Director of Transit Technology

Ryan Mahoney

Why this role is hard · Ryan Mahoney

It is hard to find someone who can manage telematics systems while keeping buses running on time. Too many candidates focus on software updates while ignoring the drivers waiting in the depot. You need a leader who communicates clearly when the fare payment system goes down during rush hour. They have to own the mistake instead of blaming the vendor. It takes real courage to tell operations that an accessibility feature needs more time to ensure safety.

Core Evaluation

Critical questions for this role

The competency and attitude questions below are where the hiring decision is made. They run in the live interview rounds and are calibrated to the level selected above.

18 Competency Questions

1 of 18

  1. Discipline

    Service Planning & Business Operations

  2. Job requirement

    Demand-Responsive Transit

    Monitors DRT algorithm performance and adjusts service zones to optimize flexible transit service delivery.

  3. Expected at Junior

    Independent monitoring of DRT algorithm performance and service zone adjustments is required to maintain SLA compliance and optimize flexible transit delivery. Autonomous oversight prevents coverage gaps and ensures timely response to operational inefficiencies that could trigger customer escalations and wasted vehicle utilization.

Interview round: Hiring Manager Technical

Tell me about a time you configured on-demand routing.

Positive indicators

  • Balances cost and service
  • Monitors KPIs
  • Adjusts parameters

Negative indicators

  • Fixed parameters
  • Ignores cost
  • No monitoring

12 Attitude Questions

1 of 12

Accountability Mindset

The consistent willingness to accept ultimate responsibility for team outcomes, strategic decisions, and operational failures, characterized by transparent communication, immediate corrective action, and a focus on systemic improvement rather than blame assignment.

Interview round: Hiring Manager Technical

How do you handle it when a vendor fails to meet a SLA due to factors partly within your control?

Positive indicators

  • Shared responsibility acknowledged
  • Collaborative remediation
  • Process improvement focus

Negative indicators

  • Enforces penalty despite shared fault
  • Denies internal contribution
  • Adversarial stance with vendor

Supporting Evaluation

How candidates earn the selection conversation

The goal is to reduce effort for everyone by collecting more useful signal before adding more interviews. Lightweight application prompts and structured screens help the panel focus live time on the candidates most likely to succeed.

Stage 1 · Application

Filter at the door

Runs the moment a candidate hits Submit. Disqualifying answers end the application; everything else is captured for review.

Video-Response Questions

1 of 3

Application Screen: Video Response

Describe a time you had to explain complex data-sharing requirements to an external mobility partner who requested expanded access beyond the agreed scope. How did you communicate your boundaries and ensure alignment without damaging the partnership?

Candidate experience

REC
0:42 / 2:00
1Record
2Review
3Submit

Response time

2 min

Format

Recorded video

Stage 2 · Resume Screening

Read the resume against fixed criteria

Reviewers score every application that clears the door against the same criteria. Stronger reviews advance to live interviews; weaker ones are archived without further screening.

Resume Review Criteria

8 criteria
Evidence of tracking, maintaining, and troubleshooting real-time data feeds or vehicle telematics to meet operational uptime and latency targets.
Evidence of managing tactical technology rollouts, fare configurations, or maintenance cycles while tracking vendor deliverables against budget and timeline constraints.
Evidence of auditing public data schemas, validating feed quality, and implementing or verifying screen-reader and accessibility standards for digital platforms.
Evidence of configuring dynamic routing engines or analyzing vehicle telematics data to improve operational efficiency and reduce idle time.

Does the resume show relevant prior work experience?

Does the cover letter or personal statement convey clear relevance and familiarity with the job?

Does the resume indicate required academic credentials, relevant certifications, or necessary training?

Is the resume complete, well-organized, and free from formatting, spelling, and grammar mistakes?

Stage 3 · During Interviews

Where the hire is decided

Interview rounds use the competency and attitude questions outlined above, then add tests, work simulations, and presentations that reveal deeper evidence about how the candidate thinks and works.

Presentation Prompt

Walk us through how you would approach maintaining 99.9% uptime on legacy fare collection systems while simultaneously validating and publishing new open data feeds for third-party developers. Discuss your prioritization framework, how you would manage vendor constraints, and how you would communicate technical trade-offs to frontline operations staff.

Format

approach-walkthrough · 20 min · ~2 hr prep

Audience

Hiring panel including Engineering Lead, Operations Manager, and Product Director

What to prepare

  • Review your past experiences with legacy system maintenance and open data publishing
  • Outline a mental framework for balancing reliability vs. innovation
  • Prepare to discuss specific communication strategies for non-technical stakeholders

Deliverables

  • A structured verbal walkthrough of your approach
  • Optional whiteboard sketches or notes to illustrate prioritization logic

Ground rules

  • Slides are optional; a talking-through approach is fully acceptable
  • Focus on your reasoning, decision criteria, and stakeholder communication
  • Use anonymized or permitted past examples; do not share proprietary vendor data

Scoring anchors

Exceeds
Frames the problem holistically, explicitly maps trade-offs to operational impact, and proposes a phased communication strategy that aligns engineering, vendor, and frontline teams under clear SLAs.
Meets
Provides a logical approach to balancing uptime and data publishing, identifies key constraints, and outlines a reasonable communication plan for stakeholders.
Below
Focuses narrowly on technical fixes without addressing operational realities, uses vague or overly technical language, and lacks a structured prioritization or stakeholder engagement strategy.

