Job Description

Job Location: Houston - The Woodlands, TX 77380
Position Type: Full TimeJob

Summary:
The Senior Project Cargo Specialist, Rail Logistics is responsible for the strategic planning, engineering, and execution of complex project cargo movements with a primary focus on rail transportation. This role serves as the organization’s subject matter expert for rail-based heavy-lift and oversized cargo solutions and plays a critical role in designing multimodal logistics strategies for large-scale industrial and infrastructure projects.
The position requires deep experience with rail routing, dimensional analysis, specialized railcar equipment, rail engineering constraints, and coordination with Class I railroads, short-line carriers, and transload facilities. The Senior Specialist will also support commercial teams in developing competitive logistics solutions for project bids and large customer engagements.
Key Responsibilities:
Rail Logistics Strategy & Expertise
- Serve as the subject matter expert for rail transport of oversized and heavy-lift cargo.
- Design rail logistics solutions for complex domestic and international project cargo movements.
- Evaluate rail routings, clearance requirements, bridge restrictions, and infrastructure constraints.
- Select appropriate specialized rail equipment including flatcars, depressed center cars, Schnabel cars, and heavy-capacity railcars.
Project Planning & Execution
- Lead the end-to-end planning and execution of large-scale project cargo shipments involving rail transport.
- Develop detailed transportation plans including routing analysis, lifting strategies, transload operations, and final delivery.
- Oversee multimodal project logistics involving combinations of rail, heavy-haul trucking, barge, and ocean freight.
- Monitor project execution, proactively resolving operational challenges and ensuring timeline adherence.
Commercial Support & Solution Design
- Collaborate with business development and commercial teams to design logistics solutions for project bids.
- Provide technical input and cost modeling for large infrastructure, energy, and industrial projects.
- Prepare detailed rail cost estimates, routing analyses, and operational feasibility assessments.
- Participate in customer meetings to present project logistics strategies and rail transport capabilities.
Carrier & Vendor Relationship Management
- Maintain strategic relationships with Class I railroads, short-line operators, specialized railcar providers, and transload terminals.
- Coordinate with heavy-haul carriers, port operators, crane companies, and engineering partners.
- Negotiate service agreements and operational arrangements for project-specific rail movements.
Engineering, Compliance & Risk Management
- Ensure compliance with rail industry standards, AAR loading rules, and applicable regulatory requirements.
- Conduct route risk assessments and identify mitigation strategies for dimensional or infrastructure challenges.
- Coordinate rail clearance studies and route approvals with rail carriers.
Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Provide technical leadership and guidance to project logistics coordinators and operations staff.
- Act as a mentor for junior team members developing rail logistics expertise.
- Work closely with operations, procurement, and commercial teams to ensure alignment on project execution.
Reporting & Continuous Improvement
- Develop operational performance metrics for rail project logistics.
- Conduct post-project reviews to identify opportunities for cost savings and operational improvements.
- Maintain knowledge of evolving rail regulations, infrastructure developments, and specialized equipment availability.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
- 8–15+ years of experience in project cargo, heavy-lift logistics, or oversized transportation.
- Extensive expertise in North American rail transportation and specialized rail equipment.
- Demonstrated experience managing large-scale multimodal project logistics movements.
- Strong understanding of rail clearances, routing analysis, and infrastructure limitations.
- Proven ability to develop transportation plans for complex industrial cargo.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills with rail carriers, vendors, and customers.
- Strong analytical, planning, and problem-solving capabilities.
Preferred

Qualifications:
- Experience working directly with Class I railroads and rail engineering teams.
- Knowledge of AAR loading standards and rail securement engineering.
- Background in energy, oil & gas, renewable energy, mining, or industrial construction logistics.
- Experience supporting EPC contractors or large capital project logistics.
- Project management certification or logistics-related professional credentials.
Required Skills/Abilities:
- Rail project logistics expertise
- Heavy-lift transportation planning
- Commercial solution development
- Vendor and carrier negotiation
- Risk assessment and mitigation
- Leadership and technical mentorship
- Multimodal supply chain design preferred