At Blue Bird (BLBD), we come to work every day with one common goal: to design, build, sell and service North America’s finest school bus. That's what we do - no distractions, no competing priorities. Since 1927, we have focused on listening to our customers, embracing their needs, and delivering innovations that lead the market. Today, we are a billion-dollar school bus manufacturer headquartered in Macon, Georgia with manufacturing facilities located just over an hour south of Atlanta, in Fort Valley, Georgia.
We are pleased to share that we have a career opportunity for a Telemetry Specialist as a member of the Blue Bird Field Service Team. It’s an exciting time in the School Bus world and the need for collecting and transmitting real-time data from vehicles has never been more essential for providing actionable insights for fleet management, predictive maintenance and proactive diagnostics & repair.
JOB SUMMARY:
Reporting to the Supervisor – Field Service Engineers, EV, this role is responsible for implementing telemetry on all EV units in the field as well as designing, implementing and maintaining systems and processes required to effectively utilize the data collected from telemetry. This position will proactively monitor incoming data to provide actionable insights for fleet management, predictive maintenance and proactive diagnostics & repairs. The Telemetry specialist will also be responsible for Level 1 EV technical support and running metrics relating to reliability and team productivity.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Data Collection & Integration: Interface directly with vehicle CAN networks to capture performance parameters, diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs), and fleet uptime metrics.
- System Configuration: Install, configure, and troubleshoot on-vehicle telemetry hardware.
- Cloud & Data Pipelines: Support the streaming, storage, and processing of vehicle data via the telemetry platform.
- Performance Analysis: Develop data platforms and algorithms to monitor vehicle health, predict failures, and improve enterprise quality metrics.
- Real-Time Support: Act as the subject matter expert during tests or events, analyzing live telemetry feeds to diagnose issues and optimize system performance. Provide level 1 EV technical support to dealers and end users via Blue Bird service ticket system.
- Reporting: Run metric reports relating to EV population uptime and field service team efficiency and productivity.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Deep understanding of automotive electrical systems, CAN bus, SAE J1939, and OBD-II diagnostics.
- Familiarity with GPS mapping, routing software, and central fleet management systems.
- Understanding of how to turn raw telemetry data into actionable performance metrics.
- Ability to isolate hardware failures, faulty sensors, or poor cellular connectivity in bus-mounted telematics units.
- Skill in interpreting vehicle health reports to forecast maintenance needs and prevent breakdowns.
- Capacity to train bus fleets on using telematics hardware to effectively report fleet analytics to transportation directors.
- Ability to correlate real-time data alerts with physical mechanical issues in the fleet.
- Capacity to identify minor anomalies in large volumes of continuous vehicle data.
- Aptitude for working independently while collaborating with cross functional teams effectively.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
- High school diploma or GED required; bachelor’s degree or technical training in information technology, electronics, or fleet management preferred.
- 10+ years of experience in transportation operations, fleet dispatching, or consumer electronics troubleshooting.
- 3+ field service level experience with alternatively powered vehicles – EV preferred
- 2+ years of experience using Microsoft Office suite.
- Proficiency with GPS/AVL software, basic networking concepts, mobile technology, and interpreting wiring diagrams.
- Ability to navigate bus maintenance facilities and work in varying outdoor conditions.
Blue Bird’s winning culture is fueled by our ability to respect, encourage, celebrate and embrace the unique perspectives of all of our employees. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer who is committed to providing all of our employees with a work environment free of discrimination or harassment. We base our employment decisions on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, national, social or ethnic origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, past or present military service, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.
#LI-Onsite
Qualifications Education Required High School or better. Experience Required Field service level experience with alternatively powered vehicles – EV preferred Experience in transportation operations, fleet dispatching, or consumer electronics troubleshooting Equal Opportunity EmployerThis employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.
Skills Required
- High school diploma or GED
- Bachelor's degree or technical training in information technology, electronics, or fleet management
- 10+ years experience in transportation operations, fleet dispatching, or consumer electronics troubleshooting
- 3+ years field service experience with alternatively powered vehicles
- EV experience
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office (2+ years)
- Deep understanding of automotive electrical systems, CAN bus, SAE J1939, and OBD-II diagnostics
- Experience installing, configuring, and troubleshooting on-vehicle telemetry/telematics hardware
- Experience with GPS/AVL software, GPS mapping, routing software, and central fleet management systems
- Experience supporting streaming, storage, and processing of vehicle data via telemetry platforms (cloud/data pipelines)
- Ability to read wiring diagrams and basic networking concepts; troubleshoot cellular connectivity
- Ability to provide Level 1 EV technical support via service ticket systems
- Ability to navigate bus maintenance facilities and work in outdoor conditions
Blue Bird Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Blue Bird and has not been reviewed or approved by Blue Bird.
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Pay Growth & Progression — The 2024 collective bargaining agreement delivered meaningful wage increases for covered hourly employees, with larger boosts at the lowest pay bands. Subsequent contractual provisions point to a structurally improved earnings path for many production roles.
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Strong & Reliable Incentives — Overtime availability and profit sharing lift overall earnings potential, particularly in production settings. The contract formalized profit sharing and added financial provisions that enhance variable pay.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with Roth option and an employer match is offered, and the union agreement introduced a defined‑contribution retirement plan for covered workers. Company materials indicate employer contributions are part of the total rewards package.
Blue Bird Insights
What We Do
About Us Blue Bird offers a complete line of Type A, C and D school buses in a variety of options and configurations. Since 1927, Blue Bird Corporation has continued to set industry standards with its innovative design and manufacturing capabilities. Additionally, Blue Bird provides comprehensive financial solutions through Blue Bird Capital Services. Today, Blue Bird has more than 1,600 employees, Georgia-based manufacturing facilities and an extensive network of Dealers and Parts & Service facilities throughout North America. Its global presence can be seen in more than 60 countries through sales into Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. Our Promise We are singularly focused on building and selling school buses that customers want and value. The safety of schoolchildren is at the center of all that we do and we will strive every day, just as we have since our beginning in 1927, to provide an unparalleled and affordable product in terms of safety, quality, durability, and serviceability. We will be easy to do business with, responsive to our customers' wants and needs, and provide prompt after-sale support in parts and service through a professional, high-qualified distribution network. Customer satisfaction is our top priority. What We Stand For We come to work every day with one common goal, to design, build, sell and service the world's finest school bus. That's what we do - no distractions, no competing priorities. We are heirs to a rich legacy, one of listening to our customers, embracing their needs, and delivering innovations that lead the market. We commit ourselves to four driving priorities - safety, quality, durability, and serviceability. We embody the interests of every child that rides us, every driver that drives us, every service technician that services us and every district that buys us. More than a business, this work is our heritage, and we have been at it since 1927 - that's purpose driven.
