Manager Locomotive Repair Center

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, Locomotive Repair Center (LRC) is responsible for leading the operation of the repair facility including the management of supervisors and employees working in the facility. The role oversees all day-to-day mechanical operations including the inspection, maintenance, and repair of locomotives and freight cars, the on-time performance and delivery of locomotives and freight cars to customers, as well as the interaction and management of escalation issues from both mechanical and stakeholders. In addition, the incumbent handles the performance of supervisory staff and hourly employees including monitoring, analyzing issues, and corrective actions in operations.

REQUIREMENTS

Experience

Railroad Mechanical Shop Craft

• Minimum 2 years of experience in railroad mechanical shop craft or comparable position

o Minimum 5 years of experience supervising both union and non-union employees

Education/Certification/Designation

• High School Diploma or General Educational Development (GED)
• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering or Technologist Diploma in Mechanical or Electrical*
• Valid Driver’s License
• Any designation for these above would be considered as an asset

Competencies

• Demonstrates agility and drives change
• Knows the business and stays current on industry needs
• Applies critical thinking
• Sets direction and inspires others
• Communicates with impact
• Collaborates with others and shares information
• Demonstrates active listening
• Solves problems to create value
• Identifies potential safety and security risks
• Leads by example for the safety and security of all

Technical Skills/Knowledge

• Comprehensive knowledge of locomotives construction, components and operation, inspection and repair
• Knowledge of the FRA, AAR and other regulatory requirements, yard operating rules and safety standards
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, Word), Service Reliability System (SRS), Systems, Applications and Products (SAP), Performance Assessment Process (PAP), Real-Time Business Intelligence (RTBI), DataCity, and SmartYard

Problem Solving and Decision Making

• Lead daily shop operations for their territory including the budget, workforce productivity and manpower
• Review production and operations reports to resolve operations and maintenance problems ensuring minimum costs and operational delays
• Handle wrecking response to yard and line outages, working with Transportation, Engineering and direct reports to efficiently and swiftly restore service to the fleet
• Handle fleet levels and determine appropriate in-service levels of locomotive fleet to improve fleet reliability as well as efficient inspection and repair process
• Maintain teamwork and order among staff, contractors and internal stakeholders by acting with urgency to respond to issues

Safety Orientation, Compliance and Reporting

• Oversee the overall application of safety processes and procedures within the Locomotive Reliability Center
• Validate completion of Front Line Supervision (FLS) efficiency testing and quality audits
• Conduct and follow up on accident and injury investigations and corrective action
• Build safety compliance and improve safety results through a team of supervisors and unionized employees via regular efficiency testing and safety walkabouts
• Provide positive and constructive feedback and coaching to supervisors and employees
• Ensure processes and a point person is in place for audit and compliance requirements (e.g., American Association of Railroads (AAR) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) inspections, Chain Inspections, Qualification recertification, Equipment) are met
• Develop and revise standard operational and working practices and observe workers and supervisors to ensure compliance with standards
• Respond to incidents and accidents within the facility and coordinate response and movement of affected locomotives to repair facilities
• Participate in the Joint Health and Safety Committee as well as the subsequent follow-up
• Participate in the apprenticeship committee, Workplace Location Joint Apprentice Committee (WLJAC)

General Leadership and Supervision of Union and Non-Union Workforce

• Lead an effective, high-performing team in a unionized environment
• Lead, plan and control overall repair and maintenance of locomotives and freight equipment as well as purchasing repair items
• Direct and develop a group of supervisors and ensure efficient deployment of people and assets
• Work in conjunction with functional contacts, ensuring team unity among supervisory and unionized workforces
• Ensure effective labour and union relations
• Validate proper inventory levels based on consumption
• Develop and implement action plans and goals for supervisory staff and monitor development to ensure continued improvement
• Ensuring proper succession planning is in place to address attrition
• Coach supervisors on safe and productive work procedures and validate general employee understanding
• Handle day-to-day issues, along with hourly performance issues including conducting investigations, recommending appropriate steps to correct performance issues and responding to grievances
• Communicate company goals and policies to create clear understanding of direction and expectations
• Oversee the Employee Performance Scorecard (EPS) process for FLS including evaluation, performance review and overall performance rating for reports
• Develop and sustain the right employee behaviours with feedback, recognition, reinforcement and coaching

Planning and Organizing Workload

• Ensure cohesiveness and execution of mechanical activities within the shop and across the territory
• Establish effective strategies and metrics to measure, control and improve locomotive reliability and availability for internal and external customers safely and within budget
• Create and maintain supervisory and unionized schedule to ensure adequate staffing
• Direct and coordinate through subordinate supervisory personnel applying knowledge of production methods, processes, terminal layout and mechanical maintenance
• Coordinate with Transportation senior leadership to ensure the movement of assets is made efficiently for diagnostics, repairs and inspections
• Respond to issues and handle escalation of issues from mechanical supervisors including transportation FLS and senior leadership
• Ensure overall utilization is maximized, as measured by productivity, attendance and labor costs
• Drive locomotive reliability as measured by bad order status, percentage of locomotives active and initial terminal delay

Working Conditions
The role has standard working conditions in a shop environment with a regular workweek from Monday to Friday. The role requires minimal travel (10%) within Canada and the United States. Due to the nature of the role, the incumbent must be able to meet tight deadlines, handle pressure and stress.