Banker & Tradesman file photo

Gov.-elect Maura Healey has retained a search firm to help find a permanent MBTA general manager.

Healey’s team on Tuesday called Krauthamer & Assoc. the “premier transit search firm in the field” and said that it “has placed hundreds of executives in transit agencies across the country, including through other state contracts in Massachusetts.”

“K&A will be looking statewide, nationally and internationally to identify strong candidates who have transit and management experience and who understand the urgency of ensuring safety, reliability and accessibility issues across the system,” Healey said in a statement.

K&A has reportedly assisted several transit authorities with hiring top executives in recent years, including New York City’s MTA and Atlanta’s MARTA.

“We look forward to engaging with advocates, legislative leaders, labor partners and community members to find the best candidate to move the MBTA and Massachusetts forward,” Lt. Gov.-elect Kim Driscoll said in a statement.

Healey’s team said Gov. Charlie Baker will appoint an interim GM when current General Manager Steve Poftak steps down on Jan. 3, two days before Healey takes the oath of office. Poftak announced in early November that he would step down after about four years on the job, overseeing the T through the evaporation of ridership during the pandemic and a federal investigation that revealed numerous and significant safety shortcomings.

Healey team members were not immediately available to discuss the cost of the search or the source of funds to pay for it.