Fleet Maintenance Manager

Salary Range:

$64.80 - $90.98

At Santa Cruz METRO, we care about moving people. We strive to attract, develop and retain a talented and diverse workforce. Many of our employees have worked for us for more than 20 years and come from diverse, cultural and professional backgrounds. METRO promotes high performance, diversity and equal employment opportunities.  
 
At METRO, you will enjoy a competitive salary, CALPERS pension, a robust health/dental/vision benefit program, public service loan forgiveness program, 457 plans, career development, free bus passes, and longevity pay.  

DEFINITION:

Under the direction of the Chief Operating Officer (COO), the Fleet Maintenance Manager plans, organizes, directs, develops, and coordinates the programs and activities of fleet maintenance including maintenance and repair, materials management, quality assurance, and warranty functions; and performs other related duties as assigned.

 

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:

The Fleet Maintenance Manager reports to the Chief Operating Officer and is responsible for the management and supervision of fleet maintenance programs to ensure the fleet remains safe, reliable, available for service, and in a state of good repair. The position is a peer of the Facilities Maintenance Manager and provides short-term administrative and emergency coverage under delegated authority.

 

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The duties listed below represent the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them if the work is related or a logical assignment to this class.

 

• Plans, organizes, directs, and evaluates Fleet Maintenance for Santa Cruz METRO-owned revenue and non-revenue vehicles, fleet support equipment, and emerging vehicle technologies to ensure safe, reliable, efficient, and compliant service.
• Develops, implements, and evaluates policies, programs, procedures, and strategic initiatives related to fleet maintenance and asset management.
• Monitors fleet performance and reliability, analyzes operational and maintenance data, conducts root-cause analyses, and implements continuous improvement initiatives to enhance fleet availability, safety, productivity, and cost effectiveness.
• Develops, implements, and manages maintenance programs, including preventive, scheduled, and corrective maintenance, inspections, rebuilds, defect management, road-call response, quality assurance, and maintenance standards.
• Directs and manages Fleet Maintenance personnel and subordinate supervisors, including selection, training, assignment, performance evaluation, employee development, and discipline.
• Interprets and applies the provisions of labor agreements in accordance with Santa Cruz METRO guidelines; may serve as a hearing officer.
• Ensures compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, safety standards, environmental requirements, and grant-funded program requirements, including Federal Transit Administration reporting and Transit Asset Management activities; maintains accurate fleet asset, maintenance, reliability, and performance data for compliance purposes; reviews proposed and changing legislation pertaining to areas of responsibility and reports on impacts. Prepares, administers, and monitors operating and capital budgets, including forecasting, resource needs, and developing cost estimates for labor, time, equipment, parts, materials, contracts, training, and fleet projects and repairs.
• Develops technical specifications for vehicle procurements, fleet equipment, tooling, diagnostic systems, parts, materials, and supplies; reviews and approves requisitions.
• Develops, implements, administers, and monitors contracts and service agreements with manufacturers, vendors, contractors, and consultants to ensure compliance with safety, quality, schedule, and performance requirements.
• Coordinates fleet maintenance activities with internal and external stakeholders, including Operations, Facilities Maintenance, manufacturers, utilities, regulatory agencies, emergency responders, and other public and private organizations.
• Plans, manages, and implements fleet projects involving vehicle acquisition, commissioning, acceptance, warranty administration, rehabilitation, retrofit, replacement, and disposal.
• Represents Santa Cruz METRO and makes presentations to the Board of Directors, governmental agencies, employee organizations, industry groups, vendors, and the public.
• Directs materials management activities including purchasing, inventory control, parts availability, surplus property management, and disposal of fleet-related assets and materials.
• Analyzes and evaluates complex problems; recommends and implements effective solutions; refers specialized fleet, engineering, construction, code, and licensed-trade decisions to qualified staff or the Chief Operating Officer.
• Learns the Facilities and Infrastructure department's organization, critical systems, priorities, contracts, emergency procedures, and major risks sufficiently to serve as administrative designee during short absences when assigned.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

 

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS:

 

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of public transportation maintenance operations and fleet management.

