Deputy Director of Rider Tools in Boston, Massachusetts at Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

The Deputy Director of Rider Tools leads the program management, operational, and stakeholder functions that enable the MBTA’s rider information ecosystem. Working closely with Product Management, User Experience, and Engineering leadership, this role ensures that rider information initiatives are effectively coordinated across MBTA departments, technology systems, vendors, and external partners.

The Deputy Director is responsible for translating MBTA priorities into executable plans and ensuring that Rider Tools product teams have the organizational support, resources, and partnerships necessary to deliver high-quality rider information experiences. This includes leading cross-departmental initiatives, managing procurements, vendor relationships, audits, and operational processes, supporting financial planning and capital delivery activities, and coordinating responses to emergent operational needs and major service changes.

• Directly manage program management staff and contractors, including hiring, onboarding, performance management, coaching, and professional development.
• Act on behalf of Rider Tools leadership as delegated, and serve as a designated point of escalation and decision-making for the Rider Tools program, as assigned.
• Establish clear goals, priorities, and expectations for direct reports, ensuring alignment with departmental and Authority objectives.
• Lead the program management and operational functions that support Rider Tools initiatives, ensuring effective coordination across technology teams, operational departments, vendors, and external partners.
• Develop and maintain the governance, planning, and delivery processes required to execute strategic initiatives, operational priorities, and technology-enabled organizational capabilities.
• Lead the triage, scoping, and delivery of cross-functional or cross-departmental initiatives, coordinating stakeholders, dependencies, and organizational readiness activities while proactively managing delivery risks.
• Establish and maintain processes for responding to rider inquiries, stakeholder requests, operational escalations, audits, and compliance activities.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders across the MBTA and represent Rider Tools in cross-departmental working groups, governance bodies, audits, and Authority-wide initiatives.
• Manage vendor relationships and support procurement and contracting activities, including vendor evaluations, contract administration, performance monitoring, and invoice review.
• Support financial planning and administrative activities for Rider Tools initiatives, including forecasting, reporting, grant-supported projects, procurement coordination, and funding requests.
• Represent the MBTA in engagements with peer agencies, industry organizations, academic institutions, technology vendors, and other external partners, as appropriate.
• Perform all other duties and projects that may be assigned.

Additional responsibilities may include focus on one or more departments or locations. See applicable addendum for department or location specific functions.

Supervision

• Directly supervise up to five (5) employees.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in Transportation Planning, Computer Science, Engineering, Economics, Urban Planning, Data Science, Public Administration, or a related field.
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in Technology, Transportation Operations, and/or Transportation Scheduling and Planning leading program management functions, including coordinating cross-departmental work, managing vendors and procurements, and responding to operational needs.
• Two (2) years of supervisory, managerial, and/or leadership experience.
• Experience with product or project management practices in a technology company or civic technology (e.g., public sector digital team) context
• Experience managing complex stakeholder relationships, including vendors.

Substitutions

• A high school diploma or GED with an additional seven (7) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor’s degree requirement.
• An associate’s degree from an accredited institution and an additional three (3) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor’s degree requirement.
• A master’s degree in a related subject substitutes for two (2) years of general experience.
• A nationally recognized certification, or statewide/professional certification in a related field substitutes for one (1) year of experience.

• Master’s degree in Transportation Planning, Computer Science, Engineering, Economics, Urban Planning, Data Science, Public Administration, or a related field.
• Public procurement experience including RFP development, evaluation criteria, and vendor selection.

• Experience with web and mobile app development in a consumer technology context.
• Experience with digital marketing, digital communications, search, or related disciplines that influence how people discover and engage with information.
• Experience with GTFS, real-time transit APIs, or other open mobility data standards.