Safety Operations Manager

Via is using technology to transform transportation around the world. From changing a single person’s daily commute to reducing humanity’s collective environmental footprint — we’ve got huge goals.

Via has partnered with 100+ cities and public transit agencies around the world to deploy our mobility technology. As the Safety Operations Manager, you will oversee driver safety programs, lead in-person and virtual training, and support market operations to ensure our drivers meet the highest standards of safety and service.

What You’ll Do:

• Serve as the primary safety lead for the region - conducting post-incident reviews, safety audits, and ride-alongs to ensure compliance with company and regulatory standards.

• Monitor trends in safety data and collaborate with central operations to identify opportunities for proactive coaching or process improvements.

• Support and occasionally act as the Designated Employer Representative (DER) for DOT compliance, ensuring accurate recordkeeping and timely follow-up on testing or incidents.

• Lead root cause analyses for accidents and incidents and develop corrective action plans.

• Design, deliver, and continually improve driver training programs - including onboarding, remedial, and refresher sessions - with a strong focus on safety, defensive driving, and passenger assistance.

• Provide hands-on instruction in:

• Wheelchair Securement & Passenger Sensitivity

• Defensive Driving

• De-escalation & Customer Interaction

• CPR/First Aid & Emergency Procedures

• Evaluate driver performance through ride-alongs, skills assessments, and feedback sessions.

• Maintain training documentation, certifications, and compliance records.

• Conduct regular field visits (approximately 25% travel) to observe service quality, reinforce training, and coach drivers in real-world conditions.

• Serve as a visible leader across markets - fostering a culture of safety, accountability, and support.

• Partner with operations, safety, and compliance teams to align local practices with company-wide goals.

• Assist in driver scheduling for trainings and ensure operational readiness across markets.

• Support reporting and communication between field teams and central operations

Who You Are:

• Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with passenger endorsement required.

• 3+ years of experience in driver training, operations management, or field supervision, preferably in fixed route and paratransit settings.

• Proven ability to coach, motivate, and manage performance among diverse driver teams.

• Strong understanding of safety protocols, ADA requirements, and DOT regulations.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; able to train and inspire adult learners.

• Comfort balancing field work with administrative and compliance tasks.

• Proficiency with digital tools (LMS platforms, dashboards, spreadsheets, etc)

Certifications & Professional Development:

We will support continued professional development and certification renewal, including:

• PASS (Passenger Assistance Safety and Sensitivity)

• LLLC Defensive Driving

• CPR/First Aid

• De-escalation Training

• Other state- or service-specific certifications as needed.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Salary Range: $75,000 - $85,000 / year

• Final salary will be determined based on experience, knowledge, and skills.

• Comprehensive benefits package, including medical coverage, paid time off, and 401(k) matching.

• Opportunities for certification, advancement, and leadership development.

We’re Via, and we build technology that changes the way the world moves. We’re driven by a simple mission: to create modern and efficient public transportation systems that provide far greater access to jobs, healthcare, and education. With our best in class suite of products, we make transit thrive.

Our teams of world-class engineers, data-scientists, product managers, operations specialists, marketers, transit experts and more bring cutting-edge AI-powered software and innovative technology-enabled operations to our partners across the globe. Founded in 2012, Via builds solutions to digitize, automate, and enable data-driven decision making for entire transportation networks; fixed-route buses, microtransit, paratransit, school buses, autonomous vehicles, and more.

If you’re excited to be at the forefront of modernizing the future of transportation, are up for solving tough problems, and willing to become/already are a transit nerd, we are the place for you. Even if your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description for this role, we encourage you to apply. You may be just the right candidate for this or other opportunities.

Ready to join the ride?

Via is an equal opportunity employer.