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ABOUT
The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA), which provides commuter rail services in Broward, Miami Dade, and West Palm Beach Counties, is seeking an experienced, strategic, and innovative candidate to serve as their Executive Director. SFRTA works diligently to plan, develop, fund, and operate a seamless, safe and efficient regional transportation system which ensures mobility, advances sustainable growth, and improves the quality of life for current and future residents.

SFRTA is responsible for the dispatch and maintenance of the South Florida Rail Corridor (SFRC) and operates the Tri-Rail commuter rail service that links Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, along 73.5 miles. The SFRC Corridor, owned by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), has 18 train stations and an additional 54 miles of freight spur tracks. SFRTA also connects to the Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway, running commuter rail service for an additional 8 miles on the FEC, enabling Tri-Rail service into the MiamiCentral Station in Downtown Miami. Tri-Rail also connects passengers directly to Amtrak at a number of stations and transfers to Miami-Dade County’s Metrorail are available at the Tri-Rail and Metrorail Transfer Station, as well as the Miami Airport Station.

SFRTA has an operating budget of $149 million for fiscal year 2025-2026. It has a 5-year capital budget of $1.033 billion, which will enhance service and add additional commuter rail lines in the region. Working with FEC, Brightline and FDOT, SFRTA expanded Tri-Rail service into Downtown Miami, helping position the agency as the best option to operate the Coastal Link service, which is currently being considered to continue the expansion of commuter rail service on the FEC Railway Corridor, to northern Palm Beach County.

Tri-Rail connects its ridership to business districts, neighborhoods and other major attractions in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach and boasts some of the country’s best year-round weather. SFRTA is committed to providing safe, high quality, efficient, and timely commuter transportation services to South Florida and its diverse, vibrant communities. South Florida is one of the nation’s fastest growing regions for residential, corporate, and financial growth and is home to one of the nation’s most culturally diverse communities. South Florida has numerous colleges and universities offering world-renowned educational opportunities and offers a network of talented graduates for the workplace. In addition, it is home to several well-known beaches and professional sports teams, as well as, robust entertainment, dining, philanthropic organizations, and healthcare systems.

The Executive Director is responsible for overseeing Tri-Rail’s operations, connecting riders and visitors alike with all that South Florida has to offer. The Executive Director, along with General Counsel, reports to SFRTA’s 10-member Governing Board. The Executive Director and SFRTA will continue to lead Tri-Rail and seek to grow, expand, and improve the transit services provided to the thriving, vibrant communities they serve. More details about SFRTA and Tri-Rail can be found at www.tri-rail.com.

LEADERSHIP PROFILE
This Executive Director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) position requires high-level management experience in administration, operations, transit-oriented development, policy development, inter-governmental relations, marketing, economic development, community building, partnership formation, personnel, budget, and public finance. Visionary leadership, a passion for the agency, local and technical knowledge of commuter rail and a strategic orientation are keys to success in this role, as are team building, collaboration, change management, and resource and financial management skills. The successful candidate will bring to this position technical knowledge of commuter rail, public agency experience, and the ability to lead an organization that provides service to a diverse South Florida community. The Executive Director will be responsible for developing strong marketing, communication and community engagement programs to attract visibility and ridership for SFRTA.

The Executive Director must be a proven leader with strong communications and negotiations skills and must understand how to approach and negotiate with key private sector partners that help determine the achievement of the agency's goals. These include a variety of contractors, private railroads, and businesses affected by the work of the agency.

The Executive Director must have expertise in presenting options and crafting solutions that seek common ground, facilitate dialogue, and deal positively with competing internal and external perspectives. He/she will deal effectively and professionally with Board members and constituents who bring a variety of community viewpoints to the table.

He/she must be a staunch advocate for public transit and passenger rail who has a broad view of the role of public transit in a community and the management skills to lead a complex and ever evolving public agency.

The initial focus will be on key technical issues (rolling stock acquisitions, operational innerworkings with FEC, and Coastal Link), a strategic vision for sustainability of funding, and gaining the support of the staff and key partners. A deep commitment to full transparency and positive communication is vital to SFRTA's success.

In representing SFRTA's interests the Executive Director must be able to work effectively with local, state, and federal agencies to ensure that the agency is well positioned and financially sustainable into the future. The SFRTA Executive Director must be comfortable proactively engaging with local, state and national funding partners to communicate SFRTA’s impact on the community as a preferred means of transportation in South Florida, and as a critical element of the region’s economic development including residential, commercial and mixed uses. Critical to the success of the organization is hiring a leader with a demonstrated history of successfully managing public funds and obtaining grants to ensure the financial health of an agency.

SFRTA's leader must be credible, authentic, trustworthy, respectful, and transparent and be able to build strong and positive working relationships with the Board, staff, and regional stakeholders and partners at the local, state and national level. He/she must fully embrace the importance of equity and diversity, as well as personal and organizational accountability.

