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Chief Operations Training Officer

Job ID: 11797

Business Unit: Metro-North Railroad

Regular/Temporary: Regular

Department: Operations Training

Date Posted: May 20, 2025

Description

POSTING NO.

11797

JOB TITLE:

Chief Operations Training Officer

DEPT/DIV:

Operations – Training

WORK LOCATION:

420 Lexington Ave (Graybar)

FULL/PART-TIME

FULL

SALARY RANGE:

$ 142,005 .00 – $ 193,332 .00

DEADLINE:

Until filled

Metro-North Railroad reserves the right to remove this posting before the Application Deadline.

Opening:

MTA Metro-North Railroad is a dynamic organization, operating out of the jewel of New York City, Grand Central Terminal. We provide service to over 86.5 million customers, traveling in and out of New York and Connecticut. A subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Metro-North Railroad is one of the busiest commuter railroads in the nation. MTA Metro-North Railroad strives to provide a safe and reliable commute, excellent customer service, and rewarding opportunities to its employees.

Position Objective:

At the executive level, this position is responsible for : Design, develop, and implement a comprehensive and integrated operations training and development program for Metro-North Railroad, comprising all facets of operations, safety, technical, and regulatory training, including initial and refresher training, testing, qualifications, and certifications. Provide strategic leadership and consultation to Metro-North in all operations, training, and development aspects to promote organizational effectiveness and change management. Coordinate with MTA HQ People leads on delivery of leadership/professional development training for Metro-North employees, including ensuring the effective integration of leadership/professional competency development into operations training programs and initiatives. Collaborating with operations training leads across the MTA and external agencies on shared initiatives and establishing best practices , including innovation that enables efficiency . Provide overall leadership and direction for the Metro-North Operations Training Department, including, but not limited to, ensuring effective strategic and business planning; program development and delivery; budget planning and management; department guidelines and procedures; regulatory compliance; staff oversight and performance management; procurement; vendor oversight; payroll and timekeeping; overtime management; internal controls; and recordkeeping, reporting, and auditing. Support and promote Metro-North’s mission, vision, strategic plan, and operational goals.

Responsibilities:

+ Provide strategic leadership and execution in all aspects of operations , training , and development to build Metro-North's bench of talent to support effective operations. Ensure alignment of training programs, initiatives, and processes with Metro-North’s mission, vision, strategic plan, and operational goals. Serve as an internal consultant to assess training and development needs across the organization and recommend solutions in coordination with the operations division and departmental leadership. Recommend strategies to address identified needs and facilitate change management. Foster a climate of professionalism, continuous learning, innovation , and improvement at Metro-North.

+ Establish and maintain a comprehensive and integrated training and development program for Metro-North. Ensure the timely and effective design, development, and delivery of the full range of operations, safety, technical, and regulatory training to support Metro-North operational needs and regulatory compliance, including initial and refresher training, testing, qualifications, and certifications. Coordinate with MTA HQ People leads to ensure execution of leadership development, succession planning, and knowledge management programs and initiatives as required to meet the needs of Metro-North operations. Hire, manage, develop, and motivate a large, complex team of training professionals to achieve goals with a focus on performance and results.

+ Direct all business and support functions of the Metro-North Operations Training Department, including, but not limited to, strategic and business planning, budget planning and management, establishment and implementation of department guidelines and procedures, procurement, vendor oversight, payroll and timekeeping, overtime management, and internal controls. Ensure comprehensive, timely, and accurate recordkeeping and reporting of training and testing events, in compliance with all Metro-North, MTA, and regulatory requirements. Oversee adherence to and overall performance of manual and electronic recordkeeping and reporting systems and pursue improvements as appropriate.

+ Foster the implementation of best practices and ongoing improvement in the Metro-North training function. Collaborating with operations training leads across the MTA and external agencies on the execution of shared initiatives and the establishment of best practices. Ensure internal client satisfaction for training and development initiatives. Create and monitor key success indicators to ensure achievement of desired business outcomes. Keep current with industry-leading trends through benchmarking, external partnerships, and industry affiliations.

+ As requested, represents the Agency at meetings and interagency forums.

+ As needed, handles other responsibilities as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

Required Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

Demonstrated ability to:

+ Create and deliver effective and efficient training processes and services tailored to unique business needs .

+ Ensure internal and external customer focus .

+ Use technology to rapidly deliver quality training products and services .

+ Work across an organization to build a foundation of communication and partnership .

+ Develop and align strategies with business and serve as an inside consultant for line management on operational and organizational effectiveness .

+ Assist line managers in solving operational, technical, business, people, and change-related issues .

+ Foster systems thinking, customer focus, and continuous learning .

+ Strategically manage workforce development .

+ Understand the organizational culture and what is effective and ineffective .

+ Institutionalize change capability within the organization .

+ Lead the design, development, and integration of organization-wide training and development initiatives .

+ Oversee the forecasting of MNR workforce training and development needs and offer solutions .

+ Align and integrate learning and performance with organizational goals and strategies .

+ Introduce innovation to address volatility, uncertainty, complexity , and ambiguity (VUCA) .

Demonstrated:

+ Strong planning, organizational, analytical , and communication (verbal, written, presentation) skills .

+ Working knowledge of automated Human Resources and learning systems such as TIMS, KRONOS, and ELM/LMS) .

+ Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and foster teamwork .

+ Strong project planning skills, including the ability to meet deadlines even as priorities change .

+ Superior thought leadership and consultative skills .

+ Vision to encourage and implement an organizational culture that values professionalism and learning .

+ Business acumen to influence executives, managers , and employees and to oversee budget planning and management for the agency-wide training function .

+ Working knowledge of multiple relevant disciplines , including organizational change, employee relations, diversity initiatives, performance management, and relevant federal and state laws and regulations .

Required Educational/Experience/Training :

+ Bachelor’s Degree in Transportation Management, Education, Business, Human Resources Management, and/or related field.

+ Minimum of 15 years of operations training experience. Experience must include oversight of a complex function.

+ Minimum of 10 years of experience managing a diverse workforce.

The following is/are preferred, but other satisfactory combinations of relevant experience, education, and/or technical credentials will be considered:

+ Experience working with a unionized workforce.

Other Information

According to the New York State Public Officers Law & the MTA Code of Ethics, all employees who hold a policymaking position must file an Annual Statement of Financial Disclosure (FDS) with the NYS Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (the “Commission”).

Employees driving company vehicles must complete defensive driver training once every three years for current MNR drivers, or within 180 days of hire or transfer for an employee entering an authorized driving position.

Equal Employment Opportunity

MTA and its subsidiary and affiliated agencies are Equal Opportunity Employers, including those concerning veteran status and individuals with disabilities.

The MTA encourages qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and abilities, including military service members, to apply.