Business Development Lead, Freight Rail

URC Wilson & Company, Inc., Engineers & Architects; Kansas City (MO); Hybrid; USD 103,000 - 113,000; Part time

Job summary

Wilson & Company, Inc., Engineers & Architects is seeking a part-time Business Development Lead for Freight Rail in the Kansas City area. This client-facing role supports relationships with freight rail customers, identifies service needs, coordinates internal support, and helps advance opportunities across rail transportation and related advisory services.

You will coordinate with engineering, operations, and leadership teams to align resources with client priorities and contribute to revenue

Qualifications

• Demonstrated freight rail/railroad ops or related field experience.
• Strong understanding of rail industry stakeholders and decision processes.
• Proven ability to manage client relationships, write updates, and coordinate internal teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to prepare meeting notes and pursuit materials.
• Ability to prioritize multiple client priorities on a part-time schedule.

Responsibilities

• Serve as relationship strategist for freight rail clients with regular communications.
• Develop understanding of each client’s rail operations, objectives, needs, and decisions.
• Coordinate with internal teams to align resources with client needs.
• Support client account plans, pursuit strategies, and meeting briefs.
• Identify opportunities for rail planning, engineering, or advisory services.
• Assist with proposal strategy, client intelligence, and materials review.
• Monitor industry trends and client needs affecting opportunities.
• Represent the firm in meetings, associations, and conferences.
• Track interactions and next steps using CRM tools.

Skills

Freight rail

Railroad operations

Transportation planning

Logistics

Engineering

Business development

Client management

Communication skills

Organization

Education

Bachelor’s degree in relevant field

Tools

CRM tools

Productivity apps

Job description

Wilson & Company is seeking a part-time Business Development Lead, Freight Rail as a client-facing role responsible for supporting relationships with freight rail customers, identifying service needs, coordinating internal support, and helping advance business opportunities across freight rail transportation, logistics, engineering, and related advisory services. This position serves as a trusted point of contact for selected clients and supports sustained revenue growth through responsive communication, industry knowledge, and disciplined follow-through.

The position’s key roles and responsibilities include:

• Serve as a relationship strategist for assigned freight rail clients, maintaining regular communication and documenting client priorities, concerns, and opportunities.
• Develop a working understanding of each client’s rail operations, transportation objectives, capital needs, service challenges, and decision-making process.
• Coordinate with internal technical, operations, commercial, and leadership teams to align resources with client needs.
• Support development of client account plans, pursuit strategies, meeting agendas, briefing notes, and follow-up action items.
• Identify potential opportunities for rail planning, engineering, operations support, grant assistance, project delivery, or related consulting services.
• Assist with proposal strategy, scope development, client intelligence, and review of client-facing materials.
• Monitor freight rail industry trends, shipper needs, railroad priorities, public funding opportunities, and market conditions that may affect assigned clients.
• Represent Wilson & Company professionally in client meetings, industry associations, conferences, and networking settings.
• Track client interactions, opportunity status, commitments, and next steps using designated business development or customer relationship management tools.
• Promote a client service culture focused on responsiveness, accuracy, confidentiality, and long-term partnership.

The position will conform to Wilson & Company’s flexible work policy, including hybrid work opportunity.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in freight rail, railroad operations, transportation planning, logistics, engineering, business development, client management, or a closely related field.
• Strong understanding of freight rail industry stakeholders, including railroads, shippers, ports, industrial customers, public agencies, and economic development partners.
• Proven ability to build and maintain professional relationships with senior-level client contacts and internal subject matter experts.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to prepare concise meeting notes, client updates, and pursuit materials.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple client priorities on a part-time schedule.
• Sound business judgment, discretion, and ability to handle confidential client and commercial information.
• Comfort using common productivity, communication, and customer relationship management tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Existing relationships within the Class I, short line, industrial development, shipper, or freight rail consulting communities.
• Experience supporting pursuits, proposals, account planning, or strategic client development.
• Familiarity with rail infrastructure projects, intermodal operations, transload facilities, industrial site development, rail service design, or public funding programs.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, transportation, logistics, planning, or a related discipline; equivalent industry experience may be considered.

Hourly Earnings: $75.00 - $82.00 (Depending on Experience)

About Us

For nearly a century, Wilson & Company, Inc., Engineers & Architects, has provided award-winning engineering, architecture, planning, environmental, surveying, geospatial, and construction management services. With employees across multiple offices in the Midwest, Southwest, Rocky Mountain, and Western regions in the United States, we bring people together to practice their craft, create value, and accomplish great things. Guided by our purpose, we help clients move from concept to completion, transforming unused spaces into productive places, underutilized facilities into efficient ones, and rural or urban challenges into achievable solutions. At Wilson & Company, we focus on your specific needs, delivering excellence with lasting Higher Relationships in mind. By employing our core values—discipline, intensity, collaboration, shared ownership, and solutions—we create genuine experiences and lasting connections for our clients, employees, and communities. We support our employees’ success and well-being with a comprehensive benefits package, including options for health insurance, life insurance, disability coverage, paid time off, and retirement savings plans. We are proud to be an EEO employer and maintain a drug-free workplace, conducting pre-employment background checks. Join us and be part of a culture committed to helping you achieve personal and professional success. Our commitment to excellence starts with our people. We know working for a company is about more than earning a paycheck; it’s about being part of an organization that aligns with your values and goals. When considering where to invest your time and talent, choosing a workplace that provides a fulfilling and enriching career experience is crucial. That’s where we come in.