Summit Search Group is proud to partner with O&T Farms on the recruitment of their next Rail & Transload Manager.
O&T Farms is a growing, innovative agricultural company with a strong North American footprint. As they continue to expand, they are seeking a strategic and hands-on logistics leader to optimize and scale their rail and transload network.
This is a high-impact role offering the opportunity to build, manage, and evolve a complex transportation network while working closely with internal teams and external partners across Canada and the United States.
The Opportunity
Reporting to the Director of Operations, the Rail & Transload Manager will be responsible for the strategic development, execution, and optimization of O&T Farms’ North American rail and transload network. This role is highly external-facing, owning key third-party relationships and ensuring the network operates as a seamless extension of the organization.
The successful candidate will bring a strong mix of logistics strategy, relationship management, and operational execution, with the ability to scale systems to support future growth.
Key Responsibilities
Rail Network Strategy & Execution
- Manage and optimize the leased railcar fleet, including capacity, utilization, maintenance, and storage
- Develop and execute rail routing strategies across Canada and the U.S.
- Negotiate rail rates and service agreements with Class 1 railways and shortlines
- Monitor performance metrics including cycle times, dwell, demurrage, and car utilization
- Develop contingency routing plans and surge capacity strategies
Transloader Network Management
- Own and manage all transloader relationships across North America
- Negotiate contracts and service agreements with transloader partners
- Identify and onboard new transloaders to strengthen network resilience
- Oversee last-mile trucking agreements and rate negotiations
- Conduct regular site visits to ensure operational standards and compliance
- Drive improvements in delivery timelines, accuracy, and inventory reconciliation
- Lead investigations into customer issues, non-conformances, and service disruptions
Freight Market Intelligence
- Analyze rail and truck freight markets across North America
- Provide insights to support long-term network planning and cost optimization
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Sales to align network design with demand and geographic growth
- Work with Quality Assurance to ensure compliance with internal and third-party standards
- Coordinate with Logistics to ensure alignment between production and transportation
- Provide regular reporting on network performance and key metrics
Scalability & Growth
- Design and implement scalable logistics systems to support 2–3x growth
- Identify future expansion opportunities across the transload network
- Develop long-term railcar fleet expansion strategies aligned with business growth
Qualifications
- 5+ years of experience in rail, logistics, transportation, or supply chain management
- Strong understanding of rail networks, transloading, and freight economics
- Experience managing third-party logistics providers and vendor relationships
- Proven ability to negotiate contracts and manage service agreements
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret data and drive decisions
- Experience working cross-functionally in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment
- Willingness and ability to travel for site visits across North America
Why This Opportunity
- Opportunity to build and scale a North American logistics network
- High level of ownership and autonomy in a strategic role
- Work closely with leadership and play a key role in company growth
- Join a collaborative, entrepreneurial organization with strong momentum
If you are a logistics professional who thrives on building relationships, optimizing networks, and driving operational excellence, this is an outstanding opportunity to make a meaningful impact.
For more information, or to submit your resume, please contact Gail Eckert at Summit Search Group: [email protected]
Summit Search Group is committed to Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion. We strive for continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors, and proactively managing bias throughout our process.
Pay: $70,000.00-$100,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
