The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is accountable to and works under the policy direction of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (Rail Commission), the managing agency of the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (Authority). The CEO is responsible for the administration and daily operation of the ACE Commuter Rail services and the Amtrak and the San Joaquin Corridor intercity passenger rail services. The CEO is also responsible for the Valley Rail Expansion Program and Stockton Diamond Grade Separation Project. The CEO plans, organizes, directs, and administers all functions of the Rail Commission and the Authority. This includes making recommendations, developing action plans, presenting funding opportunities, and advising on policy and critical partnerships for the execution of those plans.

The position of Chief Executive Officer is distinguished by its overall responsibility for all aspects of the administration, management, and development of Rail Commission and Authority functions and programming. The CEO is fully accountable for ensuring that the Commission's operations are delivered in a safe, effective, reliable, timely, and affordable manner and its capital programs continue to proceed on time and on budget.

The Rail Commission is currently embarking upon a major expansion of ACE Rail operated through the Central Valley that will require additional capital funding, the enlargement of the service territory, and strong partnerships with UP and BNSF railroads. It will be the CEO’s responsibility to establish and carry forward a vision, roadmap, and strategy for obtaining the necessary funding and regional support to make this possible. The CEO must work effectively with UP and BNSF to allow for this expansion to occur and to ensure the necessary right of way access needed to successfully deliver passenger services to the region. As such, the CEO will be the lead champion of regional passenger rail services that will connect the central valley to major metropolitan areas throughout California.

Ideal Candidate Profile:
The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission CEO is responsible for leading the Rail Commission as a world class premier service operator of commuter and regional rail services. Additionally, the CEO must establish and lead a vision for expanded regional passenger rail services of the ACE rail system through capital expansion by being the lead advocate and champion. The CEO must advocate for the necessary support, buy-in, participation, and funding from regional partners. In so doing, the following is a representative list of duties performed by the CEO.
Principle Duties:
• Builds and maintains a trusted, productive, transparent, and strategic relationship with the Rail Commission and Authority’s Boards of Directors, internal staff, governmental agencies, and transit operators in the Central Valley and Bay Area regions; supports the Rail Commission in accomplishing its role as the Managing Agency of the Authority.
• Works closely with the Board Members, elected officials, community partners, and staff to align the Commission and Agency’s goals and establish a single vision for the region around transit and mobility that is rider centric.
• Identifies, builds, supports, and secures new and creative funding sources necessary to deliver on the capital expansion and service delivery vision set by the SJRRC Board of Directors.
• Serves as the lead champion of the Rail Commission and Authority at a local, state, and national level in order to obtain funding for operations, maintenance, and capital programs to successfully deliver on the ambitious plans for regional rail services for the Central Valley and beyond.
• Demonstrates strong leadership skills and abilities in understanding the operational and programming needs of the Rail Commission and the Authority to provide superior service to our passengers.
• Serves the Rail Commission, its associated Station/Facilities Development Committee, and the Authority in the planning, development, and implementation of strategies and initiatives to foster the continued provision of safe and efficient passenger rail services.
• Directs, supervises, and evaluates staff and consultants performing project planning, engineering, operations, budgeting, property acquisition, equipment maintenance and procurement, construction, and public relations functions.
• Serves as the key internal leader, attracting, developing, coaching, and retaining high performance team members; listens, observes, structures, leads, and empowers teams; participates in organizational design, provides guidance to the senior management team on goal alignment of all departments with established overall organizational objectives; allows senior management space to be creative, solve problems, and implement solutions.
• Ensures ongoing development and implementation of strategic and capital plans that support the advancement of the Rail Commission’s mission, vision, and values.
• Oversees the adequacy and soundness of the financial structure of the Rail Commission and the Authority.
• Serves as lead negotiator for major agreements and contracts for services directly or through subordinate staff.
• Coordinates the preparation of a wide variety of reports, oral and written presentations to and on behalf of the Rail Commission, the Authority, and ACE.
• Serves as liaison to local, state, and federal agencies and stakeholders to advocate for action and legislation concerning transportation issues.
• Serves as the accountable executive regarding the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and is responsible for enforcement of the Rail Commission’s Transit Asset Management (TAM) policy.
• Provides leadership in the development and maintenance of intergovernmental partnerships and funding agreements.
• Directs the development and updating of annual and long-range work programs and budgets.
• Develops and directs the implementation of goals, objectives, policies, procedures, and work standards for the Rail Commission.
• Oversees the development of asset management plans and procedures and reporting to the Board of the Rail Commission on the status of the Rail Commission’s asset management in compliance with Rail Commission’s Transit Asset Management (TAM) policy.
• Represents the Rail Commission, the Authority, and ACE in meetings, conferences, and public events.
• Directs the selection, supervision, and work evaluation of Rail Commission personnel.
• Oversees the Rail Commission's System Safety Program Plan (SSPP) in compliance with Federal Rail Commission (FRA) guidelines.
• Supports the Rail Commission’s General Counsel in fostering a culture of compliance as it relates to regulatory compliance and legal requirements.

