Rail Modal Manager

Holcim is planning to spin-off its North American Business to unleash its full potential, capitalizing on North America’s oversized growth in construction led by the modernization of infrastructure, a surge in advanced manufacturing and AI operation and the growth of resilient cities.

Holcim plans to list the new company on the NYSE by the end of the first half of 2025 and establish its operations headquarters in the US to be fully dedicated to serving the North American market and pursue a growth strategy across the region.

The newly listed company will become North America’s leading building solutions company, with industry-leading market position to meet its customers’ greatest ambitions with the most advanced building solutions from foundation to rooftop.

ABOUT THE ROLE
The Rail Modal Manager will manage all aspects relative to rail movement for Lafarge’s Eastern Canada Cement Group and assist the Cement organization in the development and execution of strategies to drive cost performance improvement. They will assist in negotiating contracts with railroads, third-party service providers, as well as manage a fleet of approximately 500 leased rail cars. They will ensure products (cement, clinker, slag granules, raw materials, fuels, etc.) are delivered on time, at the lowest cost possible, and free of exceptions. They will manage service providers to Lafarge standards. The Rail Modal Manager is the point of contact for sales, manufacturing, terminal operations, procurement, etc., as part of the logistics and supply chain team.

WHAT YOU’LL ACCOMPLISH

• Demonstrate a commitment to communicating, improving and adhering to health, safety and environmental policies in all work environments and areas.
• Promote a culture of safety and exhibit these behaviors. Actively contributes with implementation and compliance of Transport Canada and Lafarge Safety Standards.
• Continuous Improvement: Support the Cement group by working with both internal groups (sales, operations, manufacturing) and external groups (service providers, agencies, customers) representing rail shipping. Lead continuous improvement opportunities for current processes within the role to foster further simplification, visibility and efficiency.
• Assist in the review and implementation of new technology (Yard Management Systems and Tracking Tools) for integration of visibility and metric tracking for the logistics team and other stakeholders.
• Procurement Strategy: Assists the team in the negotiations with railways. Provides insights on opportunities for both inbound and outbound rail movements.
• Fleet Management: Manage a rail car fleet of approximately 500 cars. Calibrate the optimal fleet size using demand forecasting and improvements / efficiencies of fleet management.
• Rail Service Management: Track, expedite, optimize and manage the service cost components related to rail the Cement group. Issue and manage monthly key performance indicators.
• Forecast & Budget: Work with the cement and finance teams to develop monthly cost forecasts and monitoring tools.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

• Bachelor’s degree or College certificate preferred.
• Required Work Experience: Minimum five years of logistics and transportation experience with preference given to rail.
• SAP or other ERP systems experience a plus, Proficient in Microsoft Suite, Excel.
• Ability to travel up to 10% of time.

Additional Requirements:

• Familiarity with rail transportation and North American Class I rail network, preferably Eastern Canada and Northeast US.
• Strong initiative and motivation to identify, investigate, and take action on value creation opportunities.
• Organizational and analytical skills with the ability to work both independently and in a team environment to meet established deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships across functions, departments, and/or locations.
• Excellent verbal, written and presentation skills; able to adapt the message to the audience.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Flexible Health & Dental benefits coverage for you and your dependents, effective day one.
• A generous Pension Plan designed to support you through various stages of your career and life.
• Access to voluntary programs like RRSP and TFSA for future financial planning.
• Healthy Living support through an Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP).
• Access to online learning platforms, financial educational assistance, and a culture that fosters career growth and opportunities.

We thank you for your interest. Please note that this posting is for an existing vacancy, and only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Lafarge is committed to the principles of employment equity and encourages applications from women, visible minorities, and persons with disabilities.