Manager in Development

First Student | New Haven, CT

Pay: $70,000-$80,000 annually
Schedule: Monday-Friday | 6:00 AM-4:00 PM
Work Arrangement: Full-time, on-site

Build your management career with hands-on experience and support from people who know the business.

First Student is hiring a Manager in Development (MID) based in New Haven, Connecticut. This program offers the opportunity to learn how a student transportation location operates, work alongside experienced leaders, and develop the skills to manage a team and deliver safe, dependable service.

If you enjoy solving problems, working with people, and taking responsibility, this is an opportunity to turn those strengths into a long-term management career.

The MID program will be based in New Haven, CT. Applicants must be able to work on-site during the program.

Placement in New Haven proper after completing the program is not guaranteed. Successful candidates may be assigned to another location within Central Connecticut and should consider potential commute times when applying.

• Learn daily location operations, from staffing and scheduling to fleet readiness and customer service.
• Participate in departmental rotations, including dispatch, road supervision, safety, finance, and human resources.
• Work alongside experienced managers to understand how operational decisions affect employees, students, families, and school partners.
• Support hiring, employee development, safety initiatives, and compliance activities.
• Lead projects, resolve operational issues, and help improve processes.
• Build productive relationships with drivers, monitors, administrative staff, maintenance teams, and school partners.
• Support the Location Manager in delivering safe, reliable transportation every day.

• Learn to manage current assets, current liabilities, and working capital to support sound operational decisions.
• Gain hands-on experience with payroll procedures, financial dashboards, accounts receivable, accounts payable, fuel reconciliation, and related systems.
• Maintain client-required financial and operational records.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and profit-and-loss (P&L) reporting, including accruals and financial analysis.
• Learn farebox procedures where applicable.

• Leadership potential and a willingness to learn.
• Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• A hands-on approach and the ability to adapt when priorities change.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced environment with employees and customers.
• A commitment to safety, dependable service, and treating people with respect.
• Ability to work the posted schedule on-site in New Haven.
• Willingness and ability to accept a location assignment within Central Connecticut after successfully completing the program.
• Residence within commuting distance of New Haven, or willingness to relocate before starting.

Desiered Experience

• Previous retail management or transportation experience is preferred, but not required.
• Experience in finance and accounting is highly desired, particularly budgeting, forecasting, payroll, and P&L analysis.

• $70,000-$80,000 annual salary
• Hands-on management training and mentorship
• Career development and advancement opportunities
• Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance benefits offered after 30 days from your start date
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with company match
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• Employee Assistance Program for personal and work-related support
• Access to earned wages before payday through Chime® MyPay at Work™*
• Salt® Rewards Program for employee savings and rewards
• A supportive team environment where you can learn and take on increasing responsibility

Benefits and programs are subject to eligibility and applicable plan terms.

Bring your initiative, people skills, and interest in leadership. We'll provide the training and practical experience to help you build your career in student transportation.

Apply today for the Manager in Development program in New Haven, CT.

First Student is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. First Student is committed to providing a drug-free workplace.

Language Requirement
This role requires English proficiency. Federal, state, and local requirements, including U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, require training, safety communications, company policies, employment documents, and other job-related communications be conducted in English.

First for a reason:

At First Student, we are a family of 60,000 employees who take pride in safely transporting more than 5 million students and passengers to and from their destinations each day! Our family of brands include Transco, Total Transportation, Maggies Paratransit, and GVC II. Our employees are at the forefront of safety and innovation; they create and implement the most advanced training and technology the transportation industry has to offer.

In the state of Washington, all technician and driving positions, including but not limited to van drivers and any other position requiring employees to drive a company-owned vehicle, are considered safety-sensitive and are therefore subject to drug and alcohol testing, including cannabis.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. First is also committed to providing a drug-free workplace. First will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance, and any other fair chance law. Philadelphia's Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance Poster is at this link or upon request https://www.phila.gov/media/20210423160847/Fair-Chance-Hiring-law-poster.pdf.

About us
An industry leader famous for our yellow school buses and service and safety excellence, we’ve provided student transportation services to schools for over 100 years. Continually investing in the services of the future, we’re proud to be part of FirstGroup America – the largest provider of safe, reliable and sustainable surface passenger transportation services in North America.

Industry leader
We safely operate more than one third of all contracted school buses in North America.
Together our 50,000 school buses travel nearly 600 million miles per year — the equivalent of 1,200 round trips to the moon.
We operate in around 550 locations throughout 38 U.S. states and 8 Canadian provinces.

Innovation
We were the first school bus company to utilize global positioning systems (GPS), so at any one time we know where all of our buses are and how fast they’re travelling.
Passionate about safety, we’ve installed Safety Crossing Gates on the front of all of our school buses and use the Child Check-MateTM electronic reminder system to make sure no sleeping children remain inside a bus at the end of each route.

Awards & recognition
We won the Occupational Excellence Achievement Award from the National Safety Council two years in a row.
Dedicated to safety, FirstGroup received the National Safety Council’s (NSC) Green Cross for Safety Medal - the highest award for safety in North America.

Teamwork and trust
It takes a diverse team of skilled professionals to provide a safe, effective and efficient student transportation system. From our school bus drivers and location managers to routers, dispatchers and fleet technician mechanics, the work we do every day makes a big impact on the daily lives of students, parents, local communities and school district partners.

We’re very proud of our elite team of over 55,000 dedicated, caring and diverse professionals. And they are the #1 reason we’re trusted by over 1,400 school districts - more than any other provider. Everybody here plays their part in creating a positive school bus experience.

Our culture
We live and breathe our vision and values. They are embedded in our culture and drive our commitment to our customers and communities. Our culture fosters growth and promotes respect, reliability, responsibility and safety. And we recruit people who share these values and will work together to build strong and trusting partnerships in the communities we serve.

Safety – Although our safety record is twice as safe as the industry average, we continually seek out opportunities to enhance our operational and safety initiatives.
Learning – Through our learning culture that spans over 550 locations, we receive and share insight from our people to enhance our service now and in the future.
Making a difference - By doing our job well, we make a positive impact on many lives – including the millions of students who travel with us every school day.
Careers for all – We’re an Equal Opportunity Employer and an Employer of Choice.
By consistently encouraging and supporting an open dialogue with our people and partners, we’re able to share new ideas and develop new ways to meet the needs of our customers and passengers. At First Student, you’ll feel empowered to serve your community. So join the team and start to make a difference.