Department:

TransitAbout Our Job

Whether it's a ride to work, the doctor, or a leisurely tour around Sarasota, our resident and guest experiences would not be the same without our Breeze Transit Department. While our drivers are known for their contributions, there is one key role that can often be hidden - our Fixed Route Dispatchers. This position is directly responsible for matching the available transit resources of bus operators with buses, to provide transit service to the community and ensure customer transportation needs are satisfied.

If you have customer relation, data entry and spreadsheet experience; if you're computer savvy and have an ability to communicate over a two-way radio; we want to speak with you! Our prior employee was promoted and, as a result, we are now searching for the right candidate. The pay starts out between $17.00 - $19.00/hr (based upon experience), benefits begin within 60 days of hire, and there are numerous opportunities for both growth and development. Apply today and start a lasting career, knowing that you are impacting our community as a whole!

Job Description:

About the Position

In this crucial role you are progressively responsible for reserving, planning, organizing, assisting, and/or conducting the activities required to dispatch our Breeze Para-Transit and Fixed Bus Routes. Examples of job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following...

Ensure the delivery of services to our community by maintaining schedules and routing in support of the services and timetables published by Breeze.

Monitor real-time (GPS) tracking of equipment, weather and traffic conditions.

Direct involvement with Bus Operators and Road Supervisors via radio.

Routing/re-routing and directing/redirecting the movement of revenue service vehicles, shuttle vehicles, and Bus Operators in accordance with Dispatch Supervision, available information, and Breeze management’s intentions. 

Answer phones in a timely manner, providing accurate information to the public. (When necessary, forwarding calls and/or messages to the requested or appropriate party).

Review daily Fixed Route transit requirements; ensuring our Federal, State, and local regulations are adhered to.

Change operator and bus assignments as needed, under direction of Dispatch Supervisor.

Assign overtime work following current selection and recording procedures.

Process trip sheets, passenger counts, mileage, and missed trips.

Complete attendance and occurrence reports and enter absences into our software; notifying management of staffing shortages.

Update forms, handouts and postings; maintaining electronic forms and creating posters as needed (or requested).

Keep all dispatch and driver information available and up to date.

Coordinate emergency response to accidents/incidents.  

About the Schedule

Work Hours:

Full-Time, 40 hours per week.

Employees must be available for flexible scheduling, based upon business needs.

Work schedules may vary due to rotations, on-call, emergencies, etc.

Breeze Transit hours of operation can include:

Sunday - Saturday, 4:15 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

About You

Minimum Qualifications:

High School Diploma or an equivalent education.

Two (2) years of work experience with customer contact.

Preferred Qualifications:

Prior work experience that required individuals to remain calm and objective, maintaining composure and professionalism, while independently analyzing situations and quickly identifying appropriate actions.

An ability to discern between emergency and non-emergency situations, circumstances, requests, and calls for service, in the interest of initiating and applying appropriate levels of response.

Multi-task oriented, coordinating responses in accordance with established protocols,  in a fast-paced environment, while using multiple pieces of technology and software applications.
 

Subject to Passing Substance Screening:  This position is subject to passing a pre-employment substance screening.  An applicant who fails to pass a required drug screening test shall be disqualified from employment in any class for a period of five (5) years.

Physical Demands: This position must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 lbs.

About Everything Else

Starting Pay: $17.00 - $19.00/hr, based upon experience.

Employee Type:Regular (Budgeted)

Our interview process could include phone interview(s), Microsoft Teams video interview(s), and/or in-person interview(s).

If you are selected to join our team, please click on this link to review the Required First Day Documents. You will need to present the following items on your first day:

1. I-9 Acceptable Documents to show your identity and authorization to work. Use this link to learn more and review the different document options: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

If your position requires a Florida Driver’s License, this must be one of your documents. (Your Florida Driver’s License can serve as one of your documents listed in link above – List B Documents.)  

2. U.S. Social Security Card (signed, physical card). This is a requirement of our Payroll Department and failure to provide this document could jeopardize timely compensation. (Your U.S. Social Security Card can serve as one of your documents listed in link above – List C Documents.)  

Benefits:

Enjoy great benefits including Health, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, Flexible Spending Accounts, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Florida Retirement System (FRS) and many, many more! For more information about employee benefits, please click this link or visit SCGov.net for additional information.Utilize our award-winning wellness program including free gyms and classes at multiple Sarasota County Government locations. Enjoy 11 paid holidays, 3 personal days and 16 paid vacation days in the first year of full-time employment with increasing accrual rates with years of service. (That adds up to a possible 30 days off in your 1st year!)

A different blend of voices prompt better conversations, choices and results for everyone. Sarasota County – Many Voices, One Team.

We celebrate and value the experiences, backgrounds, perspectives, talents and strengths that make us different and are committed to creating a culture of understanding and respect where our employees realize that we are stronger together. 

Our vision is to attract, develop, retain and engage a talented workforce broadly representative of the citizens and communities we serve. To further value creativity, innovation, collaboration and great customer service – internally and externally. 

Sarasota County Government promotes diversity and inclusion in its workforce and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender identity or expression, genetic information, religion, national origin, marital status, age or disability. A job applicant with a disability who requires reasonable accommodation to participate in the application/selection process is requested to make known the need for an accommodation to Human Resources or appropriate county staff members. For assistance with the application, please call 941-861-5353.

Government employers are drug-free and tobacco-free environments, EEO/AA/ADA employers, and they prohibit discrimination in all services, programs or activities.

Sarasota County Government is a Tobacco-Free/Drug-Free Workplace.