Rail Equipment Optimization Lead - Heavy Specialized

Job Description Summary

Lead responsibility for optimizing the shipper's specialized rail equipment and ensuring rail capacity to reliably move heavy, oversized, and project cargo across the North American rail network. Deliver engineering, asset management, operational planning, and commercial negotiation to maximize equipment availability, reduce cost per move, and ensure safe, compliant transport of generators, gas turbines, and other heavy machinery.

Job Description

Core Responsibilities

• Equipment Strategy and Lifecycle Management: Define strategy for specialized assets (Multi-axle rail cars, heavy-duty flatcars, bolsters); set replacement, refurbishment.
• Asset Utilization and Deployment: Match equipment capability to shipment profiles; manage pooling, allocation, and rotation rules to maximize throughput and minimize idle time.
• Capacity Coordination: Secure train paths, siding access, and terminal slots with Class I and shortline railroads; align equipment availability with booked capacity and contingency plans.
• Heavy Lift and Route Readiness: Support route surveys, permitting, temporary works, and carrier interface for nonstandard moves.
• Reliability and Maintenance Programs: Implement preventive and predictive maintenance, condition monitoring, inspection schedules, and root-cause analysis for equipment failures.
• Technical Standards and Compliance: Maintain load charts, securement standards, certification records; ensure compliance with carrier rules and U.S. federal rail regulations.
• Vendor and Contract Management: Manage relationships with manufacturers, lessors, maintenance providers, and repair shops; negotiate service agreements, warranties, and spare parts contracts.
• Ability to manage 4PL RAIL management provider
• Performance Monitoring and Continuous Improvement: Track utilization, availability, MTBF, maintenance cost per move, and turnaround time; pilot telemetry and predictive analytics to improve uptime.
• Training and Competency Development: Create and deliver training for operations, maintenance crews, and contractors on safe handling, inspection, and specialized equipment operation.
• Stakeholder Communication: Produce technical briefings, load plans, and risk assessments for internal stakeholders, customers, carriers, and regulators.

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Railway Engineering, Logistics, or related field.
• Experience: Minimum 8 years in rail equipment engineering, heavy haul operations, or asset management; experience moving generators and gas turbines preferred.
• Technical Knowledge: Railcar design, load securement, axle load distribution, dynamic behavior under heavy loads, route constraint analysis, and heavy lift planning.
• Regulatory Familiarity: Working knowledge of FRA guidance and relevant parts of 49 CFR applicable to railroad operating practices and safety.
• Commercial Experience: Experience negotiating with carriers, equipment lessors, and maintenance vendors.

• Direct experience with multi-axle rail cars, heavy-Duty fleets.
• Proven track record moving generators and gas turbines across U.S. rail routes.
• Background in reliability engineering, predictive maintenance, or condition-based monitoring.
• Experience with permitting and route surveys for oversized/overweight moves.
• Understanding with AAR Open Top Loading Rules
• Relationship building and understanding of the Class I railroads