Assistant Superintendent

Canadian National Railway Company•Gary, IN

About The Position

The Assistant Superintendent is a mid level management position which is responsible for the oversight of front-line supervisors (FLS) (FLS - Trainmasters and Assistant Trainmasters), and unionized conductors and locomotive engineers as it relates to day-to-day train operations of the territory or terminal in order to meet CN’s service commitments. The incumbent’s primary responsibility is to supervise the FLS in achieving the organization's targets, rules and regulation compliance, act as a point of escalation, intercede with other departments, coach and develop FLS to take on increased responsibility, and oversee the management of unionized employees. The role is critical to ensuring the FLS have the support structure in place to produce the on-time train performance, and thus, CN’s commitment to customers in a 24/7 work environment.

Requirements

Minimum 18 months experience in railroad, preferred experience as supervisor transportation
Trainmaster work experience
Industrial work experience that demonstrates progression of responsibility and complexity in a safety-compliant environment
Experience working with heavy machinery
4 years of supervisory experience of both management and unionized employees
High School Diploma
Valid Driver’s Licence
Qualified Conductor or Locomotive Engineer

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s Degree in Business or Logistics
Any experience for these above would be considered as an asset
Any education for these above would be considered as an asset

Responsibilities

Coach and train both management and unionized employees on safe and productive work procedures
Build safety compliance and improve safety results through regular safety observations; provide feedback (positive and constructive) to subordinate and take action on non-compliant behaviour
Audit and validate the safety discussions held by front-line supervisors with unionized employees
Validate and qualify conductor trainees prior to moving onto the spare board
Respond to crossing incidents and accidents or site of injury to support employee reaction, work with police and manage the site until the track and service have been restored
Responsible for submission of accident and injury investigation close out
Respond and coordinate to a dangerous good incident or leak in a yard, liaise with Dangerous Goods Officer and ensure employee and public well-being is upheld
Train, audit, and implement Standard Operating Procedures
Ensure safe operation as measured by accidents, incidents and employee injuries
Achieve weekly and monthly safety observations expectations and objectives in regards to the safety management plan
Co-chair and participate in Health & Safety Committee meetings on a regular basis
Interaction with local communities including presentations
Maintain teamwork and order amongst staff, contractors, and internal clients by acting with a sense of urgency to respond to issues as they may arise
Ensure the decisions being made consider a larger perspective – consider the territory not just the terminal
Use operational data in CN systems to identify opportunities to improve asset utilization and service reliability, take action for territory and make recommendations with CN’s network implication
Oversee the management of crew utilization, track deadheads, recrews and unproductive labour cost as well as improve the operations and cost control
Set recovery plans for service exceptions in conjunction with Rail Traffic Control (RTC) centre
Oversee and support the front-line supervisors in accurate and timely reporting of delays and identifying ways to reduce delays, managing, monitoring and improving Initial Terminal Delay and Final Terminal Delay
Support FLS in working with rail traffic control to manage train line ups and train meets and to predict estimated time of arrival and train crew needs
Support FLS in managing crew productivity against switching standards, recommend improvements when appropriate
Keep track of the yard status, service commitments, old dates, inbound arrivals, process traffic to reduce dwell, and ensure train connections and departures meet the service plan
Establish best opportunity to move traffic against multiple demands
Oversee cost control and asset utilization as it relates to the territory, ensure terminals are compliant with CN’s standards and expectations
Oversee customers service plan and adjust when required
Build network relationships to support the strategic initiatives and opportunities of territory and region
Communicate company goals and policies to create clear understanding of direction and expectations to both front-line supervisory team and unionized employees
Oversee the investigation process as per collective agreement, and ensure timelines are met and actions progress
Work with Occupational Health Services in returning employees to work
Develop and sustain the right employee behaviours with feedback, recognition, reinforcement and coaching
Participate in the interview process, facilitate training schedule
Oversee the FLS with time off requests, leave of absences, and attendance management
Spearhead Trainmasters: evaluate employee performance and review performance expectations, actual performance, and overall performance ratings
Work with FLS to create comprehensive development goals and support in the achievement of technical and leadership development, while providing opportunities for growth
Conduct and validate onboarding conversations to ensure employees are adopting proper work practices, and have the knowledge, tools and understanding to perform their job safely and efficiently
Identify and coach performance deficiencies, and take action to build required behaviours
Share best practices, information, operational concerns and company information in order to create transparency and clear understanding of company direction and expectations