Job Description
Role Summary / Purpose
The Locomotive Wheel Repair Shop (REMAN) Leader is responsible for the safe, efficient, and compliant operation of the locomotive wheel repair facility based out of Roza. The role provides overall leadership for planning, execution, quality control, resource management, and reporting related to locomotive wheelset, axle, bearing, and wheel machining/repair activities. The incumbent will ensure timely turnaround of wheelsets to meet fleet reliability requirements while maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality, productivity, and cost performance.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead wheel repair shop operations at Roza including wheelset inspection, disassembly, repair, machining, assembly, testing, and dispatch.
- Develop and execute production plans to meet wheel overhaul and repair targets in alignment with locomotive maintenance schedules and customer requirements.
- Ensure all wheel repair activities are performed in accordance with approved engineering specifications, documented procedures, quality standards, and statutory requirements.
- Prepare and maintain Service BOMs, repair work scopes, routing plans, and resource requirements to support efficient execution.
- Coordinate closely with service sheds, maintenance facilities, fleet teams, and planning groups to forecast wheel repair demand and prioritize shop workload.
- Monitor wheelset turnaround time (TAT), shop productivity, machine utilization, backlog, and quality KPIs to drive operational excellence.
- Ensure availability of inventory of spares and consumables, tooling, gauges, lifting equipment, and plant & equipment required for uninterrupted operations.
- Lead preventive and corrective maintenance planning for wheel lathes, presses, NDT equipment, and other critical repair shop assets to minimize downtime.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives, Lean practices, Kaizens, and productivity enhancement programs to reduce cost and improve throughput.
- Establish robust quality control processes including dimensional inspections, NDT compliance, documentation, traceability, and release procedures.
- Maintain accurate daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual MIS reports covering production, safety, quality, inventory, and cost metrics.
- Ensure compliance with EHS requirements and promote a zero-harm culture through risk assessments, audits, safety observations, and employee engagement.
- Develop team capability through training, coaching, competency assessment, and succession planning for shop personnel.
- Lead investigations of quality incidents, equipment failures, safety events, and customer complaints, ensuring timely corrective and preventive actions.
Revised Qualifications / Requirements
- Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical, Production, Industrial, or related Engineering discipline/Diploma Engineer with appropriate experience.
- 12 to 15 years of experience in locomotive maintenance, wheel shop operations, machine shop operations, heavy engineering, rolling stock maintenance, or repair facilities.
- Demonstrated experience in machining, wheelset overhaul, axle and bearing assembly/disassembly, or related maintenance activities.
- Strong knowledge of production planning, inventory management, shop-floor execution, and maintenance processes.
- Experience leading multi-shift operations in a manufacturing or maintenance environment.
- Working knowledge of ERP systems, maintenance management systems, and data analysis tools.
- Strong leadership, communication, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage cross-functional teams while meeting safety, quality, cost, and delivery objectives.
Desired Characteristics
- Proven experience managing locomotive wheel repair shops, wheelset overhauls, or railway maintenance facilities.
- Strong understanding of wheel profile restoration, wheelset inspection techniques, NDT practices, machining processes, and quality assurance requirements.
- Experience implementing TPM and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Strong customer focus and ability to coordinate effectively with railway maintenance depots and operations teams.
- Demonstrated capability in driving safety culture, environmental compliance, and workforce engagement.
- Ability to leverage digital tools and reporting systems for operational decision-making and performance management.
Additional Information
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Wabtec is a leading global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions, and value-added services for the freight and transit rail sectors. Drawing on more than 150 years of experience, we are leading the way in safety, efficiency, reliability, innovation, and productivity. Whether it’s freight, transit, ports, logistics, mining, industrial, or marine, our expertise, technologies, and people together – are accelerating the future of transportation. With roots that date back to George Westinghouse, Thomas Edison, and Louis Faiveley, Wabtec has always built technologies and implemented solutions for a variety of sectors that are critical to meeting the needs of customers and governments alike.
Our global team of about 30,000 employees worldwide delivers performance that moves the world forward. We’re lifelong learners, obsessed with better. Learn more at www.WabtecCorp.com.
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