Rail Equipment Fleet Manager

We are looking for a Rail Equipment Manager at our headquarters located in Dallas, TX. This person will be responsible for management of the railcar fleet maintenance and regulatory program.  

Essential Job Duties:

• Manage maintenance and required testing of the railcar fleet in accordance with Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) regulations, Association of American Railroad (AAR) requirements, and corporate policy.
• Stay up to date on current and pending regulations and develop plans for implementing required changes with minimal disruptions to the businesses.
• Review and approve railcar specifications and changes for both new build and existing railcars in the fleet.
• Manage the tank car qualification program including the collection and analysis of data associated with railcar maintenance activities to determine qualification intervals based on reliability.
• Develop and update railcar maintenance procedures, programs, and specifications in response to new technologies, systems, regulations, investigations, and root cause analysis for equipment failures to help ensure that the Company's rail maintenance practices are continually improved.
• Manage and audit internal and contract repair shops to ensure that railcar repair activities comply with AAR’s Quality Assurance Program requirements and other applicable regulations, rules, and standards.  
• Support the annual railcar maintenance shop sourcing strategy; provide information for purchase orders and contracts for railcar maintenance repairs, equipment, and services; and approve invoices to ensure that shops are providing the required quality and service levels at the lowest possible cost.
• Manage the third-party railcar maintenance system contractor that performs scheduling, tracking, and tracing of railcars sent to repair shops and approve shop repair estimates.
• Support development of rail fleet maintenance budgets and manage expenditures within area of responsibility including monthly review of costs, issue resolution, forecasting of expenditures, and evaluation of cost reduction opportunities.
• Provide technical support for the One Time Movement Approval application process.
• Establish and maintain contacts and good working relationships with railcar shops, mobile repair crews, plant mini shops, vendors, and internal stakeholders. 
• Participate and represent the Company in industry group activities associated with railcar activities as required (ACC, CI, AAR, etc.).
• Identify potential cost savings opportunities related to railcar shop repairs and railcar repairs performed by railroads.

Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree preferably in Transportation, Business, Supply Chain, Engineering or applicable field of study
• A minimum of 7 years experience in the rail transportation industry demonstrating knowledge of railcar equipment and maintenance.
• Strong analytical skills and mechanical aptitude
• Ability to operate effectively when faced with changing circumstances or uncertainty
• Action-oriented and self-starting in a fast-paced and fluid environment
• Proven ability to build relationships with stakeholders inside and outside the organization
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written)
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office Suite, including intermediate or advanced level Excel

Other Desired Skills

• Knowledge of systems and processes that interface with rail fleet management applications such as Railinc, UMLER, Railtrac and GPS Systems.
• Experience with SAP.