Intermodal Rail Operations Manager

Werner Enterprises Inc; Tampa (FL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Stock purchase plan

Paid time off

Life insurance

Disability plans and other coverage

Job summary

Werner Enterprises, Inc. in the United States seeks an Intermodal Rail Operations Manager to bridge Customer Account Management and Intermodal/Drayage teams, driving down costs and eliminating friction across North American rail networks.

You will own railroad schedule relationships, lead rail technology integrations, and develop yard-pull and demurrage strategies while overseeing performance metrics and cost recovery.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business, or equivalent industry experience.
• Experience: 5+ years in intermodal transportation, rail terminal operations, or drayage management.
• Strong capability to analyze accessorial line items and negotiate/dispute carrier storage charges.

Responsibilities

• Bridge Customer Account Management and Intermodal/Drayage teams to reduce operating costs.
• Own railroad schedule relationships across North America and drive rail technology integration.
• Audit accessorial spend and lead storage/demurrage recovery initiatives.
• Develop and implement yard pull, staging, and non-revenue avoidance strategies.
• Lead root-cause analysis on ramp storage and per diem charges and ensure accurate fee pass-through.

Skills

TMS mastery

Rail APIs

Excel

Power BI

SQL

Education

Bachelor's degree in SCM/Logistics

Tools

Railinc

ShipCSX

BNSF

UP

Job description

Intermodal Rail Operations Manager

The Intermodal Rail Operations Manager will serve as the critical strategic bridge between our Customer Account Management team and our Intermodal Execution / Drayage teams. In this role, your primary mandate is to eliminate operational friction and drive down intermodal operating costs. You will own all railroad schedule relationships across North America, drive rail technology integration, execute yard-pull and storage-prevention strategies, and audit accessorial spend. This position includes a performance-based variable compensation plan tied directly to your success in reducing average spend across rail ramp storage, per diem, yard pulls, and non-revenue dry runs.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Railroad Network, Schedule & Transit Management Comprehensive Rail Oversight: Serve as the primary operational contact and schedule owner for all rail carrier relationships: UP, BNSF, CSX, NS, CN, CPKC, and FEC.
• Transit Strategy & Quoted Times: Establish, maintain, and publish accurate quoted transit times across all customer lanes serviced by intermodal.
• Scorecards & Performance Tracking: Track and report on monthly Railroad Performance Scorecards, measuring on-time service, line-haul reliability, dwell times, lane volume, and schedule changes.
• Storage Mitigation, Real Estate & Execution Strategy Yard Pull & Pre-Staging Strategy: Develop and execute real estate and operational strategies for pre-pulling containers from rail terminals to local staging yards to systematically avoid high rail ramp storage tariffs. Includes mitigating asset ramp dwell time to maintain average dwell at 24 hours or less (each ramp).
• Non-Revenue & Dry Run Elimination: Optimize dispatch workflows with execution and customer service teams to eliminate preventable dry runs, canceled pulls, and improper container assignments.
• Storage & Per Diem Recovery: Lead the root-cause analysis and recovery process for all ramp storage and equipment per diem charges—ensuring accurate fee pass-through to responsible customers/carriers or successfully disputing railroad-caused charges.
• Rail Technology & Visibility API & Data Integrations: Partner with internal IT to drive rail tech enhancements, including real-time transit APIs, direct tracking feeds, automated storage/demurrage reporting tools, and predictive dwell alerts.
• In-Transit Visibility: Ensure account managers and execution teams have automated, accurate status feeds (origin pull, ramped, line-haul updates, constructive placement, notification, and outgate).

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Technical Mastery: Hands-on experience with Transportation Management Systems (TMS), rail carrier portals/APIs (Railinc, ShipCSX, BNSF, UP, etc.), and advanced data tools (Excel, Power BI, SQL).
• Rail Network Expertise: In-depth knowledge of North American Class I & regional rail networks (UP, BNSF, CSX, NS, CN, CPKC, FEC) and terminal/ramp storage structures.
• Financial & Analytical Acumen: Strong capability to analyze accessorial line items, perform root-cause financial audits, and negotiate/dispute carrier storage charges.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business, or equivalent industry experience.
• Experience: 5+ years in intermodal transportation, rail terminal operations, or drayage management. Proven track record of cross-functional team coordination between account management and execution teams.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Seeing and hearing: Read documents, computer screen answer phones, 75-100 % communicate in person.
• Standing and walking.
• 0-24 % Climbing, stooping, squatting and kneeling.
• 0-24 % Dexterity: utilizing phone, typing, and writing.
• 75-100 % Lift in excess of 10 pounds.
• 0-24 %

This position is eligible for benefits, which include medical, dental and vision plans.

• We also offer a 401(k) plan, stock purchase plan, paid time off, life insurance, disability plans and other optional supplemental coverage.

Werner Enterprises provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, marital status, genetic information or veteran status or other status protected by law. We encourage applicants of all ages as we do not discriminate on the basis of an applicant's age.

Werner Enterprises, Inc. delivers superior truckload transportation and logistics services to customers across the United States, Mexico and Canada. With 2025 revenues of nearly $3.0 billion, a modern truck and trailer fleet, more than 14,500 talented associates and our innovative Werner EDGE® technology, we are an essential solutions provider for customers who value the integrity of their supply chain and require safe and exceptional on-time service. Werner® provides Dedicated and One-Way Truckload services as well as Logistics services that include truckload brokerage, freight management, intermodal and final mile. Werner embraces inclusion as a core value and manages key risks and opportunities through a balanced sustainability strategy.