• Principles, practices, methods, equipment, diagnostics, tools, and maintenance information systems used in the design, maintenance, operation, and repair of heavy-duty transit vehicles.
• Construction, operation, maintenance, and safety requirements of heavy-duty transit vehicles, non-revenue vehicles, fleet-support equipment, and maintenance facilities.
• Bus type technologies, such as diesel, alternative fuel, compressed natural gas (CNG), electric, and hydrogen.

• Design, operation, and maintenance of shops and shop equipment.

• Applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, industrial safety rules and regulations, and Santa Cruz METRO policies and procedures applied to a public transportation system and workplace safety including transit fleet maintenance, asset management, warehouse, and state of good repair; methods for safely and legally handling, storing, and disposing hazardous materials and hazardous waste; and the design and operation of vehicles.
• Principles and practices of employee supervision, including work planning, assignment, review and evaluation, and the training of staff in work procedures, as well as administration of labor contracts.
• Principles and practices of budget planning, organization, and administration.
• Principles and practices of procurement and contract administration including cost estimating and technical specification development.
• Principles and practices of project management.
• Asset lifecycle management including, pilot testing, commissioning, acceptance, warranty, rehabilitation, retrofit, and disposal.

• The effective use of modern office equipment, personal computers, and standard business software.

 

Ability to:

• Plan, organize, direct, manage, and evaluate fleet maintenance, materials management, quality assurance, and related functions.

• Select, supervise, train, motivate, assign, evaluate, counsel, and discipline staff within a union environment.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate policies, programs, procedures, and strategic initiatives related to fleet maintenance and asset management.
• Develop and implement workforce, succession, and training plans on new vehicles, zero-emission technologies, equipment, safety requirements, departmental procedures and policies, and emerging fleet technologies.

• Establish priorities, allocate resources, and manage multiple programs, projects, and operational activities simultaneously.
• Analyze complex operational, technical, financial, regulatory, and personnel issues and develop effective solutions.
• Evaluate maintenance, repair, inspection, and asset-management needs to determine priorities, safety risks, resource requirements, and appropriate corrective actions.
• Monitor and evaluate fleet reliability, availability, maintenance performance, quality, and cost-effectiveness using maintenance and operational data.

• Prepare and interpret plans, specifications, and technical manuals applicable to transit vehicles, shop equipment, fueling, charging, and related fleet systems.
• Investigate and take corrective action on industrial injuries, accidents, incidents, repeat defects, and fleet-related safety events.
• Maintain accurate operational, maintenance, compliance, and performance records and reporting systems.
• Prepare reports, correspondence, and written recommendations.

• Prepare budgets and expenditure projections; prepare cost estimates for labor, time, materials, and equipment.
• Administer and monitor contracts with vendors, contractors, and consultants.

• Inspect contracted work for conformance to safety, quality, schedule, and performance standards.

• Manage projects through entire lifecycle; develop project scopes, schedules, budgets and resource plans; monitor project progress, costs, risks, and quality; and ensure projects are completed on schedule and within budget.
• Coordinate assigned programs, projects, and activities with other departments and external agencies.
• Interpret, apply, explain, and ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations and Santa Cruz METRO policies and procedures.

• Oversee the safe handling, spill response, recovery, reporting, and disposal of hazardous materials and hazardous waste in accordance with applicable requirements.

• Effectively use computer systems, software applications, and modern business equipment to perform a variety of work tasks.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, union representatives, Board members, stakeholders, elected and appointed officials, venders, contractors, consultants, media representatives, and members of the public.

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

 

Any combination of experience and education that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

 

Education, Training and Experience:

Graduation from high school or equivalent; and eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in heavy-duty fleet maintenance, commercial-vehicle maintenance, public transportation vehicle maintenance, or a closely related field, including at least four (4) years of supervisory or management experience.

 

Relevant post-secondary education, technical training, or professional certification in automotive, diesel, electric-vehicle, fleet-management, engineering, business, public administration, or a related field may substitute for up to two (2) years of the required non-supervisory experience. A bachelor’s degree in a related field is desirable. Public-transit or public-agency experience is desirable.

