Director of Operations, Rail

LB Foster•Scott Township, PA

About The Position

The Director of Operations is responsible for optimizing operating costs, safety, financial performance, and quality across North American Rail facilities. The role supports, coaches, and develops staff; represents the company internally and externally; and works closely with Corporate shared services to maintain processes and procedures consistent with LB Foster’s principles. The Director manages daily operations, plans the use of material and human resources, and leads transformational change across multiple facilities and yards, including Niles, Pueblo, Columbia City, and Burnaby. The position evaluates organizational performance, identifies opportunities to reduce costs and improve operations, and works with executive leadership to set short- and long-range goals. It drives a performance-oriented culture, adjusts plant activities and practices to meet performance and customer satisfaction targets, and improves processes to build supply-chain synergies, including inventory management. The Director leads continuous improvement across engineering, procurement, and production management, including lean manufacturing initiatives, and provides timely financial and operating reports in coordination with plant leadership, accounting, and the SVP – Rail. The role also develops and mentors the team and advances a cultural shift toward operational excellence as the business expands geographically.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, or a related field.
More than 10 years of professional experience with demonstrated progressive management experience.
More than 5 years of technical manufacturing knowledge.
Exemplary interpersonal and communication skills.
Strong organizational, decision-making, negotiating, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills.
High ethical standards and integrity in business, with the ability to set that tone across the business.
Strong understanding of profit and loss (P&L).
Ability to drive objectives and results while maintaining a people-first culture and engaging others.
Ability to demonstrate knowledge of Lean principles, Six Sigma, and manufacturing best practices.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Six Sigma certification.

Responsibilities

Manage day-to-day operations and continuous improvement across multiple facilities and yards, including Niles, Pueblo, Columbia City, and Burnaby.
Evaluate organizational performance against objectives and identify opportunities to reduce costs, improve operations, and make changes.
Work with executive leadership to establish and provide direction for short- and long-range organizational goals and objectives.
Build and nurture an aggressive, performance-oriented culture.
Adjust plant activities, policies, and practices to meet or exceed key performance metrics and customer satisfaction goals.
Improve processes and procedures to achieve supply-chain synergies among plants, including inventory management.
Direct operational excellence and continuous improvement in engineering, procurement, and production management, including lean manufacturing initiatives to reduce production costs.
Provide timely financial and operating reports in coordination with plant leadership, accounting, and the SVP – Rail.
Develop, mentor, and build the team as the business expands geographically, and drive a cultural shift toward operational excellence.
Support and coach staff, promote individual development, represent the company internally and externally, and coordinate with Corporate shared services on consistent processes and procedures.
Plan the use of material and human resources and lead transformational change.