Rail Lead Controller

City of Charlotte

1d•$38 - $59•Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Rail Controller serves as the senior shift-level control center lead within the Rail Control Center and supports the safe, reliable, and disciplined execution of real-time rail operations. Reporting to the Manager of Rail Control Center, this role provides day-to-day on-floor leadership for Controllers and Control Room Assistants, helps coordinate shift activities and operating priorities, and supports consistent adherence to operating rules, communication protocols, and control center procedures. This position plays a key role in monitoring rail service conditions, supporting timely operational decision-making, coordinating response to incidents and service disruptions, and helping maintain effective service regulation across the system. The Lead Rail Controller provides guidance and second-level support during routine and abnormal operations, helps reinforce quality and consistency in controller performance, and serves as a working lead within a fast-paced, safety-sensitive environment. The role also supports training, shift turnover, documentation quality, and immediate after-action review of operating events. When assigned, the Lead Rail Controller may act as the Manager’s designee for shift-level coordination and issue escalation, helping ensure continuity of leadership and operational discipline within the Rail Control Center.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Three (3) years of experience in rail control, rail dispatch, rail transportation operations, or another closely related real-time operating environment.
Demonstrated experience applying operating rules, standard operating procedures, and communication protocols in a safety-sensitive setting.
Experience serving in an informal lead, trainer, mentor, or other shift-support capacity, or demonstrated readiness to perform those functions.
Ability to work rotating shifts, nights, weekends, holidays, and emergency call-ins as operational needs require.
Knowledge of advanced rail operating rules, control center procedures, communication protocols, and on-track safety requirements.
Knowledge of real-time operations control principles, service regulation strategies, and system-wide operational coordination.
Knowledge of control center systems, tools, and workflows, including their application during both routine and disrupted operations.
Knowledge of incident response, service recovery strategies, and escalation protocols in a rail operations environment.
Knowledge of principles of workforce support, on-the-job coaching, and performance reinforcement in a control center setting.
Skill in coordinating and supporting real-time rail operations across multiple controllers, territories, or service areas.
Skill in providing practical, shift-level leadership and guidance to Controllers and Control Room Assistants.
Skill in monitoring system conditions, identifying emerging issues, and supporting timely and appropriate response actions.
Skill in reinforcing adherence to rules, procedures, and communication discipline across the control center.
Skill in coaching staff, providing feedback, and supporting consistent performance during both routine and high-pressure situations.
Skill in managing shift-level priorities, balancing workload, and ensuring continuity of operations across handoffs.
Ability to maintain broad situational awareness of system operations while supporting detailed decision-making by Controllers.
Ability to act as a reliable shift-level resource and escalation point during disruptions and abnormal operating conditions.
Ability to exercise sound judgment in determining when to intervene, support, or escalate operational issues.
Ability to support incident response and service recovery while maintaining focus on safety, communication, and coordination.
Ability to model professionalism, composure, and disciplined execution in a high-pressure environment.
Ability to support training, onboarding, and continuous improvement of control center staff and processes.

Nice To Haves

Associate degree or additional technical, operational, or supervisory training related to rail operations or transit operations.
Experience in a rail transit control center or railroad operations control environment.
Experience supporting incident response, service recovery, or on-the-job training in a 24/7 operating environment.

Responsibilities

Serve as the shift lead within the Rail Control Center, providing day-to-day coordination and on-floor leadership for Controllers and Control Room Assistants.
Help assign and balance work across desks, territories, or responsibilities during the shift based on operating conditions and service needs.
Oversee shift turnover activities, status board accuracy, and completion of required checklists, logs, and control center routines.
Help maintain consistent operational focus, communication discipline, and adherence to established control center expectations throughout the shift.
Serve as the Manager’s designee for shift-level coordination and escalation when assigned.
Support real-time monitoring and regulation of rail service to help maintain safe, reliable, and efficient operations.
Assist with coordination of train movement priorities, service adjustments, work windows, slow orders, special operating conditions, and other real-time operating needs.
Monitor developing service issues, delays, and abnormal conditions and help determine appropriate response or escalation.
Provide second-level guidance to Controllers during changing service conditions, disruptions, and operational decision points.
Help ensure operational decisions are aligned with established rules, procedures, safety requirements, and service priorities.
Support or lead initial triage of service disruptions, incidents, and abnormal operating events until relieved or escalated.
Coordinate with Controllers, field operations, dispatch, maintenance, and other operational partners to support service recovery and restoration efforts.
Help ensure significant incidents, safety concerns, and service impacts are communicated promptly and accurately to the appropriate parties.
Conduct or support immediate debriefs following incidents or disruptions to identify issues, lessons learned, and follow-up needs.
Assist in maintaining operational readiness for special events, severe weather, emergencies, and other high-impact service conditions.
Reinforce compliance with operating rules, communication protocols, standard operating procedures, and control center practices.
Observe and review controller performance during the shift to help ensure safe, consistent, and disciplined execution of duties.
Identify performance gaps, process inconsistencies, documentation issues, or communication problems and bring them to management attention as appropriate.
Support consistent use of required forms, logs, reports, and system documentation.
Help maintain a strong culture of accountability, professionalism, and operational discipline within the control center.
Provide day-to-day coaching, guidance, and practical support to Controllers and Control Room Assistants.
Assist with on-the-job reinforcement of procedures, communications practices, system use, and operating expectations.
Support training, qualification, requalification, proficiency checks, and onboarding activities as assigned.
Share observations and feedback with management regarding employee readiness, strengths, and development needs.
Help model calm, effective decision-making and professional conduct in a high-pressure operating environment.
Coordinate closely with the Manager of Rail Control Center and other operational leaders regarding shift issues, service conditions, and staff performance.
Help ensure shift events, disruptions, decisions, and follow-up items are documented clearly and accurately.
Prepare or support required reports, summaries, and turnover information related to operational conditions and incidents.
Participate in discussions regarding workflow improvements, procedural consistency, and control center effectiveness.
Perform other related duties as assigned.