General Manager Bench (Development Program) – Leadership Development

Job Description

General Manager Bench – Illinois | Durham School Services

The Tone:
This is a full-time leadership development role at Durham School Services, based in the Chicagoland market of Illinois. Durham School Services is dedicated to providing the highest level of transportation safety, quality service, outstanding customer service, and positive employee relations across its over 250 local customer service centers. This position is a structured program designed to cultivate a pipeline of future General Managers by offering hands-on exposure to all aspects of school transportation operations. Participants will develop the skills and business acumen required to lead a customer service center.

The TL;DR
• Role: Full Time
• Type: Full-time
• Location: In-person, Chicagoland market, IL
• Pay: $90000–$100000 yearly
• Team: Works closely with Customer Service Center and Regional leadership
• Mission: To build a pipeline of future General Managers by providing hands-on operational exposure and leadership development within Customer Service Centers.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Leadership Development: Engage in a structured, on-the-job development experience to build leadership capability and operational readiness for future General Manager responsibilities.
• Operational Support: Support Customer Service Center (CSC) leadership in executing daily operations and meeting service delivery expectations.
• Performance Analysis: Assist in reviewing operational performance metrics, including safety, service quality, and operational efficiency.
• Financial Participation: Participate in budget discussions and develop a foundational understanding of Profit & Loss (P&L) management.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Assist in maintaining customer relationships and participate in meetings with school district administrators.

The Must-Haves
• Background: A Bachelor’s degree in business administration, management, or a related field. Alternatively, candidates with 3+ years of comparable progressive experience will be considered for this leadership development role.
• Experience: Demonstrated leadership potential through professional, academic, or extracurricular experience. Must be willing to travel to multiple Customer Service Center locations and relocate within the Chicagoland market based on business needs.
• Skills: Effective communication with employees, customers, and leadership; ability to analyze problems and support decision-making processes; strong planning, organizing, and prioritization skills; ability to create and edit written reports and business communications; time management and attention to detail; professionalism, confidentiality, and sound judgment; adaptability to an operational environment.
• Bonus: Strong interest in operations management, leadership development, and customer service, along with basic knowledge of operations management principles and customer service practices.