Railcar Tank Shop Production Manager

Succession Planning for Railroads Investing in the Next Generation•Moss Point, MS

32d•$85,000 - $120,000•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a Production Manager that will lead day to day operations for the tank railcar repair and qualification activities at our railcar services company. This role is responsible for safety, quality (in partnership with the Quality Director), production planning, production efficiency and regulatory compliance. The Production Manager leads and manages the shift leaders, tank car repair technicians, blasters and painters in addition to collaborating with other departments to ensure smooth, effective operations. This role is also responsible for collaborating with the business development team to ensure customer satisfaction and help grow the railcar repair business. The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following attributes: Team Leadership Lead and develop a high-performing team Promote a culture of safety, teamwork, and continuous improvement Demonstrate the ability to drive performance through KPIs, effectively measuring success and ensuring continuous improvement across key metrics. Proactively anticipate and avoid problems. Develop solutions to issues in a timely manner Ensure regulatory compliance with all FRA and AAR regulations Customer Satisfaction Understand customers’ requirements and develop tailored solutions to address their needs Communicate with car owners on schedule and on status of repairs Seek feedback from customers and implement improvements Production Management Actively manage all aspects of production (current and future projects) to ensure timely and high-quality repairs to meet customer commitments. Ensure repair paperwork is complete and accurate Manage inventory procurement, usage and costs Maintain relationships with vendors. Monitor & manage vendor performance and costs Ensure shop is clean and organized Identify and mitigate potential hazards Create and manage shift schedules and staffing to maximize production Identify areas for process improvement, increased production efficiency, and cost-saving initiatives. Financial Performance Partner with VP of Operations to develop & execute plans to achieve financial objectives Analyze data and generate reports on key performance indicators (KPIs), including production efficiency, utilization, costs, challenge areas and quality issues Partner with accounting department to ensure inventory management and railcar billing is completed in a timely manner Business Development Develop & maintain forward looking schedule of shop production and available production capacity Collaborate and partner with business development team to grow and diversify the pipeline

Requirements

Experience repairing tank railcars and performing tank qualifications
Minimum of 10 years of railcar repair experience with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
Strong leadership and strategic thinking with proven decision-making ability in complex production environments.
Leverage data to drive continuous process improvement
Desire to grow the railcar repair business & continually identify solutions for customers
Technical proficiency in Microsoft Excel to manage, analyze and draw insights from data
Experience working in a safety sensitive regulated industry and building productive relationships with regulators.

Nice To Haves

Management experience of tank car qualification facilities
NDT certifications and experience
NACE certifications and/or exterior and interior lining experience
Experience implementing lean six-sigma best practices
Regulatory Knowledge: In-depth knowledge of AAR M-1002, M-1003 Specifications, and Title 49 CFR.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop a high-performing team
Promote a culture of safety, teamwork, and continuous improvement
Drive performance through KPIs
Ensure regulatory compliance with all FRA and AAR regulations
Understand customers’ requirements and develop tailored solutions to address their needs
Communicate with car owners on schedule and on status of repairs
Seek feedback from customers and implement improvements
Actively manage all aspects of production
Ensure repair paperwork is complete and accurate
Manage inventory procurement, usage and costs
Maintain relationships with vendors
Monitor & manage vendor performance and costs
Ensure shop is clean and organized
Identify and mitigate potential hazards
Create and manage shift schedules and staffing to maximize production
Identify areas for process improvement, increased production efficiency, and cost-saving initiatives
Partner with VP of Operations to develop & execute plans to achieve financial objectives
Analyze data and generate reports on key performance indicators (KPIs)
Partner with accounting department to ensure inventory management and railcar billing is completed in a timely manner
Develop & maintain forward looking schedule of shop production and available production capacity
Collaborate and partner with business development team to grow and diversify the pipeline