Chief Customer Officer

Position Contingency Notice: This position is associated with Bay State Rail’s proposal to operate the MBTA Commuter Rail network. Employment opportunities for this role are contingent upon Bay State Rail being awarded the contract and successful contract mobilization.

About Bay State Rail
Bay State Rail is a joint venture between Transdev North America and Transport UK and is one of three teams pursuing the opportunity to operate the MBTA Regional Rail network. Our team brings the expertise and vision needed to transform Boston regional rail into a service built for the common good. We are committed to delivering a modern, dependable rail system that strengthens communities, eases congestion, and drives a more sustainable future.

Position Summary
The Chief Customer Officer leads customer experience strategy and service delivery for a complex commuter rail system in the Greater Boston region. This executive leadership role is responsible for overseeing all customer service operations, passenger communications, service recovery coordination, complaint resolution, and customer-facing service standards to ensure a safe, responsive, and high-quality rider experience.

We’re proud to offer:
Competitive compensation package of minimum $200,000 – maximum $280,000

In addition to base salary, this role is eligible for an annual Short-Term Incentive (STI) opportunity

Job Profile

• Lead all customer service operations, public information programs, and customer experience initiatives across the commuter rail network.
• Serve as the senior executive dedicated to customer service issues, empowered to improve service delivery and resolve rider concerns.
• Direct customer communications and service information during normal operations, planned outages, delays, emergencies, and service disruptions.
• Coordinate alternate transportation services, including bus substitution during outages, weather events, incidents, and service interruptions under guidance from Transportation Management and dispatch.
• Maintain close coordination with MBTA Railroad Operations, the MBTA Customer Service Department, Safety Compliance leadership, and Accessibility teams.
• Lead complaint investigation and resolution processes, ensuring prompt response and effective issue resolution to Rider complaints.
• Liaise with other modes of transportation within the Massachusetts Bay area to ensure best practices are adopted, lessons learned are shared, and the customer is represented across all modal discussions.
• Liaise with Transdev and Transport UK senior leaders on best practice sharing, lessons learned and proactive knowledge transfer.

Qualifications

Required

• Minimum 5 years of progressive customer service leadership experience in passenger transportation, commuter rail, transit, aviation, or related industries.
• Experience managing customer communications and service recovery during operational disruptions.
• Demonstrated success leading customer service teams and complaint resolution programs.
• Experience working in a highly regulated, safety-sensitive operating environment.

Strong knowledge of:

• Passenger communications and service delivery
• Incident and disruption response coordination
• Customer contact center operations
• Service recovery and alternate transportation coordination
• Performance metrics and customer satisfaction management

Preferred

• Experience in commuter rail or public transit operations strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Communications, Transportation, Public Administration, or related field preferred.
• Experience coordinating with public agencies and accessibility.
• Experience working in a unionized environment.

The ideal candidate is a high-performing strategic leader who drives results and inspires others through integrity, accountability, and strong communication. Combines business acumen and continuous improvement to achieve sustainable business outcomes and enhance customer experience. Builds trust through self-awareness and ethical leadership while empowering others to reach their full potential. Cultivates strong stakeholder relationships, high-performing teams, and creates organizational agility to successfully navigate change and deliver long-term success.