Director Rail Mobility

0072 Port of Houston Authority; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Port Houston seeks a senior leader to guide freight rail operations strategy for the Houston Shipping Channel. You will partner with class I rails, PTRA, and customers to identify projects that reduce costs and expand capacity across Port Houston facilities.

The role requires a deep background in freight rail, transportation planning, and port operations, with 10+ years of experience and strong leadership abilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field required; Master’s degree preferred.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in freight rail, transportation planning, port operations, logistics, infrastructure development, or related field.
• Knowledge of the Houston Ship Channel and regional freight transportation network.
• Supervisory experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Identify current and future rail freight needs and priorities and how solutions complement other transport modes.
• Maintain and grow partnerships with senior railroad officers and regulatory bodies.
• Develop rail project priorities aligned with regional transportation plans.
• Advocate for rail funding opportunities to support regional freight priorities.
• Manage departmental budget and performance metrics.
• Represent Port Houston on the PTRA Board in absence of the CEO.
• Prepare quarterly reports detailing Port Houston activities.

Skills

Freight rail & transport planning

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

Project management

Data analysis & GIS

Executive communication

Negotiation

Budget oversight

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Transportation, Supply Chain Management, or related major

Master’s degree in transportation, engineering, planning, logistics, business, or public administration preferred

Tools

GIS

Job description

Thank you for considering a career at Port Houston. We appreciate your interest in joining our team. By applying, you are taking an important step toward advancing your career with an organization committed to excellence. Port Houston offers competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a diverse, inclusive work environment. Joining our team means embarking on a fulfilling career path with opportunities for growth and impact.

Before submitting your application, please ensure your resume is ready for upload in either .doc or .pdf format. Application must be completed in full.

Position Summary

Lead short and long-term strategic objectives for freight rail operations for the Houston Shipping Channel and Port Houston public terminals. Partners with class 1 railroads, PTRA, industry, and Port Houston customers and users to identify, fund, and execute projects to optimize connection to market, reducing costs, and expanding capacity. Identifies and supports freight transportation projects that improve access to Port Houston facilities (public and private) to enable and support growth for freight in the region.

Key Responsibilities/Duties

Partner with industry stakeholders to identify current and future rail freight transportation needs and priorities and how these solutions complement other methods of transportation Maintain and grow operational and business development partnerships and interaction with senior railroad officers with the Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, CPKC, PTRA, and local short line railroads. Collaborate with other agencies in studies that identify and prioritize maritime related rail freight transportation improvement projects. Identify funding opportunities and policies that support maritime related freight road, rail, and barge projects; create an optimized strategy for project advocacy and execution. Support Port Houston involvement with key partners including but not limited to Harris County, Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC), TxDOT, and regional transportation advocacy groups to promote freight mobility projects Develop rail project priorities and align them with regional transportation plans. Advocate for rail funding opportunities which support regional freight priorities. Manage departmental budget Develop and foster relationships with all users of rail infrastructure along the HSC to identify and resolve service disruptions and develop long term investment strategies to drive increased tonnage through the region. Partner with other Port Houston departments to align project priorities and advocacy initiatives. Collaborate across the organization as the SME for all rail related service and development issues Perform the necessary functions to assist in providing rail service and access to Port Houston facilities Evaluate new and existing technical systems and processes and develop and execute project plans to improve rail products for Port Houston and HSC Support Port Houston leadership in negotiations and planning efforts relating to rail operations or business development. Serve as Port Houston representative on the PTRA Board in absence of the Chief Executive Officer; optimize contract terms with PTRA. Represent Port Houston on various committees such as Greater Houston Partnership’s Transportation and Infrastructure Advisory Committee and Freight Rail Committee Submit a written report to the Chief Port Infrastructure Officer on a quarterly basis, detailing all Port Houston activities performed in the previous quarter Act in accordance with Port Houston core values (respect, excellence, accountability, diligence, and you)

• Perform other duties, as required

Education/Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Transportation, Supply Chain Management, or related major in a public or accredited private academic institution required Master’s degree in transportation, engineering, planning, logistics, business, or public administration preferred 10 plus years of progressively responsible experience in freight rail, transportation planning, port operations, logistics, infrastructure development or a related field required. Knowledge of the Houston Ship Channel and the Houston-region freight transportation network. Previous supervisory experience preferred Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Behaviors:

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Behaviors

Knowledge of freight transportation trends, multi-modal freight distribution and potential impacts of heavy truck corridors Clear understanding of rail operations and regional and nation-wide rail networks. Operating knowledge of costs, market rates and competitive dynamics for various transport modes (trucking, rail, barge, etc.) Ability to quantify the costs and benefits of potential freight mobility projects and translate them into business cases assessing such projects Data analysis, forecasting, geographic information systems, and performance measurement. Executive-level communication, negotiation, facilitation, and stakeholder management. Decision making skills Knowledge of Port’s strategic plan Working knowledge of regional, state and national rail project funding processes. Project management skills Change management skills Leadership, managerial, and mentoring skills Ability to build a consensus Customer service skills Interpersonal skills Ability to formulate objectives and priorities Ability to make presentations Ability to negotiate and execute contracts Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously Ability to engage various stakeholders

Key Competencies Required

• Achieving Results
• Analytical Thinking
• Building a Successful Team
• Collaboration
• Leading through Vision and Values
• Continuous Improvement
• Ethics and Values
• Risk-taking
• Strategic Decision Making

This work site location of this job is

Port Houston Administration Building

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate, but due to open office environment noise level may occasionally be high.

Port Houston is an equal opportunity employer and participates in the E-Verify program supervised by the U.S. Government.

Disclaimer: The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this job. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. We appreciate your interest in Port Houston.

Port Houston is an equal employment opportunity employer. Port Houston’s policy is not to discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age (40 and over), disability, military status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Port Houston also prohibits harassment of applicants or employees based on any of these protected categories.