Qualifications
Knowledge of:
• Critical federal and state funding sources for transit services and capital construction and development.
• Working with Class 1 Railroads, such as UP and BNSF.
• Administrative principles and methods, including goal setting, program and budget development, and implementation of employee supervision.
• Principles, practices, and program areas related to the management of a passenger rail or transportation agency.
• Applicable legal guidelines and standards affecting agency administration and operations.
• Public policy and community issues, including social, political, and environmental influencing agency program administration.

Qualifications
Ability to:
• Effectively create opportunities for the organization by serving as the lead champion of the Rail Commission’s vision and financial needs.
• Advocate for and secure the necessary funding to ensure that the Valley Rail Expansion Program continues to proceed as planned.
• Effectively communicate, orally and in writing.
• Manage boldly, bravely, and responsibly.
• Set and take steps to achieve the long-term vision and goals for the Rail Commission and the Authority.
• Draft official speeches, publications, white papers, and high-level reports.
• Plan, organize, administer, and coordinate a variety of complex programs and services while working under pressure and deadlines.
• Select, motivate, mentor, promote, encourage, and evaluate staff and implement training and professional development opportunities for professional growth.
• Foster, maintain, and promote a safe and positive work culture for all employees, thereby making the organization an employer of choice.
• Develop and implement goals, objectives, policies, procedures, work standards, and internal controls.
• Maintain sensitive/confidential information.
• Coordinate programs and projects with outside agencies.
• Analyze complex technical and administrative problems, evaluate alternative solutions, and adopt appropriate courses of action.
• Prepare clear and concise reports, correspondence, and other written materials.
• Exercise sound, independent judgment within policy guidelines set by the Rail Commission and the Authority.
• Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with the Boards of the Rail Commission and the Authority, public and private organizations, regional boards and commissions, the general public, and Rail Commission staff.

Desired Attributes:
• Strong analytical and organizational skills.
• Behaviors that foster a culture based on equitable principles, diversity, inclusion, innovation, collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement.
• Ability to foster and enhance teamwork.
• Ability to foster conflict resolution.
• Ability to advance and successfully implement creative solutions.
• Ability to manage, mentor, develop, lead, and encourage staff.
• Visionary leadership that drives results, holds people accountable, and empowers those around them to lead.
• An executive who is adaptable, willing to grow, sincere, inclusive and treats everyone equally and fairly, and is a people person with a positive attitude.
• Solutions-oriented problem solver.
• Operates with integrity, builds support, is trustworthy, collaborative, transparent, and sensitive to the Rail Commission's employees.

Education:
• Bachelor’s degree from a four-year accredited college or university with major coursework in public administration, business administration, planning, engineering, or a related field or discipline or equivalent professional experience in lieu of a degree. A master’s degree from an accredited college or university is highly desired.

Experience:
• 10 years of increasingly responsible senior management experience in transit operations, engineering, transportation planning, transportation financing and/or business administration.
• A master’s degree in any of the required educational fields may substitute for one year of experience.

San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission has engaged Krauthamer & Associates (K&A), a retained executive search firm, to assist with the recruitment for the CEO.

The incumbent Executive Director’s salary is currently $300,000. The salary of the incoming Chief Executive Officer is negotiable and dependent upon skills, experience, and qualifications.