Dispatcher- FT (2nd shift and weekends)

Job Title: Dispatcher (2nd shift and weekends)

Reports to: Call Center Supervisor

Employment Status: Full Time, Hourly

POSITION SUMMARY:

Dispatchers have the primary responsibility for ensuring that Jaunt transit services run smoothly throughout the day throughout our service area (Charlottesville, Albemarle, Nelson, Fluvanna, Louisa, Buckingham). They provide information and logistics to drivers and passengers, ensuring trips are routed efficiently with minimal delays. They provide day-to-day guidance to the Supervisors and Drivers through various methods of communication. Dispatchers have the responsibility of ensuring that the daily service needs are met, including reassignment of personnel daily to meet current workload demands.

2 to 4 Dispatchers are scheduled to work together during most shifts though they must be able to work alone when needed. In addition to the primary function of dispatching, they may be called upon to accept and confirm reservations, create schedules, and provide back-up driving as required. They also may be called upon to perform any variety of tasks within the operations department, requiring a good deal of cross-training, flexibility, and the ability to work well alone as well as work cooperatively with others. Typical work schedules are for 8-hour shift with a 30-minute lunch break though all staff are required to fill in when necessary to ensure office is staffed at all times.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Serves as dispatcher; communicates schedule changes and new pickups; provides directions to destinations; provides appropriate information to customers, provides other service directions.
• Effectively performs daily scheduling of drivers and passengers and generates drivers' manifests.
• Revises schedules as needed in response to changes in driver availability and passenger demands.
• Ensures the availability of vans for scheduled maintenance, and schedules vans for maintenance as necessary.
• Serves as back-up Driver or Scheduler, as directed.
• Makes preliminary decisions in response to crisis, such as accidents, injuries, breakdowns, inclement weather.
• Generates operational reports to ensure consistent efficient and effective service levels.
• Assists clients with complaints, and problems pertaining to service delivery or specific personnel; refers such complaints as appropriate.
• Ensures necessary staffing levels during service hours and days and works an alternative schedule as necessary.
• This position is considered Safety Sensitive based on FTA regulation: Prevention of Alcohol Misuse and Prohibited Drug Use in Transit Operations, 49 CFR Part 655.
• Other duties as assigned.

This position is designated as "Mission Essential", which requires that employees report to their job site during emergency situations, such as snow, inclement weather, or other emergency situations.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS:

Dispatchers are available to work between 4:30 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Sunday from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. This position requires a high school diploma or equivalent with at least basic computer skills. A thorough knowledge of the service area; ability to communicate well both orally and in writing with diverse people; ability to prioritize and focus on your tasks; ability to provide travel directions; ability to manage multiple tasks; ability to work independently; ability to remain courteous and professional to clients and co-workers in fast-paced, high-pressure environment; ability to remain calm and make decisions under pressure; ability to perform multiple functions accurately and quickly; ability to meet daily deadlines; ability to serve as back-up driver as required, and, therefore, must hold a valid Virginia driver's license. Must have, or be able to obtain within six months, a VA Commercial Driver's License.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Employment is contingent upon successfully completing and passing a pre-employment drug screen. Employment is contingent on a clean driving record that allows employee to be covered by Jaunt's insurance. Continued employment is contingent upon adherence to Jaunt's Substance Abuse Policy, including being subject to drug and alcohol screening, as well as on maintaining a clean driving record.

Jaunt employees regularly interact with passengers with disabilities. To ensure it effectively adheres to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, all employees will be regularly trained on service delivery expectations in order to ensure the safe and timely transportation services for passengers with disabilities. Further, those employees with direct contact with passengers with disabilities will be expected to exercise their training for passenger sensitivity, which includes securing passengers' wheelchairs to restraining devices to stabilize wheelchairs during trip. As well as, being physically able to handle and assist disabled passengers in wheelchairs and assist disabled passengers into and out of vehicle.

Further, Jaunt shall adhere with the American with Disabilities Act. The successful candidate must be able to perform the position's essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation. The physical demands given in this job description are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made that allow individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions. To be considered eligible for consideration of accommodations, employees must request an accommodation and present a doctor's statement to management stating their physical limitations.

Jaunt is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. In addition to the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Federal Transit Laws, 49 U.S.C. 5332(b), states "no person in the United States shall on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, or age be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any project, program or activity funded in whole or in part through financial assistance under this Act."