Vice President - Rail

LJA • Kansas City, MO

47d

About The Position

POSITION OVERVIEW: As a Vice President at LJA Rail, the Vice President will lead logistics and construction operations, mitigating risk, ensuring safety, acquiring equipment and material, and obtaining permits from appropriate authorities. This ideal person for this role will need a deep understanding of the construction industry, specifically in industry and public projects, to drive progress and surpass project performance for timeline, budget, and quality.

Requirements

• 8+ years managerial experience in Rail Design and Construction.
• 10+ years of experience in construction and rail engineering services
• Proficiency in appropriate software for the market.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, attention to detail, and impeccable work ethic.
• Ability to travel regularly to project sites and client offices

Nice To Haves

• Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) highly preferred
• Education preferred, but relevant experience will be considered

Responsibilities

• Guide project planning, support of contracting processes, design management, construction, and commissioning of industry and public assets.
• Reviewing safety metrics, production quantities, cost performance, schedule adherence, and risk exposure across multiple active rail construction projects.
• Leading early-morning calls with regional construction managers to address safety observations, crew productivity, change orders, and critical path risks.
• Meeting with railroad clients to discuss program performance, upcoming work windows, outage coordination, and strategic partnerships.
• Making high-level decisions on resource deployment — reallocating crews, equipment, and subcontractors to address priority projects or mitigate schedule impacts.
• Overseeing contract strategy, negotiating major change orders or claims, and reviewing commercial risk positions with legal and finance teams.
• Driving a strong safety culture by reviewing incident reports, participating in root cause discussions, and reinforcing zero-incident expectations across the organization.
• Evaluating capital expenditures for equipment (construction equipment, fleet) and approving major purchases aligned with long-term growth plans.
• Coordinating with engineering, procurement, and operations leadership to ensure constructability, materials availability, and seamless execution from design through build.
• Mentoring project managers and regional leaders, conducting performance reviews, succession planning, and recruiting senior talent.
• Participating in business development strategy — reviewing pursuit plans, evaluating risk on large-scale bids, and meeting with executive leadership teams from the organization.
• Reviewing financial forecasts, backlog projections, and margin performance with the CFO to ensure alignment with annual and multi-year growth targets.
• Conducting periodic field visits to major job sites to engage directly with crews, reinforce culture, and assess operational performance firsthand.

Benefits

• PTO, paid holidays, and a full office closure between Christmas and New Year’s.
• Multiple plan options for health, dental, and pets. Along with mental health support.
• Paid maternity and parental leave to help you focus on what matters most.
• Tuition reimbursement and in-house courses provided by our Learning and Development team.
• Know great talent? Get rewarded for helping us grow.
• Company-sponsored volunteer days and philanthropic initiatives.
• Memberships to industry organizations to keep you connected and growing.
• Great internal mobility opportunities to advance your career.
• LJA social events, employee sports teams, bring your kid to work day, etc.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive