Workshop Management Operations Manager (m/f/d)

GATX Rail Europe; Wien; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

International work environment

Career development opportunities

Opportunity to shape maintenance practices

Job summary

GATX Rail Europe in Vienna is seeking a Workshop Management Operations Manager to oversee freight wagon maintenance across six European sites. This key leadership role requires an experienced individual with over seven years in rail freight or fleet operations. Responsibilities include operational management, team leadership, process optimization, and compliance assurance. The ideal candidate holds a relevant degree and has proven leadership experience in an international, multi-site environment. The position involves frequent travel across Europe, offering opportunities for career development in a growing organization.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in rail freight, industrial maintenance, or fleet operations.
• Strong understanding of wagon technology and maintenance standards.
• Excellent knowledge of English and at least one other European language.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations and performance of maintenance activities.
• Lead and develop a team of maintenance managers and technicians.
• Implement standardized maintenance processes to increase efficiency.
• Manage operational budgets and control maintenance costs.
• Collaborate with external maintenance providers for service delivery.
• Ensure compliance with safety regulations and technical standards.
• Define and track KPIs related to maintenance effectiveness.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives in maintenance planning.
• Coordinate maintenance requirements with customer requests.

Skills

Leadership in multi-site environment

Operational management

Process optimization

Budget management

Compliance knowledge

Education

Degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Job description

Workshop Management Operations Manager (m/f/d)

GATX Rail Europe is a leading, full-service railcar lessor offering a high quality and diversified fleet to over 20 European countries. With an experienced, service-oriented team, we are focused on making railcar leasing and rail transport simple, efficient, and seamless. We empower, develop, and recognize our people, building a culture of excellence, accountability, and respect. We value diversity and open communication to create a collaborative environment.

We are looking for an experienced, hands‑on leader to take on the key role of overseeing the operational execution and coordination of freight wagon maintenance across six European sites. The goal is to maintain rail freight assets to the highest standards of safety, availability, and reliability while leading a multicultural, geographically distributed team.

Your main responsibilities:

• Operational Management: Take the lead in overseeing the daily operations and performance of all GRE maintenance activities across all locations, ensuring compliance with safety standards, maintenance schedules, and quality requirements.
• Leadership & Team Development: Lead and develop a team of maintenance managers and technicians spanning six European sites. Encourage collaboration, knowledge sharing and high performance throughout the network.
• Process Optimization: Implement standardized maintenance processes and best practices to increase efficiency, reduce downtime, and ensure asset availability.
• Budget & Resource Management: Manage operational budgets, control maintenance costs, and allocate resources efficiently across the sites.
• Supplier & Workshop Coordination: Ensure that service delivery is both timely and high-quality by collaborating with external maintenance and service providers, especially workshops.
• Compliance & Safety: Ensure all maintenance activities comply with relevant regulations (e.g. ECM), technical standards, and internal safety protocols, including Rail Maintenance Policy Management in line with the concept of GRE’s Rail Maintenance Policy.
• Performance Monitoring: Define and track KPIs relating to maintenance effectiveness, fleet availability and cost efficiency. Prepare reports and present insights to senior management.
• Continuous Improvement: Focus on driving continuous improvement initiatives in maintenance planning, execution and cross‑site collaboration.
• Key interface to Market Operations: Ensure that maintenance requirements are coordinated with customer requirements in Market Operations. Effectively manage requests with a focus on customer satisfaction, driving the operational execution of ‘high attention’ requests until completion.

We offer:

• A critical leadership role with high operational impact
• International work environment with diverse teams
• Opportunity to shape and standardize maintenance practices across Europe
• Career development opportunities in a growing organization

You are a good fit if you have:

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Transportation, or a related technical field
• 7+ years of experience in rail freight, industrial maintenance, or fleet operations
• Proven leadership experience in a multi-site, international environment
• Strong understanding of wagon technology, maintenance standards and ECM requirements
• Excellent organizational and communication skills
• Excellent knowledge of English and at least one other European language, preferably German or Polish, to the same level. Additional languages are a plus.
• High willingness to travel regularly within Europe (>50%) due to the six locations to be managed