Director of Recruitment

Job Description

Job Description

DIRECTOR OF DRIVER RECRUITMENT & RETENTION

Build the Workforce. Drive the Growth.

The Opportunity

We need a leader who can solve one of the most important challenges in our business: attracting and retaining great school bus drivers.

We are seeking a results-driven, hands-on Director of Driver Recruitment & Retention to develop and lead strategies that strengthen our driver workforce across multiple locations. This is an opportunity to make a measurable impact on the success of one of the largest privately held school transportation organizations in the United States.

The right candidate will be more than a recruiter. They will be a strategic thinker, problem solver, relationship builder, and leader who understands that recruiting and retention are essential to operational performance and company growth.

This individual will work closely with leadership and location managers, spend time in the field understanding local challenges, and develop practical solutions that help us attract qualified candidates, move them through the hiring process, and keep them on the team.

Key Responsibilities

Driver Recruitment Strategy & Execution

• Develop and implement a comprehensive driver recruitment strategy across all company locations.
• Build a consistent pipeline of qualified school bus drivers, substitute drivers, and other operational personnel as needed.
• Identify new and creative recruiting channels, community partnerships, referral programs, and outreach opportunities.
• Develop targeted recruiting plans for locations experiencing staffing shortages or preparing for new contracts.
• Establish recruiting goals, monitor results, and hold the organization accountable for meeting staffing needs.
• Improve the speed and effectiveness of the hiring process, from initial candidate contact through onboarding and training.
• Partner with operations and training teams to ensure candidates successfully complete the required hiring, licensing, and training steps.

Driver Retention & Engagement

• Develop programs that improve driver retention, employee engagement, and overall job satisfaction.
• Work with location managers to identify the causes of turnover and implement practical solutions.
• Analyze turnover trends, exit feedback, attendance, and other workforce data to identify improvement opportunities.
• Promote driver recognition, referral incentives, communication initiatives, and other retention programs.
• Help create a culture where drivers feel valued, supported, and connected to the organization.

Partnership with Operations

• Work directly with location managers to understand staffing challenges and develop location-specific solutions.
• Spend meaningful time in the field rather than managing recruitment exclusively from a central office.
• Establish regular communication with operations leadership regarding driver availability, hiring progress, and staffing risks.
• Help ensure each location has the workforce necessary to deliver safe, reliable, and consistent service.
• Support staffing plans for new contracts, contract expansions, and seasonal workforce demands.

Performance Management & Reporting

• Establish key performance indicators for recruiting and retention.
• Track metrics such as open driver positions, applications, qualified candidates, time to hire, hiring conversion rates, training completion, turnover, and driver retention.
• Develop regular reports that give leadership and location managers clear visibility into workforce performance.
• Evaluate recruiting costs and the effectiveness of advertising, referral programs, and other recruitment investments.
• Recommend improvements based on measurable results and changing workforce needs.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Explore creative, nontraditional approaches to attracting drivers, including community outreach, school and family networks, employee referrals, and local partnerships.
• Evaluate technology and recruiting platforms that improve candidate communication and hiring efficiency.
• Develop repeatable recruiting practices that can be implemented across multiple locations while allowing flexibility for local markets.
• Continuously identify ways to reduce vacancies, improve retention, and strengthen the company's ability to pursue growth opportunities.

Qualifications & Experience

• Demonstrated success in recruiting, talent acquisition, workforce development, employee retention, or a related field.
• Experience developing and implementing recruiting strategies that produce measurable results.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to analyze workforce data and translate findings into practical action plans.
• Experience working with multiple locations, decentralized operations, or a large hourly workforce is strongly preferred.
• A hands-on approach and willingness to work directly with location managers and employees in the field.
• Creative problem-solving skills and the ability to develop new approaches when traditional recruiting methods fall short.
• Proficiency with applicant tracking systems, recruiting platforms, Microsoft Office, and workforce reporting tools.
• School transportation, commercial transportation, logistics, or other high-volume hourly recruiting experience is a plus.

What Success Looks Like

• Fewer unfilled driver positions and improved staffing levels across locations.
• A stronger pipeline of qualified driver candidates.
• Reduced time from application to hire and from hire to training completion.
• Improved driver retention and reduced turnover.
• Stronger recruiting accountability and visibility across the organization.
• Effective staffing support for existing operations and new contract opportunities.
• A recruiting and retention process that can grow with the company.

Compensation & Performance Incentives

Competitive base salary plus performance-based incentives.

We are willing to work with the selected candidate to develop a creative, mutually agreed-upon performance-based incentive plan that rewards measurable results and meaningful contributions to the organization.

The incentive plan may be tied to key outcomes such as driver recruitment, retention, staffing levels, recruiting efficiency, and successful staffing of new contracts. Our goal is to align compensation with performance and reward someone who makes a measurable difference in building and retaining our workforce.

Why Join Us?

• Make a meaningful impact on a critical part of the business.
• Work directly with senior leadership and location managers.
• Help shape the company's recruiting and retention strategy.
• Bring new ideas to an organization that values initiative and results.
• Build programs that support operational success and future growth.
• Enjoy the opportunity to help develop a creative compensation plan that recognizes individual performance.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a self-starter who combines strategic thinking with a willingness to roll up their sleeves and get results. They understand that successful recruiting is not simply about generating applications—it is about finding the right people, helping them become qualified drivers, and creating an environment where they want to stay.

If you are a creative, accountable leader who can build a stronger workforce and deliver measurable results, we want to hear from you.