Rail Manager

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Job description

Olive Recruiting is looking for a Rail Manager for our client in Plano, TX. This role is primarily responsible for developing and implementing the rail strategy, including the development of railcar lease and rail freight negotiation strategies and proposing to relevant stakeholders, negotiating contracts with railroads and railcar lessors, oversight of rail fleet operations which are managed by the Senior Coordinator, Rail and an external vendor, supporting North America Marketing & Logistics (NAML) regional business objectives, and other ad-hoc projects as required from time to time

Role type: Direct Hire

Hybrid work environment: 3 days in office with Wednesday being mandatory

Location: Plano, TX

Schedule: 8:00 am 5:00 pm M-F

Responsibilities:

Manage rail related commercial activities, comprised of:

Fleet strategy, specifically with respect to fleet size, contract length and cost structure (to support value creation/netback optimization in coordination with sales team)

Freight negotiate rail freight agreements and coordinate with sales team to maximize cost recovery based on customer next best alternatives; specific emphasis on CPKC freight agreement due to captive shipper status of plant and value of the agreement ( $20 million/year)

Competitive Analysis support regional marketing (including monthly and annual Western Canada Distributor Price WCDP analysis) and sales planning by analyzing competitive next best alternatives; occasional support for regional swap opportunities based on company and competitor rail cost structure

Relationship management primary contact for all railroads, lessors and other rail vendors

Compliance monitor contractual compliance in coordination with Methanex Legal and Risk Management departments and ensure key stakeholders are kept aware of any risks

Communication ensure key stakeholders, specifically the North America Management Team (NAMT) and the regional commercial team, are kept informed on industry trends, risks and opportunities

Lead Senior Rail Analyst and Senior Coordinator, Rail in supply chain sourcing optimization activities, comprised of:

Analysis and recommendation of sourcing shifts to optimize in-region freight and customer netback

Development of fleet plans to manage inventory, ensure ratable supply and minimize total rail costs (freight optimization, fleet repositioning and empty freight optimization)

Coordination with Manager, Customer Supply and Customer Supply Specialist to ensure sufficient empty railcar pipeline

Develop and implement railcar leasing and storage strategies to support company commercial strategy, execute contingency plans and minimize railcar storage costs.

Prepare (self or direct reports) relevant reports including (i) rail fleet plan (ii) rail freight analysis, and (iii) other ad-hoc reports including rail key performance indicators (e.g. demurrage recovery, transit time performance, etc.).

Cost Management support annual logistics budget and quarterly/monthly cost management processes with analysis and corresponding recommendations; support accounting group on questions related to (i) freight logistics accruals and freight variance analysis, (ii) credit / miscellaneous aging issues (e.g. demurrage), and (iii) SOX procedures / reporting requirements.

Lead the Rail Team which, comprised of:

Working with the sales team and product manager to ensure alignment with sales goals

Development of rail related initiatives for inclusion in regional and functional business plans by establishing clear objectives and goals for the team

Measurement and reporting of progress to ensure individual & team alignment with business objectives.

Lead team of 2 direct reports, Senior Rail Analyst and Senior Coordinator, Rail

Support for regional Talent Management and Development Planning processes

Preventative Maintenance (PM) ensure successful completion of annual PM program to ensure zero non-accidental releases (NAR's); identify opportunities to improve the efficiency of this program (reduce length of time each car is out of the fleet for inspection) by seeking ways to guarantee shop space, use risk based inspections or predictive/AI technologies to identify vulnerabilities and work with railcar lessors and railcar builders to use industry data to target improvement opportunities, each while not sacrificing the effectiveness of this program

Lead rail related Responsible Care initiatives, including storage and repair facility safety assessments, rail car loading safety assessments, tank car standards and Hazardous Materials shipping compliance.

Represent company on Chemical Industry Association of Canada (CIAC) Rail Committee, maintaining knowledge of US and Canadian rail shipping regulations and monitoring of short line safety statistics.

Qualifications:

5 years business, management accounting, strategic, and/or commercial planning experience.

Demonstrated strategic and commercial planning skills.

Experience in logistics, chemical or oil/gas industries.

Experience in the rail industry.

Excellent analytical skills

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