices, and operational documentation.
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Reinforce clear, accurate, timely, and professional communication among dispatch, field operations, the Rail Control Center, and other operational partners.
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Help ensure dispatchers follow established communication protocols, procedures, escalation requirements, and documentation standards.
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Monitor the quality and consistency of dispatch communications, logs, delay coding, and other operational records.
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Support effective use of dispatch systems, radios, status boards, logs, and other transportation communication tools.
Field Operations and Rules Compliance
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Reinforce compliance with rail operating rules, standard operating procedures, bulletins, communication requirements, and safety expectations.
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Conduct or oversee field checks, ride checks, operator observations, audits, and related reviews of transportation performance.
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Monitor the effectiveness of field supervision and frontline service delivery and address observed gaps in performance, conduct, or procedural compliance.
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Support implementation and field reinforcement of new or revised operating rules, procedures, bulletins, and service expectations.
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Help ensure field supervision practices remain consistent and responsive across assigned operating areas.
Incident Response and Service Recovery
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Respond to incidents, delays, emergencies, customer-impacting events, and abnormal operating conditions affecting rail transportation service.
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Coordinate with field supervisors, dispatch, Rail Control Center personnel, maintenance, safety, security, and other departments to support timely service response and recovery.
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Provide operational direction within assigned authority and ensure significant issues are escalated appropriately.
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Support organized transportation response during special events, planned outages, severe weather, and other high-impact operating conditions.
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Participate in incident reviews, investigations, debriefs, and follow-up activities related to transportation operations.
Workforce Leadership and Performance Management
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Supervise, coach, and support assigned field supervision and dispatch personnel.
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Support staffing schedules, shift coverage, attendance follow-up, workforce readiness, and assignment planning.
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Monitor employee performance and address issues related to proficiency, professionalism, communication, service delivery, documentation, and accountability.
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Support performance management, corrective action, training coordination, qualification activities, and employee development.
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Reinforce a culture of safety, accountability, professionalism, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
Documentation, Reporting, and Operational Improvement
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Review transportation logs, reports, observations, incident documentation, and other operational records for accuracy, completeness, and appropriate follow-through.
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Prepare or support reports and summaries related to service performance, incidents, staffing, field observations, dispatch activity, and operational concerns.
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Identify recurring