Director, Interline Services

Canadian National Railway Company•Homewood, IL

About The Position

The Director, Interline Services provides enterprise leadership for CN’s interline strategy, commercial partnerships, and multi-rail/port collaboration model. The role sets direction for how CN creates value with Class I railroads, short lines, and ports; designs governance and standards for bilateral and multilateral agreements; and ensures execution against service commitments, revenue targets, and long-horizon network plans. Accountable for a team of managers and senior managers, the Director shapes joint product roadmaps, negotiates complex commercial frameworks (e.g., reciprocal switching, haulage, trackage and gateway strategies), and orchestrates cross-functional delivery with Operations, Sales & Marketing, Finance, Government Affairs, and Joint Facilities. The incumbent is a primary external face of CN to executive peers across partner railroads and ports and serves as an internal integrator, converting strategic intent into measurable results across safety, service, growth, and profitability.

Requirements

10–15 years in rail transportation, logistics, or supply chain with significant exposure to interline or multi-party partnerships; 5+ years leading leaders (managers/senior managers) in a complex, matrixed environment.
Proven success negotiating multi-year commercial agreements (pricing, capacity, SLAs) with Class I railroads, short lines, ports, or terminals; track record delivering measurable revenue growth and service improvements.
Experience running portfolio governance (scorecards, QBRs), navigating regulatory considerations (e.g., STB/CTA processes), and steering cross-functional initiatives spanning Operations and Commercial.
Executive-level stakeholder management and presentation experience (internal and external).
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Economics, Engineering, Supply Chain, or related field
Master’s degree (MBA, M.Eng., or equivalent)
Familiarity with rail operating concepts (service design, capacity, car management, terminal operations) and interline constructs (haulage, trackage, gateways, reciprocal switching).
Strong Microsoft Office skills (Excel modeling, PowerPoint storytelling).
Data-driven approach to KPI/scorecard design and performance management.
Advanced proficiency with analytics and reporting tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) and working knowledge of SAP or equivalent enterprise platforms.
Fluently bilingual, both written and verbal (English, French)

Nice To Haves

Professional certifications (e.g., CSCP, CTL, PMP)
Any designation for any of the above would be considered as an asset
Any knowledge for any of the above would be considered as an asset

Responsibilities

Define the multi-year interline and partner strategy, including market segmentation, gateway priorities, capacity alignment, service design standards, and risk posture; translate into an annual operating plan with KPIs and executive dashboards.
Lead negotiation of complex interline agreements (e.g., rates, capacity reservations, SLAs, dispute resolution, data-sharing) to expand CN’s addressable market, protect yield, and improve service reliability; oversee pricing frameworks and corridor economics for shared lanes.
Sponsor the design, commercialization, and continuous improvement of joint rail-to-rail and rail-port products (e.g., bulk, intermodal, automotive), ensuring connectivity, equipment strategies, and terminal interfaces deliver end-to-end value.
Establish partner scorecards covering service, velocity, dwell, on-time performance, asset turns, and contribution margin; run quarterly executive business reviews and corrective-action governance with partner railroads, ports, and terminals.
Guide network plan inputs related to gateways, routings, and potential discontinuance; evaluate and recommend capital and technology investments that unlock interline growth and resilience.
Advise senior leadership on regulatory trends (e.g., STB/CTA matters), competitive dynamics, and joint venture opportunities; lead escalations and issue resolution with partners to protect service and customer commitments.
Build, coach, and performance-manage a multi-level team (managers and senior managers); clarify accountabilities, develop succession pipelines, and embed CN’s safety culture and values in all partner engagements.
Align with Operations on service design and operating plan integration; with Sales & Marketing on demand shaping and customer value propositions; with Finance on deal economics and portfolio reporting; and with Legal/Government Affairs on compliance and advocacy.