Your new company
This is a national transport provider offering regional and intercity bus services, as well as school transport across the country. It operates under a larger public transport group and plays a key role in connecting rural and urban communities. The organisation manages a large fleet and workforce, ensuring accessibility and mobility for a wide range of passengers.
Your new role
* Lead the delivery of safe, timely, and efficient school transport services across Cork and Waterford.
* Implement and uphold school transport policies and procedures in line with Department of Education & Youth (DEY) guidelines.
* Collaborate with DEY and senior leadership to implement recommendations from the "School Transport 2030" review.
* Plan and monitor resources to optimise bus and driver utilisation across the region.
* Ensure all school buses meet roadworthiness standards in coordination with engineering teams.
* Manage recruitment, training, vetting, and compliance for school bus drivers and contractors.
* Oversee contractor relationships, ensuring documentation, safety, and vehicle standards are maintained.
* Conduct FTA checks on a minimum of 12.5% of the fleet.
* Manage procurement and tendering processes in line with central procedures.
* Review and optimise the School Transport Network to ensure value for money and policy compliance.
* Ensure timely and accurate reporting to central offices and the Department of Education.
* Provide leadership and support to regional office teams, including disciplinary oversight and GPS compliance.
* Address school bus misconduct in line with Child Protection Policy.
* Ensure GDPR compliance and staff training in data protection.
* Respond to political, customer, and media queries professionally and in line with protocols.
* Engage with stakeholders, including schools, escorts, SENOs, local authorities, and elected representatives.
* Promote a safety-first culture across all transport operations.
* Maintain audit readiness and support internal audit processes.
* Support the implementation of new IT systems and digital transformation initiatives.
What you'll need to succeed
* Proven management experience, ideally within the transport sector and in leading teams.
* Strong knowledge of road passenger transport legislation and school transport scheme policies.
* Proficiency in route planning, vehicle scheduling, and contractor management.
* Experience in procurement and tendering processes.
* Familiarity with IT systems such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Power BI, SAP, and Business Warehouse.
* Understanding of staff agreements and conditions.
* Ability to monitor expenditure across multiple categories.
* Experience with Trapeze school transport system is an advantage.
* Strong leadership competencies include:
* Customer Focus: Proactive problem-solving and stakeholder engagement.
* Safety: Commitment to regulatory compliance and risk management.
* Collaboration: Inclusive decision-making and cross-functional teamwork.
What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call Karen Rodrigues in Hays on
If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.
Hays Ireland is a trading division of Hays Specialist Recruitment (Ireland) Limited and acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found