Director of Passenger Information Systems

Director Of Passenger Information Systems

The Director of Passenger Information Systems is responsible for strategic planning, program leadership, and end-to-end ownership of the MBTA's passenger information systems, including digital signage, public address, and other rider-facing communication technologies. This role is accountable for defining and advancing a portfolio of capital investments, operational practices, and vendor relationships that ensure these systems deliver reliable, timely, and accessible information to riders across the MBTA network. The Director establishes priorities, scopes and delivers new capital projects, and ensures that all systems are sustainably supported through clear operating models, performance management, and risk mitigation. This position coordinates with cross-functional product teams, Capital Delivery, Vehicle Engineering, and other internal stakeholders, as well as external vendors and partners. The Director ensures that passenger information systems are aligned with MBTA priorities, integrated with broader technology and operational systems, and managed as safety-critical infrastructure with clear accountability for reliability and performance.

Duties & Responsibilities

Program Leadership and System Ownership

• Define and continuously refine the operating model for passenger information systems, including how systems are monitored, maintained, and improved over time.
• Translate MBTA priorities into a sequenced portfolio of capital projects and operational improvements, ensuring successful delivery of initiatives through clear scope, requirements, and accountability across internal teams and vendors.
• Establish and maintain clear accountability for project delivery and system performance, holding project teams, vendors, and partners responsible for meeting defined outcomes.
• Identify gaps, constraints, and risks across passenger information systems and define approaches to address them through changes to technology, processes, or resourcing.

Operations and System Reliability

• Establish and oversee the operating model for passenger information systems, including processes, tools, and accountability structures required to support reliable day-to-day operations.
• Ensure system reliability and performance through effective monitoring, incident management, and continuous improvement of operational workflows across internal teams and vendors.
• Identify and mitigate risks related to system performance, vendor dependencies, and operational constraints, with accountability for outcomes across the system lifecycle.
• Ensure that passenger information systems are operated and maintained with appropriate risk-weighting, with appropriate controls and staffing models.

Vendor and Capital Program Management

• Direct vendor strategy and performance across passenger information systems, including selection, contracting, integration, and ongoing accountability for delivery and service outcomes.
• Lead coordination with Capital Delivery, Vehicle Engineering, and other partners to ensure successful implementation of capital projects.
• Oversee procurement and contracting processes, including development of scopes of work, evaluation of proposals, and selection of vendors aligned with MBTA priorities.
• Ensure that vendor relationships, system architectures, and capital investments support long-term reliability, maintainability, and scalability of passenger information systems.
• Lead financial planning and capital forecasting for passenger information systems, including development of business cases and support for funding requests.

Stakeholder and External Leadership

• Lead coordination with internal stakeholders to ensure passenger information systems meet operational needs and support consistent delivery of rider information.
• Facilitate alignment across departments with differing priorities, constraints, and perspectives, ensuring progress toward shared outcomes.
• Partner with product teams to ensure that system capabilities support rider-facing information goals.
• Represent the MBTA in external forums with peer agencies, industry partners, and vendors, contributing to and advancing best practices in passenger information systems and transit technology.

People and Organizational Leadership

• Lead and support a team responsible for passenger information systems, including setting priorities, managing performance, and supporting professional development.
• Define team structure, roles, and resourcing approaches to support evolving program and operational needs.
• Contribute to departmental leadership by supporting cross-team alignment, planning, and decision-making.

Other

• Participate in on-call rotation for technology systems and services.
• Perform all other duties and projects that may be assigned.

Additional responsibilities may include focus on one or more departments or locations. See applicable addendum for department or location specific functions.

Supervision

• Direct supervision of up to eight (8) Deputy Directors, Program Managers, Technical Project Managers, Analysts, and contractors.

Minimum Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in Transportation Planning, Computer Science, Engineering, Economics, Urban Planning, Data Science, Public Administration, or a related field.
• Seven (7) years of progressive experience in Technology, Transportation Operations, and/or Transportation Scheduling and Planning with demonstrable success defining/refining operating models, scoping and delivering capital projects, establishing performance management and risk mitigation, and directing vendor strategy and accountability.
• Five (5) years of leadership, management, and/or supervisory experience.
• Experience with digital signage.
• Experience with hardware, communications, networking, and audio technology systems.
• Experience with product or project management practices in a technology company or civic technology (e.g., public sector digital team) context.
• Experience managing vendors or outside consultants.
• Experience with GTFS, real-time APIs, or other open mobility data standards.

Substitutions

• A high school diploma or GED with an additional seven (7) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor's degree requirement.
• An associate's degree from an accredited institution and an additional three (3) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor's degree requirement.
• A master's degree in a related subject substitutes for two (2) years of general experience.
• A nationally recognized certification, or statewide/professional certification in a related field substitutes for one (1) year of experience.

Preferred Experience & Skills

• Master's degree from an accredited institution in Transportation Planning, Computer Science, Engineering, Economics, Urban Planning, Data Science, Public Administration, or a related field.
• Experience leading a safety-critical passenger information program (digital signage and/or public address) at scale, with established SLAs, monitoring dashboards, and incident response playbooks supporting day-to-day reliability.
• Experience facilitating alignment across departments with differing priorities, constraints, and perspectives, ensuring progress toward shared outcomes.
• Public procurement experience.

Job Conditions

• Ability to effectively read, comprehend, communicate, and respond to instructions, orders, signs, notices, inquiries, etc. in English.
• Be at least eighteen (18) years of age, except if participating in an approved high school internship / co-op program.
• Ability to commute to assigned work locations in the Boston, MA metro area, as required by the role.
• Ability to provide internal and external customers with courteous and professional experiences.
• Ability to work effectively, independently, and as part of a diverse workforce team (or supervise, if required).
• Ability to uphold the rights and interests of the MBTA while building and maintaining effective relationships with employees and co-workers.
• Ability to adhere to rules, regulations, collective bargaining agreements (if applicable), and policies of the MBTA, including the EEO, anti-discrimination, anti-harassment, and anti-retaliation policies.
• Have a satisfactory work record for the two (2) years immediately prior to the closing date of this posting (unless if current student or recent graduate), including overall employment, job performance, discipline, and safety records (infractions and/or offenses occurring after the closing of the posting and before the filling of a vacancy may preclude a candidate from consideration for selection).
• Ability to pass a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check, comprehensive background screening, and / or medical Clinic screening, potentially including physical examination and drug and alcohol screenings.
• Ability to work all shifts and / or locations assigned, directed, or necessary for this position, including (for some transit / operations roles) up to twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week as necessary to accommodate severe weather conditions, emergencies, or any other circumstances that may potentially impact service or the safety of service.
• Intern / co-op staff must be enrolled full or part-time in an accredited educational program and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 for the entire duration of the internship / co-op. Additionally, interns / co-ops must have valid work authorization and U.S. Social Security Number prior to starting