Senior Manager, Mechanical & Maintenance

Did you know that VIA Rail is carrying out ambitious projects to modernize its services and infrastructure? From our new ultramodern train fleet to ongoing improvement of our infrastructure, we’re building the future of transportation in Canada. Working for VIA Rail is being a part of a collective effort in sustainable mobility.

Reporting to the Director, Mechanical and Maintenance, the incumbent is responsible for managing equipment maintenance and train operational requirements for Central Station, Québec, Ottawa, Halifax, Jonquière, and Senneterre, in order to meet customer expectations and comply with VIA’s safety, regulatory, and operational standards while achieving budgetary objectives.

Responsibilities

• Manage and control a budget of approximately 10 million dollars and identify cost-saving opportunities wherever possible.
• Be responsible for real-time maintenance of VIA’s fleet equipment, managing all in-service maintenance emergencies including diagnostics, intervention planning, and assigning tasks to the appropriate maintenance/repair team.
• Implement and deploy the maintenance program for the new fleet while adapting the maintenance of legacy equipment to new practices across various shops.
• Act as a change agent in the transformation, support, education, and coaching of maintenance employees during the transition to new processes, including a technological shift.
• Serve as a liaison between the civil engineering and reliability teams and the employees at maintenance centers and sites across the Corridor.
  
  

Managing People

• Directs a team of supervisors, professionals and indirect unionized employees;
• Act as a leader, provide coaching and ensure the transfer of knowledge to improve the competencies of team members. Also,
• Follow up with the service and maintenance process on locomotives and passenger rail cars to ensure that assets are utilized efficiently;
• Ensures that all repairs and/or servicing are affected in a safe and efficient manner and in accordance with Company, AAR and TC regulations;
• Manage projects and monitor the results to ensure work quality and alignment with established objectives;
• Implement the necessary actions to ensure that objectives, and KPI’s are met, respecting and monitoring methods according to the established schedule.
  
  

Promoting Health & Safety

• Encourage and promote a healthy and safe culture at the workplace as well as, take the appropriate preventative actions in a timely manner;
• Manage and promote a work environment conducive to the prevention of loss (occupational safety and health, overtime, absenteeism, productivity, corporate assets, material waste and environmental compliance);
• In collaboration with the supervisors, identify opportunities to improve Health and Safety, the environment and strive to gain efficiency in our processes while making recommendations to VIA’s maintenance center.
• In collaboration with the director and the health and safety committee ensure the application and implementation of safety initiatives and ensure compliance with Company Safety programs/policies, Canada Labour Code, OSHA and general safety principles.
  
  

Continuous Improvement

• Promote and foster a culture of continuous improvement;
• Oversees the servicing and mechanical maintenance programs with the specific focus of continuing to improve and develop set policies and procedures;
• Recommend and implement the necessary corrective measures following violations of the railway operational rules, train delays and other irregularities.
• Acts as a change agent and partner with the planning team to ensure the implementation of new work methodologies for the integration of the new fleet.
  
  

Requirements

• College/University Education or 10 years' experience of which 5 are in a leadership role in the maintenance of equipment, preferably in a unionized environment.
• Experience in transportation industry (asset).
• Familiar with Transport Canada Railway regulations (asset).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite.
  
  

Competencies

• Proven abilities in leadership and coaching.
• Demonstrate superior interpersonal skills & team spirit.
• Demonstrated ability to work under tight deadlines, multi-task, required high-level & priority decision making.
• Strong problem solving & conflict management.
• Excellent communication skills (political savvy).
• Strong analytical abilities.
• Drive for results with a demonstrated commitment to Safety and Quality.
• Agile, strategic and adaptable in an environment of constant changes.
• Promoting Diversity.
• Adhering to mission & purpose.
  
  

At VIA Rail, we are proud to be an employment-equity employer and we strive to form teams that reflect the diversity of Canadian society. We aim to remove barriers to employment accessibility and aspire to provide an inclusive and equitable work environment where everyone is valued, regardless of their identity or differences, to enable them to reach their full potential.

If you need assistance in making the recruitment process or the position you are applying for more accessible, please let us know. Alternate arrangements may be offered to individuals who request them at any stage of the recruitment process. All information received in relation to arrangements will be kept confidential.

Note that we will only contact those who are selected for an interview.

Join our 3,000 other employees in helping provide Canadians with a safe, accessible, environmentally sustainable way to travel!