Director of Operations, Rail

The Director of Operation’s duties, roles and responsibilities are dynamic.  The Director of Operations is responsible for optimizing operation costs, ensuring safety, financial performance, and achieving quality, specifically for our North American Rail facilities.  This role supports the team, coaches, and promotes individual staff development, and acts as a company representative internally and externally, and works closely with Corporate shared services to ensure processes and procedures that are consistent with LB Foster’s principles.  Other responsibilities include managing daily operations, planning how both material and human resources are to be utilized, and leading transformational change.

Responsibilities (Essential Functions):

1. Managing the day-to-day operations of the business focusing the company on the fundamentals of sound business methodologies and continuous improvement for multiple facilities and yards, including Niles, Pueblo, Columbia City and Burnaby.
2. Evaluate the performance of the organization in meeting objectives and determine where costs can be reduced, what can be improved and what should be changed.
3. Work with executive leadership to establish and provide direction for short and long range organizational goals and objectives.
4. Driving and continuing to build and nurture an aggressive performance-oriented culture.
5. Strategically adjusts plant activities, policies, and practices to meet or exceed key performance metrics and customer satisfaction goals.
6. Continue to upgrade company processes and procedures to reach supply chain synergies between the various plants, including inventory management.
7. Directing operational excellence through “continuous improvement” activities in engineering, procurement, and production management, with the aim to drive additional lean manufacturing initiatives and cut production costs.
8. Interacting with plant leadership, accounting, and the SVP – Rail by providing timely financial and operating reporting.
9. Continuing to develop, mentor, and build a first-class team as the business expands its geographic footprint and drive a cultural shift in the company towards operational excellence.

Experience, Education, & License Requirements:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, or related required. Master’s Degree is a plus.
• 10 plus years of professional experience with demonstrated progressive levels of management experience
• 5 plus years of technical manufacturing knowledge required
• Six Sigma certification a plus

Skills & Abilities:

• Exemplary interpersonal and communication skills.
• Strong organizational, decision making, negotiating, problem solving and interpersonal skills
• High-ethical standards demonstrated by the individual’s reputation for high integrity in business and the ability to set that tone for the entire business.
• Strong understanding of P&L.
• Can lead effectively by driving objectives and results while maintaining the “people first” culture and engaging others.
• The ability to demonstrate knowledge of Lean principles, Six-sigma and manufacturing best practices

Competencies:

• Timely Decision Making
• Planning
• Problem Solving
• Directs Others
• Transformational Leadership
• Manages Diversity
• Managerial Courage
• Drive for Results
• Global Business Acumen
• Developing Direct Reports
• Motivating Others
• Managing Vision and Purpose
• Innovation Management

Experience

Required

• 10 year(s): Experience with demonstrated progressive levels of management experience

Education

Preferred

• Bachelors or better in Business Administration
• Bachelors or better in Engineering

Licenses & Certifications

Preferred

• Six Sigma Cert

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.

See job description