Bus Operator Trainee

Bus Operator Trainee

Supervisor's Title: Manager of Transportation Training - FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Department: Transportation - Division: Operations

About Us

We are IndyGo, a Municipal Corporation of Indianapolis – Marion County, and we're proud to be Indiana's largest public transportation provider. We operate 32 transit routes throughout the county, providing nearly 10 million passenger trips a year to the good citizens of our region. IndyGo is committed to expanding mobility options to improve connectivity with the company's mission, vision, and goals.

Who We Are

A key measure of any great city is the ease of getting from one place to another. We call it "mobility." It's as essential as access to electricity and clean water. It moves a city forward to become a better place of opportunity and community. It's a measure of a city's vitality and potential and reflects a city's judgment about its civic priorities. It makes a city a better home and a better place to visit.

At IndyGo, getting people from one place to another is much more than just moving riders; it's about getting our riders to their hopes and dreams, to their education and careers, to their families and friends, to their health and well-being, and another day of life in Indianapolis and the surrounding areas.

We're here because you've got somewhere you need to be, and you need an easy, reliable way to get there. So come on; get on and go wherever you want to go on IndyGo.

IndyGo Mission

As the region's largest transit authority, we are duty-bound to set the bar for transparency, trust, and professionalism. Our mission is to connect our community to economic and cultural opportunities through safe, reliable, and accessible mobility experiences.

Accountability: We are legally, ethically, and morally committed to utilizing all resources responsibly with integrity and transparency.

Diversity: We promote, embrace, and value all individuals.

Safety: We ensure safe and secure environments.

Excellence: We strive for quality in everything we do.

Teamwork: We actively promote effective communication, collaboration, and partnerships.

Respect: We value and treat all with dignity.

Benefits We Offer

• Full-time positions with guaranteed 40 hours/week.
• Medical, dental, and vision (effective on the 1st of the month, 30 days after the start date).
• Free on-site wellness clinic for employees and their families.
• Retirement plan (401A and 457B).
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Free IndyGo transportation is available for employees and their families.
• Federal Loan Forgiveness Program

Position Purpose

The Bus Operator Trainee position is a limited-duration training position in which the incumbent is taught the knowledge and skills necessary to become an IndyGo Professional Bus Operator. After successful completion of the IndyGo Training Academy, an incumbent will know how to transport, safely and expediently, passengers throughout the Indianapolis Metropolitan area.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Learns to be and is responsible for conducting self in an appropriate manner as a representative of IndyGo, working effectively in a diverse work environment, making appropriate decisions, safely performing duties, and assuring professional quality of services to all external and internal customers.
• Learn how to operate a transit bus in revenue and non-revenue service while strictly complying with IndyGo policies, directives, procedures, and all Federal and Indiana traffic laws and regulations. This includes using proper defensive driving techniques.
• Learn how to perform a pre-trip inspection of a transit bus for mechanical problems before beginning the work assignment. This includes conducting an external/internal visual inspection of the transit bus and pre-testing all necessary equipment, operating/safety devices, and transit bus controls for use while in service. In addition, learn how to conduct an internal visual inspection at the end of revenue service to collect and turn in lost items, check for sleeping passengers, and bring route schedules back inside the operator's lounge.
• Learns and maintains a working knowledge of streets, current bus routes, and stops within the service area, as well as IndyGo's current fare structure and bus pass programs.
• Learns to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in operating the transit bus. This includes learning how to assist individuals with disabilities with boarding and de-boarding, when requested, and safely securing wheelchairs and mobility devices in a courteous manner, announcing designated stops and other stops as requested, without question, and examining and testing all passenger accessibility equipment during pre-trip inspections.

Other Functions

• Successfully passes the CDL Skills Exam, if applicable.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Education and/or Experience

• Must be at least 21 years of age.
• Valid Operators/Chauffeurs/Commercial Driver's License
• Valid Commercials Driver's Permit preferred.
• Valid Indiana CDL with Passenger and Airbrake Endorsements Preferred - Please upload Testing History and DOT Physical if you have these documents.
• Strong documented experience in customer service.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of and the ability to use standard defensive driving techniques.
• Ability to effectively communicate, both orally and in writing, while interacting with customers and IndyGo employees in a courteous, professional manner. This includes providing good customer service by attending to the needs of a diverse customer base in a sensitive manner.
• Above-average decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
• Basic mathematical abilities (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division).
• Ability to tell time and keep a timely schedule.
• Ability to read and understand maps, routes, and timetables, which includes determining directions and following a mapped-out route.
• Ability to work and maintain professional composure while under stress and pressure.
• Ability to work unusual hours, split shifts, weekends, holidays, and overtime as required.
• Ability to make appropriate decisions based on standard policies and procedures, make quick, safe decisions with minimal supervision, and adapt to constantly changing operation environments.

Physical Demands

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Must be able to pass a current Department of Transportation (DOT) physical examination by obtaining a DOT Medical Examiner's Certificate and then maintain a current DOT Medical Examiner's Certificate thereafter.
• Must be able to pass all post-offer physical testing and the (DOT) physical examination.
• Ability to work in an environment with dust, fumes, exhaust, various noise levels, various temperatures, and chemicals for an extended length of time and in various outdoor weather conditions as required.
• Must be able to sit for long periods of time within a defined workspace that cannot be modified.
• Must occasionally move and position yourself to conduct inspections and secure wheelchairs.
• Must be comfortable transporting individuals with service animals.

IndyGo is an Equal Opportunity Employer