Manager, Car Reliability

at  Canadian National Railway

At CN, everyday brings new and exciting challenges. You can expect an interesting environment where you’re part of making sure our business is running optimally and safely―helping keep the economy on track. We provide the kind of paid training and opportunities that long-term careers are built on and we recognize hard workers who strive to make a difference. You will be able to thrive in our close-knit, safety-focused culture working together as ONE TEAM. The careers we offer are meaningful because the work we do matters. Join us!

JOB SUMMARY

The Manager, Car Reliability is responsible for handling the strategic decision-making of the long-term maintenance plan for CN’s freight car fleet maintenance strategy. The role designs planned maintenance actions that address major issues during unscheduled or scheduled events. The position optimizes the reliability of all freight cars operating on CN lines and ensures alignment between the Car Reliability team and stakeholder groups. Furthermore, the role is responsible for the continuous improvement of car fleet health including component life, online failure and performance analysis, in addition to preventative maintenance strategies.

REQUIREMENTS

Experience

Mechanical

• Minimum 5 years of railway operations experience working with cars and car components

o Experience working on cross-functional projects
o Experience performing audits to improve mechanical freight car operational performance
o Experience with OEMs on car design and improvement
o Experience with data analysis tools such as Tableau, Power BI, Business Objects, Systems, Applications and Procedures (SAP) Business Warehouse (BW)
o Experience with Service Reliability System (SRS), Right Time Business Intelligence (RTBI)
o Experience implementing safe work procedures and policies

Education/Certification/Designation

• Bachelors’ Degree in Engineering, Data Analytics, or equivalent experience
• Valid Driver’s Licence

Competencies

• Collaborates with others and shares information
• Seeks and values all perspectives
• Demonstrates active listening
• Sets direction and inspires others
• Communicates with impact
• Demonstrates agility and drives change
• Leads by example for the safety and security of all
• Considers environmental impacts in every action and decision
• Applies critical thinking
• Identifies needs and solves problems to create value
• Knows the business and stays current on industry needs

Technical Skills/Knowledge

• Understand CN’s Transportation and Mechanical departments
• Knowledge of North American Class 1 train operations
• Knowledge of CN’s car fleet, rail network, and systems
• Thorough knowledge of freight cars, components key failures and repair procedures
• Knowledge of Software Requirements Specification (SRS) and Structured Query Language (SQL)
• Knowledge of CN Operations, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Transport Canada (TC) regulations
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)
• Strong knowledge of industry rules, foreign roads and car owners, and CN network operations, systems, and policies
• Fluently bilingual, both written and verbal (English, French)

Fleet Performance Strategy and Vision

• Establish and improve fleet strategy through data analysis and reporting visibility for CN freight, foreign, and private cars operating daily on the network
• Propose and execute strategies to improve trending and prediction of top failure modes and components within freight car fleets
• Analysis of performance statistics to improve fleet performance
• Perform cost analyses to maintain all corrective actions within operational maintenance budget
• Develop performance reports to communicate overall fleet performance and trends
• Analyze root causes for data performance alerts and define corrective action plans for alert items
• Monitor car failures and ensure specific work scopes are created to address primary root causes and improve operational quality
• Support wayside detector initiatives by collaborating on policies and ongoing monitoring

Continuous Fleet Performance Improvement

• Present strategy progress for car reliability updates and initiatives and present action plans to Mechanical leaders monthly
• Understand Return on Investment (ROI) for all proposed projects
• Build business plans and drive through Authorization for Expenditure (AFE) process
• Lead development of Mechanical work scopes in conjunction with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers to be executed as part of CN’s Capital and Operating plans to identify and implement best solutions for car reliability and performance
• Create and refine initiatives with planning and vendor management team to prioritize fleet improvement projects and monitor execution with internal and external shops
• Facilitate and support analysis of component usage and define improvement strategy for working with vendors and upgrades
• Develop communication rhythm and processes with OEMs and vendors
• Perform site audits and ensure the effectiveness of work scopes

Leveraging Data to Improve Asset Utilization

• Leverage data analysis to better understand how CN’s car fleet is used and maintained
• Support Mechanical Leaders with regards to maintenance and inspection work scopes, reliability calculations and estimates, as well as root-cause analysis

Customer and Industry Support

• Oversee all customer-driven initiatives which improve operational performance and customer fulfillment through driving reliability and availability
• Identify mechanical-related areas for improving reliability and propose program recommendations, Capital Expenditure (CapEx) and Operational Expenditure (OpEx)
• Work with Marketing and Operations on the strategy that aligns the car maintenance program and reliability group with exceeding forecasted demand for all car types and commodities
• Review and address CN’s open-top loading requests, including the Association of American Railroads (AAR) committee and day-to-day management of CN’s open-top loading support and performance
• Communicate work scopes on procedures and pain points, shared with Mechanical Operations, external customers and loading facilities to optimize safe and efficient loading
• Support respective fleet leaders to identify root causes for customer rejects and improper handling, and implement corrective actions
• Act as the AAR representative on various committees and communicate changes to applicable internal and external functions

Working Conditions
The role has standard working conditions in an office environment with a regular workweek from Monday to Friday. Due to the nature of the role, the incumbent must be able to meet tight deadlines, handle pressure and stress. The role requires minimal travel (25%) across the CN network in both Canada and the United States (U.S.).