 

Familiarity with public-transit or transportation-system operations; heavy-duty vehicle equipment; diesel, battery-electric, and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle technology; budgets and labor relations; FTA requirements applicable to fleet maintenance, vehicle procurement, asset management, state of good repair, National Transit Database reporting, and Triennial Review preparation; vehicle specifications and acceptance; and report generation is highly desirable.

 

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATES:

A valid California Class C driver license and safe driving record are required at appointment and must be maintained throughout employment. A commercial driver license and relevant fleet, safety, or project-management certifications are desirable.

 

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Required to be able to respond to emergency situations seven days per week, 24 hours per day.
• Must be able to work extended or irregular hours when operational needs or emergencies require.
• Must maintain strict confidentiality and exercise discretion regarding personnel, labor, security, procurement, and operational matters.
• Must participate in required training, cross-training, and continuing professional development.
• Requires occasional travel.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS:

The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by employees to successfully perform the essential functions of this class.  Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, walk and stand; talk and hear; use hands to finger, manipulate, handle, feel or operate objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; and perform repetitive movements of hands or wrists. The employee is regularly required to bend and twist at the neck, reach with hands and arms.  Occasional standing, walking, overhead reaching and lifting up to 50 pounds unaided is required.   Specific visual abilities required for this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. 

 

Mental Demands

While performing the duties of this job, an employee uses written and oral communication skills; reads and interprets data, information and documents; analyzes and solves problems; uses math and mathematical reasoning; performs highly detailed work; deals with multiple concurrent tasks; and interacts with others encountered in the course of work.

 

 Work Environment:

The employee works in office, maintenance-shop, warehouse, yard, vehicle, and field environments. The employee may be exposed to noise, moving equipment, weather, dust, fumes, chemicals, electrical and high-voltage systems, compressed gases, and other conditions typical of fleet maintenance. Required personal protective equipment and safety procedures must be used. Work may require a flexible schedule.

OTHER CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

·         Must pass requisite background check.

• This is a working manager position that requires an active, hands-on presence in Fleet Maintenance operations and regular engagement with staff in the work areas.

*Adopted:             November 2017  

*BOD Approved: 09-25-26              

*Revised:              09-17-26

*Job Family:          Management - Fleet Maintenance

This employer does not sponsor applicants for work visas.

Health and Welfare Benefits for Management Staff

Employees are eligible for benefits on the first day of the month following the date of hire, unless otherwise noted below.

Medical Insurance:  For employee and qualified dependents. Choice between multiple HMO and PPO plans. Santa Cruz METRO contributes 95% of the monthly premium costs for any plan, employee responsibility is 5%. Premium participation continues after retirement.

Dental Insurance:  Premium paid by Santa Cruz Metro for employee and qualified dependents.

Vision Insurance:  Premium paid by Santa Cruz Metro for employee and qualified dependents.

CalPERS Retirement Pension:  

2.5% at 55 - Employees who are vested and were hired before January 1, 2013, directly from another CalPERS-covered agency are eligible for the "Classic" CalPERS pension formula of 2.5% at age 55. Employees hired on or after January 1, 2013, who had prior CalPERS membership and a break in service of six months or less, will also retain the "Classic" formula of 2.5% at age 55.

2% at 62 for PEPRA CalPERS members - Those hired on or after January 1, 2013, who are new to CalPERS or have not worked for a CalPERS-covered agency in the past six months are subject to the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) and receive the 2% at age 62 formula.

457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan:  Two plan providers available. Similar to 401(k)

Empower: https://participant.empower-retirement.com  

Voya: https://login.voya.com

Life/AD&D Insurance:   $50,000 Life coverage. $50,000 AD&D coverage provided by Santa Cruz Metro.  Additional Life/AD&D coverage is available at employee cost.                

Long Term Disability Insurance:  Available after one year of service. Premium paid by Santa Cruz Metro. Monthly maximum  benefit of $10,000.00.

Employee Assistance Program:  Confidential mental, financial, legal and other assistance.

Premium paid by METRO. https://www.anthemeap.com/prism

Tickets at Work: Discounted rate program. https://www.ticketsatwork.com (Use code SCMPERKS)

Pet Insurance: Discounted rate program. https://figopetinsurance.com (Request QR Code)