Anticipated Vacancy 9/25/2026
REPORTS TO: Executive Director of Transportation
POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Boston Public Schools Office of Transportation is one of the largest departments in the district overseeing a nearly $200M annual budget (~12% of total spending). The Transportation office provides over 600 buses that transport nearly 20,000 students across the district as well as local parochial, private and charter schools. This is one of the largest and most complex school bus transportation systems in the country.
The Assistant Director of Data Management is responsible for driving significant change in the department, specifically in:
- Leading initiatives to improve transportation data quality and analytics
- Driving initiatives to improve bus route efficiency
- Driving systemic improvements in the quality and efficiency of overall operations within the department
These projects may take a number of different forms, but the strategic objective is to simplify
and address many of the complexities in transportation operations through clarifying and
balancing policies, costs and service delivery levels. Given the cross-cutting nature of the work, the Assistant Director of Data Management will work closely not just with leadership in transportation and operations but also leaders in other departments, including Engagement, Special Education and our bus operations contractor.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Data Management and Analytics
- Translate various teams' business requirements into data warehouse pipelines using ETL methodologies, extract and load many disparate systems into a centralized data warehouse, implement data auditing strategies and processes to ensure data integrity, monitor and troubleshoot data problems.
- Perform data analysis to drive strategic improvements to services and translate analysis to aid in the understanding of the complex systems
- Develop and maintain dashboards across-teams
- Perform ad hoc analysis of data and report findings to stakeholders and leadership
Project Management
- Lead development of project plans for department-wide projects
- Utilizing a quantitative skillset, identify issues and opportunities for improvement across the department and propose solutions
- Communicate and track key deadlines, metrics for performance and timeline for project execution; inform key stakeholders of progress for completion consistently
- Partner with DOT unit managers to develop clear project plans with clear, defined goals and desired outcomes
- Engage relevant stakeholders throughout project duration; monitor and communicate progress to leaders
- Serve as a liaison between Transportation and OIIT
Supervisory
- Supervise, coach and develop two data analysts
- Oversee overall responsibilities of direct reports ensuring accuracy and efficiency
Qualifications - Required:
- Bachelor's Degree
- 3+ years of demonstrable experience in data management, data governance, and data modeling
- Expert analytical skills, demonstrating a mastery of Python or R, SQL
- Proficient in Microsoft Excel and Google Suite
- Strong understanding of data warehousing principles and methodologies
- Demonstrated experience leading a team or department and/or interacting with multiple internal/external stakeholder groups
- Demonstrated collaborative management style that fosters teamwork
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex ideas to range of audiences
- Excellent organizational and multitasking skills
Qualifications - Preferred:
Candidates should have a demonstrated history of infusing the following traits into their work:
- Curiosity - We need people to help our organization drive improvement. We feel that this requires a healthy desire to discover how and why things work the way they do. We also want candidates to be able to look for those explanations in data.
- Quantitative Orientation - Some people think that everything is measurable, that all information can have a more precise and reliable measurement. This is who we want on our team; someone whose approach to everything is rigorous, inquisitive, and analytical.
- Persistence - You will have to deal with messy datasets and new and evolving problems in an operation that is learning how to use data effectively. We need you to be able to work through a problem until it is solved, not until you reach a road block.
- Technical Skills - If quantitative orientation is about a candidate's will to use data, this trait is about the skill. We need someone who is trained in computer science, statistics, mathematics, and/or economics. But we also want someone who is constantly acquiring technical skills and understands the value of a multidisciplinary approach to problem solving.
- Teamwork - We believe that excellent teams, composed of high-performing team members, can have an enormous impact. New team members are valued for their diverse experiences and commitment to service. They must also continuously seek input from a diverse set of perspectives and think critically about the impact of their work.
Terms: Managerial, D62. City of Boston Residency is Required.
The Boston Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, criminal record, physical or mental disability, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, homelessness, sex/gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetics, natural or protective hairstyle, military status, immigration status, English language proficiency, or any other factor prohibited by law in its programs and activities. BPS does not tolerate any form of retaliation, or bias-based intimidation, threat or harassment that demeans individuals' dignity or interferes with their ability to work or learn. If you require an accommodation pursuant to the ADA for the application process, please contact the Accommodations Unit at accommodations@bostonpublicschools.org.