During a recession, many people look to change the direction of their career and seek new types of positions. This edition of Signal focuses on one occupational group that tends to be an interesting fit for individuals looking to transition to a career in rail: Operational Supervisors. 

If you have managed groups of people, have worked in a technical environment that requires a focus on safety, and shown a commitment to meeting deadlines, then you might consider applying for a supervisory level role with a railway.  Below you will find a Featured Job Posting detailing what CN looks for when recruiting for First Line Supervisors.

Another article outlines the role of a Mechanical Supervisor role, as featured on Career on Track. Individuals who are hired into First Line Supervisor positions are chosen for their transferable skills and experience. They are trained internally by their new employer to learn the specifics of working in the rail industry. If you are considering a switch to a different industry, then you might want to consider these interesting opportunities. 

Company: CN. Location: Multiple locations, Maritimes and Quebec. The First Line Supervisor (FLS) manages the day-to-day operation of their function or group through their unionized staff. This role is critical to ensuring the on-time performance of trains and delivering on CN’s commitments to customers. FLS perform and supervise various tasks related to their functional area.

Examples of the numerous FLS roles at CN include:  
Mechanical – focused on the efficient utilization of locomotives and repair of cars;  Engineering – focused on the repair and maintenance of way and signals; Transportation – focused on safe haulage of merchandise to their destination;  and Clerical – focused on both internal and external customer service.

For the detailed job description, click here.

The Railway Association of Canada's Career on Track website offers you some interesting insight into some of the jobs commonly found in a railway environment. One example of a Front Line Supervisor occupation found within Canada's railways is the Mechanical Supervisor.

The Mechanical Supervisor plays an important role in asset utilization: ensuring that rolling stock – such as locomotives and freight cars – is in good mechanical condition to reliably transport customer’s goods and meet service commitments.

Mechanical Supervisors see to it that Railway Car Technicians inspect freight cars on trains, perform routine maintenance and make required repairs – such as replacing worn brake shoes or wheels or broken couplers. Mechanical Supervisors ensure that necessary repairs are done in the quickest and most efficient way possible so that cars can resume carrying customer merchandise to the intended destination, on-time and damage free.

The Mechanical Supervisor is responsible for assigning and supervising such staff as Heavy Duty Mechanics and Locomotive Electricians who perform routine maintenance or make repairs at locomotive shops or out on the road. Careful attention is paid to minimizing locomotive downtime and getting them safely back into service soon as possible.

Mechanical Supervisors continuously strive to improve the repair process and seek better ways of doing things. This critical leadership position is a tough, demanding, yet rewarding job. The expectations are high for Mechanical Supervisors but they are well rewarded for their efforts. In fact, many of those in senior management started out at this level, demonstrating the vast amount of career advancement opportunities in rail.