First Student is now hiring a Shop Manager in New Britain, CT!

The Shop Manager manages all location maintenance operations and provides oversight to the shop staff. This position directly supervises a team of 9 maintenance technicians and provides maintenance operational visibility to the Location Manager.

The Shop Manager assumes primary responsibility for the efficient maintenance performance of a fleet of more than 240 vehicles supporting the New Britain Consolidated School District. The fleet includes Thomas C2 school buses, GM and Ford 4500 vehicles, Dodge minivans, and Ford Transit vehicles.

We Offer

• Annual Salary: $95,000
• Additional bonus potential
• Schedule: Monday through Friday, full-time, 9-hour shifts
• Full benefits, including health, dental, vision, and 401(k)
• Paid holidays and PTO

Major Responsibilities

• Schedules and administers fleet maintenance and assists in troubleshooting equipment concerns.
• Communicates vehicle availability and maintenance status with dispatch and other operations personnel.
• Supervises, trains, develops, and directs the work of the maintenance team.
• Participates in hiring, performance management, employee development, disciplinary actions, and the handling of employee concerns or grievances.
• Works closely with the Location Manager and regional maintenance leadership to communicate fleet status, maintenance needs, staffing requirements, and budget considerations.
• May review financial and budget variances, repair orders, and accounts-payable documentation.
• Ensures daily compliance with state, federal, company, and safety requirements.
• Maintains a safe shop environment and ensures all maintenance activities comply with company policies and regulatory standards.
• Reviews and approves repair orders.
• May order fuel, parts, supplies, and outside repair services.
• Initiates and implements projects designed to improve efficiency, fleet availability, and operating costs.
• Ensures technicians are trained on current procedures, properly equipped, and able to complete work safely, efficiently, and within established timelines.
• Supervises bus fueling and may coordinate services for the building and grounds.
• Completes special projects as assigned.
• Performs hands-on maintenance and repair work as operational needs require.

Minimum Education or Certifications Required

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Technical or vocational training preferred
• Willingness to participate in the ASE certification program; training, testing, and certification bonuses are provided
• Valid driver’s license required
• Willingness to obtain a CDL while employed; company-paid training is provided

Minimum Experience or Skills Required

• At least 5 years of hands-on mechanical and supervisory experience
• Experience leading technicians in a fleet-maintenance or transportation environment
• Strong knowledge of preventive maintenance, diagnostics, repair procedures, and shop operations
• Experience repairing and maintaining diesel engines and school bus equipment preferred
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Computer proficiency and experience with maintenance-management systems
• Ability to plan work, prioritize repairs, manage shop productivity, and maintain fleet availability
• Ability to lift between 20 and 50 pounds

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

This position works primarily in a maintenance-shop environment and requires the ability to perform hands-on mechanical duties.

The Shop Manager must be able to work in crouched, kneeling, standing, and lying positions, including working beneath vehicles using a mechanic’s dolly. The position may involve exposure to dust, dirt, grease, oils, vehicle fluids, noise, and other typical shop conditions.

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.