Senior Rail Operations Consultant

ConSol Partners; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

ConSol Partners is seeking an experienced rail operations professional for a consulting role focused on U.S. freight rail, timetable development and capacity planning.

You will translate client requirements into practical plans and lead the delivery of technical work with analysts and consultants. You will engage clients directly, manage workshops and present recommendations to senior stakeholders while coordinating multidisciplinary teams on complex rail projects in North America.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field is required.
• Minimum 4 years of experience in railroad operations planning or timetable development.
• Direct experience with a Class I railroad in the United States is essential.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities are expected.
• Experience leading client engagements and multidisciplinary teams is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Translate client requirements into practical rail operations plans.
• Lead delivery of technical work by analysts and consultants.
• Engage clients to understand needs and present solutions.
• Conduct quantitative analysis and operational studies.
• Lead workshops with technical and operational stakeholders.
• Develop clear recommendations from findings and present to senior stakeholders.
• Support proposals, budgets and delivery schedules for new business.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary project teams to ensure high-quality deliverables.
• Apply rail ops knowledge across diverse consulting projects.

Skills

Rail ops planning

Timetable development

Capacity planning

Service design

Client engagement

Project management

Analytical thinking

Stakeholder management

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Transportation/Business

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Word

Job description

We are recruiting for an experienced rail operations professional to join a consulting environment supporting complex projects across the North American rail and transportation sector.

This role would suit someone with hands‑on experience in U.S. freight railroad operations, timetable development, capacity planning or service design, who can combine operational knowledge with strong analytical and consulting skills.

The Opportunity

You will work directly with clients to understand operational challenges, develop practical solutions and deliver high-quality analysis and recommendations.

The position involves a combination of railway operations planning, quantitative analysis, project delivery and client engagement, with the opportunity to work on complex transportation and mobility projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Translate client requirements and operational challenges into practical and effective plans.
• Lead and oversee the delivery of technical work produced by analysts and consultants.
• Work directly with clients to understand requirements, develop solutions and maintain strong professional relationships.
• Conduct research, quantitative analysis and operational studies.
• Lead workshops and facilitate discussions with technical and operational stakeholders.
• Develop clear recommendations based on analysis and project findings.
• Present project outcomes and recommendations to senior client stakeholders.
• Support the preparation of proposals and new business opportunities, including project methodologies, budgets and delivery schedules.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary project teams and ensure high-quality client deliverables.
• Apply specialist rail operations knowledge to a range of consulting and advisory projects.
• Work with subject matter experts across engineering, operations and transportation disciplines where required.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Transportation, Business Administration or a related discipline.
• Minimum 4 years of relevant experience in railroad operations planning, timetable development, service planning or a closely related area.
• Direct experience working with a Class I railroad in the United States is essential.
• Strong understanding of U.S. freight railroad operations.
• Good knowledge of railroad capacity planning and the interaction between infrastructure owners and train operators.
• Experience developing or analysing operating plans, timetables, services or network capacity.
• Experience managing projects, workstreams or multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong analytical, conceptual and problem-solving abilities.
• Comfortable working independently and taking ownership of project deliverables.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Confident presenting technical analysis and recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Word, including using Excel for quantitative analysis and modelling.
• Comfortable working in a fast‑paced, collaborative and client-focused environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Genuine interest in the railway, transportation and mobility sectors.
• Experience using railway simulation or operational modelling software, such as RTC or comparable dynamic simulation tools.
• Experience in consulting, advisory services or another client-facing technical environment would be advantageous.
• Experience working across complex freight rail networks or with multiple infrastructure and operating stakeholders would be beneficial.