Response time

20 min

Positive indicators

  • Asks high-information clarifying questions before framing the problem
  • Explicitly surfaces assumptions about legacy system limitations and vendor capacity
  • Articulates a clear prioritization matrix balancing uptime SLAs with data publishing cadence
  • Demonstrates empathy and clear translation of technical constraints for frontline staff
  • Proposes measurable checkpoints rather than rigid, unrealistic guarantees

Negative indicators

  • Jumps directly to a technical solution without scoping operational constraints
  • Treats uptime and data publishing as mutually exclusive without proposing phased trade-offs
  • Uses unexplained technical jargon when discussing communication with non-technical staff
  • Ignores vendor capacity realities or frontline feedback loops
  • Fails to establish a feedback mechanism for post-deployment monitoring

Work Simulation Scenario

Scenario. You are the Technology Manager responsible for implementing open data standards for a new regional transit app. You have been asked to define the initial GTFS-Realtime feed specifications for third-party developers. Before drafting the spec, you need to gather requirements and constraints from the Operations Manager who oversees the legacy dispatch system.

Problem to solve. Determine the technical and operational constraints, data latency tolerances, and compliance requirements needed to publish a reliable GTFS-Realtime feed without disrupting existing operations.

Format

discovery-interview · 20 min · ~1 hr prep

Success criteria

  • Ask targeted questions to uncover legacy system limitations and data availability
  • Identify key latency and uptime SLAs required by developers
  • Clarify boundary conditions for data schema changes and versioning
  • Propose a phased rollout approach that balances developer needs with operational stability

What to review beforehand

  • GTFS-Realtime specification overview
  • Current agency data pipeline architecture
  • Common transit API integration challenges

Ground rules

  • You are in a 1:1 discovery conversation. Ask questions to build your understanding before proposing solutions.
  • The interviewer will answer honestly but will not volunteer information unprompted.

Roles in scenario

Operations Manager (informed_partner, played by cross_functional)

Motivation. Ensure the new data feed does not destabilize the legacy dispatch system or increase maintenance burden on the operations team.

Constraints

  • Legacy AVL system only outputs data every 60 seconds
  • IT budget only allows for incremental API middleware upgrades
  • Operations team is currently understaffed and cannot support custom integrations

Tensions to introduce

  • Push back on requests for 10-second update intervals due to hardware limits
  • Express concern about developer support overhead
  • Highlight past failures where new tech disrupted dispatch workflows

In-character guidance

  • Answer questions directly and factually when asked
  • Share operational constraints and historical pain points
  • Remain professional but cautious about new technology

Do not

  • Do not volunteer technical specs unless asked
  • Do not coach the candidate on GTFS standards
  • Do not solve the architecture problem for them

Scoring anchors

Exceeds
Systematically uncovers critical constraints, maps them to GTFS-Realtime capabilities, and proposes a realistic, phased implementation path that balances developer needs with operational reality.
Meets
Asks relevant questions to identify key data limitations and SLA requirements, proposes a workable initial spec, and acknowledges operational constraints.
Below
Relies on assumptions, fails to probe for legacy system limitations, or proposes an unfeasible technical solution without validating constraints.

Response time

20 min

Positive indicators

  • Asks high-information questions about data source frequency and latency
  • Probes for operational constraints and historical failure modes
  • Surfaces assumptions about developer SLAs and validates them
  • Frames next steps around phased validation rather than immediate full deployment

Negative indicators

  • Guesses technical constraints without asking
  • Overwhelms the partner with jargon without checking understanding
  • Freezes or fails to structure the discovery conversation
  • Ignores operational constraints and pushes for idealistic specs

Progression Framework

This table shows how competencies evolve across experience levels. Each cell shows competency at that level.

Service Planning & Business Operations

4 competencies

CompetencyJuniorMidSenior
Demand-Responsive Transit

Monitors DRT algorithm performance and adjusts service zones to optimize flexible transit service delivery.

Designs DRT service models and integrates them with fixed-route networks.

Evaluates DRT viability as a core service model and secures funding.

Micromobility Integration

Coordinates dock placement and manages vendor compliance for bikes, scooters, and last-mile mobility solutions.

Develops micromobility policies and integrates data feeds.

Shapes urban mobility policy and secures right-of-way for micromobility.

Mobility as a Service (MaaS)

Coordinates API connections with third-party mobility providers to enable integrated multi-modal transportation options.

Develops partnership agreements and manages the MaaS user experience.

Defines the regional MaaS ecosystem strategy and revenue sharing models.

Service Planning & Strategy

Analyzes ridership data to recommend schedule adjustments that optimize service delivery and meet passenger demand.

Designs network redesigns and manages public engagement processes.

Sets long-term service vision and aligns operational goals with regional land use.

Transit Technology & Infrastructure

5 competencies

CompetencyJuniorMidSenior
Accessibility Tech

Tests digital and physical interfaces for ADA compliance to ensure technology systems are accessible for all passengers.

Leads accessibility audits and integrates feedback into product roadmaps.

Establishes organizational accessibility policies and champions inclusive design culture.

Fare Payment & Ticketing

Oversees daily fare system operations and resolves transaction disputes to maintain revenue security and customer satisfaction.

Leads fare policy implementation and integrates new payment methods.

Defines long-term revenue collection strategy and open payment ecosystem partnerships.

Fleet Management & Telematics

Monitors fleet health dashboards and coordinates maintenance scheduling via telematics systems for operational efficiency.

Integrates telematics data with operational planning systems and manages vendor contracts.

Drives fleet electrification strategy and long-term infrastructure investment planning.

Open Data Standards

Executes data publishing workflows and ensures compliance with GTFS/GTFS-RT standards for public and partner consumption.

Designs data governance frameworks and manages API ecosystems for third-party developers.

Defines organizational data strategy and influences regional or national open data policies.

Transit Signal Priority

Configures TSP equipment and monitors intersection performance metrics to improve transit reliability.

Negotiates signal priority agreements with municipal traffic departments.

Advocates for regional signal priority standards and smart city integration.