Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

About the role

The inaugural CEO will be expected to:

• Establish the identity, credibility, and culture of the newly created Authority.
• Build trust among the Board, municipalities, riders, employees, elected officials, business leaders, and community stakeholders.
• Deliver safe, reliable, and customer-focused transit services while advancing transformational investments.
• Create and manage a high-performing leadership team capable of executing a generational transportation vision.
• Position Charlotte and Mecklenburg County as a national leader in mobility, transportation innovation, and transit-oriented economic development.
• Demonstrate that transportation investments can improve access to opportunity, support economic growth, and enhance quality of life for all residents.

Scope and Responsibilities

The CEO will be responsible for:

• Providing visionary leadership for the Authority and establishing MPTA as a premier national mobility organization.
• Partnering closely with the board to translate policy direction into measurable outcomes that positively impact and enhance the quality of life in the region.
• Directing the day-to-day operations of the MPTA in accordance with established board policy and applicable laws.
• Developing, executing, and delivering transit services through strategic initiatives that advance mobility, economic development, and long-term regional growth.
• Building and promoting a culture of operational excellence, accountability, transparency, inclusion, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Strengthening public confidence through exceptional service delivery and responsive leadership.
• Overseeing planning, financing, and implementation of one of the nation’s most significant transportation investment programs while continuing to deliver high-quality transit services to customers.
• Advancing major mobility initiatives including the Gold Line Streetcar Program, the Better Bus Program, Red Line, Silver Line, and future multimodal investments.
• Navigating a complex governance environment involving multiple jurisdictions, municipalities, and stakeholder groups.
• Serving as a trusted ambassador and advocate for the Authority in the media and in public settings.
• Developing, and submitting for board approval, an annual budget that meets the organizational needs of MPTA.
• Serving as the lead champion of the MPTA and its successes at a local, state, and national level to obtain support, funding, and other services needed to build a world-class organization and transit system.
• Fostering innovation while maintaining operational discipline and fiscal responsibility.
• Recruiting, developing, and retaining a high-performing executive leadership team and workforce.
• Developing organizational capacity and succession strength for long-term success.