Chief Executive Officer - KCATA

• Client Name Kansas City Area Transportation Authority
• Date Opened 05/12/2026
• Job Type Full time

Job Description

Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) is seeking an exceptional individual to serve as its Chief Executive Officer. As the agency’s leader, the CEO is the public face of the organization. This position reports to the Board of Commissioners and is responsible for maintaining safe and reliable transportation for its member jurisdictions and meeting the needs of a diverse constituency. KCATA is looking for a CEO to strengthen its organization; improve regional relationships; and enhance transit services through improved performance, transparency and accountability to maximize the benefit of the regional Compact.

Operating in the seven-county Kansas City metropolitan area, KCATA is a bi-state agency created by an act of Congress and legislated by both states via a Compact between the States of Missouri and Kansas. KCATA operates RideKC bus service; MAX Bus Rapid Transit service; Flex demand-response routes; IRIS microtransit; RideKC Freedom paratransit service for senior citizens and people with disabilities; and RideKC Van vanpool service, collectively delivering more than 11.6 million trips annually.

KCATA seeks a transformative leader who can shape the agency’s internal culture and external relationships to reflect a more dynamic organization with regional reach and a focus on transit mobility; housing development; and transit-oriented design benefits. The CEO will successfully collaborate with the Board to develop and implement policies and initiatives that direct the agency toward its long-range goals while maintaining best-in-class performance and regulatory compliance at all levels. The CEO is responsible for building and managing a senior leadership team; ensuring budget adherence and financial sustainability; maintaining strong external relationships with the business community; legislators; elected and appointed officials; and other public and private organizations to ensure funding for the agency’s projects and services and to fulfill the transportation needs within its regional service area.

A typical way of demonstrating qualifications is having:

A bachelor’s degree in Business, Public Administration, Planning, or a related field (master’s preferred).

At least nine (9) years of executive work experience in public administration, preferably in a public transit organization.

An equivalent combination of training, education, and experience that provides the required skills, knowledge and abilities may be considered.

Additionally, the selected candidate will demonstrate competence in management and administration principles; policy development and implementation; budget development and adherence; public transit-related laws and regulations, interpersonal skills, and strategic and critical thinking. Well-qualified candidates will receive an attractive compensation package with an annual salary ranging from $199,000 to $300,000 plus competitive benefits.

View our brochure for more information.

Job posting closes at 5pm CDT on Friday, June 19, 2026.