Supervisor, Mechanical and 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.

Our Maintenance Department, responsible for the maintenance and inspection of our trains, is facing an exciting future. With a new fleet on the horizon, changing demographics of our workforce and several projects on the go, our maintenance centers are undergoing a transformation.Reporting to the senior manager, the Supervisor, Maintenance and Mechanical Operations, will be responsible for managing trades employees, general workers and day to day operations of the Equipment Maintenance teams at the Vancouver Maintenance Centre. Act as a frontline leader, the supervisor will be a change agent and lead their team through challenging and exciting changes in a continuous improvement approach and promote a healthy and safe work environment.

Responsibilities

• Directs a team of unionized employees (trades & general workers);
• Demonstrate soft skill coaching approach being present on shopfloor to support and for the mobilisation of his team;
• Foster employee skill development and cohesive work environments for each team member;
• Organize work for employees and monitor progress throughout daily maintenance activities in collaboration with the Lead Hand;
• Oversee the onboarding process (or department transition) and ensure employees have a good understanding of the work environment, work practices, tools, and health and safety rule;
• Identify and coach performance deficiencies, as well as take action to develop required behaviors;
• Participate in the investigation process in accordance with the collective agreement;
• Provide timely information, share best practices, operational concerns and company information in order to create transparency and a clear understanding of company direction, expectations and an engaging environment;
• Accountable for maintaining a positive work environment and effectively managing and resolving conflicts promptly and equitably amongst employees (coaching recognition, reinforcement and feedback);
• Ensure a healthy work climate, culture, employee engagement and positive labor relations with the union and various partners;
• Enforce health and safety rules at all times and foster a health and safety driven workplace;
• Ensure that all employees have completed their mandatory safety training;
• Coach and train employees on safe and productive work procedures;
• Build safety compliance and improve safety results through regular safety observations; provide feedback, reward employee for safe performance and act on non-compliant behaviour;
• 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);
• Actively participate in lowering risks and incidents related to health and safety to meet targets;
• 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;
• Monitor performance objectives and recommend improvements to current methods and programs to increase productivity and work efficiency;
• Act as a change agent with their team and lead by example;
• Ensure good collaborative relationships are maintained among staff, contractors and internal clients by responding to issues as they arise with a sense of urgency;
• Responsible for overseeing accurate timely reporting of delays and identifying root cause and ways to improve;
• Lead the maintenance activities and team aligned with the pursue of a proactive maintenance approach through planned and scheduled work realization;
• Accountable for the control of the budget of his area (manpower overtime and material);
• Ensure train availability and reliability through the efficiency of his team and the quality of the work;
• Collaborate with various working groups, such as planning, continuous improvement, industrial engineering group, technical services and the quality group to deliver the daily operations safely and within the provided timeframe and budget;
• Resolve work quality problems, issues between employees and other concerns in an effective and timely manner;
• Ensure that employees follow company policies, that work is carried out according to Maintenance Centre quality standards;
• Improve processes by carefully examining quality monitors from QA teams and providing constructive feedback;
• Work in accordance to achieve the KPI's establish by the organization;

What We Are Looking For

• College degree (DEC) or any other combination of studies and work experience in a relevant field;
• Minimum of five (5) years of supervisory experience, relevant experience in manufacturing or the transportation industry;
• Experience working in a unionized environment is an asset;
• Familiar with Transport Canada Railway regulations (asset);
• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite;
• Excellent written and verbal proficiency in English

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