SFRTA’s next Executive Director will be responsible for marketing passenger rail services, attracting new riders to the system, working with state, local and federal funding partners to secure critical operating dollars while also looking for alternative funding solutions including transit-oriented developments, public-private partnerships, delivering a capital program, and managing a high-quality, efficient, safe and reliable service to Tri-Rail customers.

The ideal candidates will possess the following personal characteristics for SFRTA's next Executive Director:

• A passion for serving the public and their transit needs

• The ability to inspire others

• Financial acumen and government finance

• The ability to identify and implement alternative funding opportunities such as TOD and public private partnerships

• Agility (the ability to adapt in dynamic environments)

• An aptitude for excellence and transparency

• Executive gravitas and political savvy

• Technical knowledge of commuter rail and its current challenges

• Appreciation for diversity and working in South Florida

• Genuine respect for employees and their ideas

• Professional integrity

• A welcoming, approachable, honest, open, ethical and fair manner

• Respect for others including employees and customers and promotion of a positive image and culture both internally and externally

• Excellent communications skills that foster reciprocity (the ability to truly listen, as well as speak)

• The ability to approach conversations with a collaborative and open attitude

• Superior negotiating and partnering skills

• The ability to effectively address change and problems when they arise

• An attitude of flexibility and nimbleness

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Reporting to SFRTA's Governing Board of Directors, the Executive Director is responsible for operations, governmental relations, capital programs, strategic planning, customer service, and the management, planning, organization, and marketing of the Tri-Rail commuter rail service. His or her duties also include responsibility for all operations and planning activities; recruiting, hiring, retaining and motivating a diverse professional staff, monitoring and negotiating of contractor activities, implementing schedules and schedule changes, complying with State, and Federal statutes and rules and regulations, and negotiating operating and maintenance agreements with public agencies and private railroads. Additionally, this position requires an ability to generate good public relations between the Authority and the media.

The Executive Director is responsible for developing and implementing major policies and programs for SFRTA. The Executive Director must be comfortable addressing regional political complexities, forming collaborative partnerships, representing SFRTA's regional interests, and working effectively with local, state, and federal agencies, planning organizations, regional transit providers, private railroads, private businesses, tourist bureaus and other regional stakeholders. In order to provide a sustainable and affordable service, the Executive Director must also be able to obtain support and substantiate the need for continuous funding of commuter rail service from local, state and federal officials.

In addition to the duties and responsibilities mentioned above, the incoming Executive Director will be responsible for the following:

• Direct all general functions of applicable SFRTA staff

• Facilitate discussions with contractors and consultants in the performance of their specialized duties and adherence to their agreements

• Coordinate all issues with CSX, Amtrak, and other users of the South Florida Rail Corridor in order to enhance commuter rail service

• Coordinate closely with FEC and Brightline regarding shared station operations and track access to ensure safe, efficient, and integrated commuter rail service

• Oversee security and safety programs

• Generate programs to promote ridership

• Prepare monthly agendas for Governing Board meetings

• Review and analyze reports generated by all departments

• Coordinate efforts of the marketing department to further the public's awareness of the Tri-Rail commuter rail service

• Act as a liaison and spokesperson to the media

• Provide the public and media with timely, accurate and up-to-date information on Tri-Rail commuter rail service, including reports on ridership

• Perform any and all duties necessary to control and monitor train operation and maintenance

• Review and monitor all agency contracts, including those key to operation of the Tri-Rail service and the SFRC
• Perform other duties as assigned by the SFRTA Governing Board

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
The Executive Director must be able to deal effectively and professionally with Board members who bring a variety of perspectives to the table regarding the role of transit at the local, regional, and state level. He/she will be a confident team builder and have experience working effectively in complex organizations that rely on successful partnerships for funding and operations. Outstanding leadership qualities, superb communication skills, a history of innovative, marketing and strategic transit management, experience with transit-oriented development, a sound understanding of the role of transit in community building, a grasp of commuter rail's technical issues, the ability to supervise and motivate employees, and a personable and respectful style will be highly valued.

The incoming Executive Director should possess, or be capable of quickly learning, the following:

• Commuter rail operations, systems, maintenance, planning, contract service management, and other technical issues

• The complexities of the South Florida Region

• Ability to successfully negotiate with multiple public and private entities

• Excellent written and oral communications skills

• Federal Transit Administration and Federal Railroad Administration regulations, especially regarding safety and Positive Train Control (PTC)

• First mile-last mile service opportunities and connecting customers with and between transit and rail

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate should have at least seven (7) years of experience in an organization of similar size and complexity to SFRTA. A Bachelor's Degree is highly desired, preferably in one of the following areas: business administration, public administration, finance, or a related field. Experience with management including of a budget similar to or greater than that of SFRTA is preferred. Candidates with experience in public sector transportation, preferably in a commuter/passenger rail agency and experience with transit-oriented development and capital programs are highly desired and encouraged to apply.

TO APPLY
Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume, please email Gregg Moser, Principal at K&A, at [email protected].