Sr Dispatcher

$30.00/hr

At First Student, we are a family of over 60,000 employees who take pride in safely transporting millions of students and passengers to and from their destinations each day. Our team of professionals is dedicated to providing safe, reliable, and efficient transportation services to the communities we serve.

We are currently seeking an experienced Senior Dispatcher to support our daily transportation operations and ensure efficient, on-time service.

• Competitive pay and benefits
• Opportunities for professional growth and advancement
• Supportive, team-oriented work environment
• Comprehensive training and development
• Opportunity to make a meaningful impact in your community

As a Senior Dispatcher, you will play a critical role in overseeing daily transportation operations, coordinating driver assignments, managing routes, and ensuring safe and timely service.

You will work closely with drivers, monitors, maintenance personnel, and location leadership to resolve operational challenges, improve efficiency, and maintain First Student's commitment to safety and service excellence.

• Oversee daily routing, scheduling, and dispatch operations to ensure safe, efficient, and on-time transportation service.
• Coordinate driver and monitor assignments, ensuring all routes are appropriately staffed and covered.
• Monitor driver sign-in and sign-out times, track attendance, and adjust route hours to improve productivity and minimize unnecessary overtime.
• Maintain accurate dispatch logs documenting vehicle assignments, route changes, late buses, breakdowns, accidents, and other operational updates.
• Review route change requests, maintain supporting documentation, and submit changes for approval.
• Ensure AM and PM routes are properly reviewed and dry-run before the start of service.
• Coordinate route bidding processes, including posting available routes and facilitating assignments when applicable.
• Promote First Student's Safety First culture by delivering daily safety communications and collaborating with location safety personnel.
• Respond to operational disruptions, including driver absences, vehicle breakdowns, route delays, and emergencies.
• Communicate timely and accurate route and passenger information to drivers, management, and school district personnel.
• Coordinate with maintenance leadership regarding vehicle inspections, preventive maintenance scheduling, mechanical concerns, and vehicle availability.
• Collect, document, and maintain driver pre-trip inspection reports, ensuring maintenance concerns are reported appropriately.
• Support opening and closing procedures, including responding to driver call-offs and communicating staffing concerns to management.
• Assist with customer inquiries, telephone communications, and operational follow-up.
• Provide guidance and support to dispatch personnel and assist with training and daily operational coordination.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• 5-7 years of relevant experience in transportation operations, dispatching, terminal operations, or driving.
• Previous school transportation or fleet dispatch experience preferred.
• Working knowledge of radio dispatch equipment, routing systems, and transportation scheduling.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a commitment to customer service.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, meet deadlines, and make sound decisions in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency with computers and standard office software.
• Ability to work collaboratively with drivers, maintenance teams, management, and customers.
• Appropriate vehicle operator's license preferred.

This position operates primarily in an office and school bus yard environment, with occasional on-road responsibilities.

The role involves extended periods of sitting, use of standard office equipment, and regular communication with drivers, employees, and customers.

If you're an experienced transportation professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about safety, organization, and operational excellence, we encourage you to apply.

Join First Student and help us provide safe, reliable transportation every day!

First Student is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to providing an inclusive workplace for all employees and applicants.

Language Requirement
This role requires English proficiency. Federal, state, and local requirements, including U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, require training, safety communications, company policies, employment documents, and other job-related communications be conducted in English.

First for a reason:

At First Student, we are a family of 60,000+ employees who take pride in safely transporting more than 5 million students and passengers to and from their destinations each day! Our family of brands include Transco, Total Transportation, Maggies Paratransit, and GVC II. Our employees are at the forefront of safety and innovation; they create and implement the most advanced training and technology the transportation industry has to offer.

In the state of Washington, all technician and driving positions, including but not limited to van drivers and any other position requiring employees to drive a company-owned vehicle, are considered safety-sensitive and are therefore subject to drug and alcohol testing, including cannabis.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. First is also committed to providing a drug-free workplace. First will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance, and any other fair chance law. Philadelphia's Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance Poster is at this link or upon request https://www.phila.gov/media/20210423160847/Fair-Chance-Hiring-law-poster.pdf.

About us
An industry leader famous for our yellow school buses and service and safety excellence, we’ve provided student transportation services to schools for over 100 years. Continually investing in the services of the future, we’re proud to be part of FirstGroup America – the largest provider of safe, reliable and sustainable surface passenger transportation services in North America.

Industry leader
We safely operate more than one third of all contracted school buses in North America.
Together our 50,000 school buses travel nearly 600 million miles per year — the equivalent of 1,200 round trips to the moon.
We operate in around 550 locations throughout 38 U.S. states and 8 Canadian provinces.

Innovation
We were the first school bus company to utilize global positioning systems (GPS), so at any one time we know where all of our buses are and how fast they’re travelling.
Passionate about safety, we’ve installed Safety Crossing Gates on the front of all of our school buses and use the Child Check-MateTM electronic reminder system to make sure no sleeping children remain inside a bus at the end of each route.

Awards & recognition
We won the Occupational Excellence Achievement Award from the National Safety Council two years in a row.
Dedicated to safety, FirstGroup received the National Safety Council’s (NSC) Green Cross for Safety Medal - the highest award for safety in North America.

Teamwork and trust
It takes a diverse team of skilled professionals to provide a safe, effective and efficient student transportation system. From our school bus drivers and location managers to routers, dispatchers and fleet technician mechanics, the work we do every day makes a big impact on the daily lives of students, parents, local communities and school district partners.

We’re very proud of our elite team of over 55,000 dedicated, caring and diverse professionals. And they are the #1 reason we’re trusted by over 1,400 school districts - more than any other provider. Everybody here plays their part in creating a positive school bus experience.

Our culture
We live and breathe our vision and values. They are embedded in our culture and drive our commitment to our customers and communities. Our culture fosters growth and promotes respect, reliability, responsibility and safety. And we recruit people who share these values and will work together to build strong and trusting partnerships in the communities we serve.

Safety – Although our safety record is twice as safe as the industry average, we continually seek out opportunities to enhance our operational and safety initiatives.
Learning – Through our learning culture that spans over 550 locations, we receive and share insight from our people to enhance our service now and in the future.
Making a difference - By doing our job well, we make a positive impact on many lives – including the millions of students who travel with us every school day.
Careers for all – We’re an Equal Opportunity Employer and an Employer of Choice.
By consistently encouraging and supporting an open dialogue with our people and partners, we’re able to share new ideas and develop new ways to meet the needs of our customers and passengers. At First Student, you’ll feel empowered to serve your community. So join the team and start to make a difference.