Director, Freight Sales and Marketing (Alaska Railroad)

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

Ensures ARRC maintains the highest market share and profit margin possible from its freight business. Seeks, identifies, solicits, and secures freight tonnage by working directly with ARRC’s existing and potential customers as assigned. Creates and maintains good working relationships with customers, industry representatives and other carriers. Provides continual exposure of ARRC to the marketplace and the public.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Responds to customer requests for freight rate quotes. Negotiates best transportation option through communication with trucking companies, railroads, shipping lines, and other modes of transportation.  Develops combined rates using various modes of transportation, including loading, transfers, and truck delivery if needed.     Prepares quotes and provides documents for customer approval.

Manages and coordinate the activity of the Freight Marketing and Sales department. Directly supervises Senior Account Manager, Freight Services Coordinator and Freight Customer Service. Provide guidance and works collaboratively with group. Provides goal and performance reviews for departmental staff.

Develops and maintains positive customer relationships through direct personal contact, written and phone communication, entertainment, social and business functions and membership in trade organizations.     Prepares and maintains customer records for various sales, marketing, and promotional functions.  Travel within Alaska and the Lower 48 as required.

Sets and maintains pricing policy related to freight movement on the Alaska Railroad. Contributes to the process of pricing and rate setting according to market, profitability, competitive factors, and internal guidelines.  Negotiates contracts and agreements with customers.

Prepares, develops, and executes plan to obtain new business in near and distant timeframes.  Works collaboratively with Transportation and Finance and Real Estate departments to develop train plan and pricing model for supporting new business opportunities.

Manages the customer contact and customer service aspects of the Freight Customer Service Section including measurement of KPI’s and overall customer service delivery in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring coverage of critical items and responsiveness to customers’ expectations.

Manages rail fleet management activity.  Communicates all rail fleet management objectives, priorities, and requirements to the Mechanical Department and oversees the follow-up.  Ensures that rail fleet management goals and objectives are met and coordinates capital project fund requests to ensure adequate equipment is available for maintenance of revenue.

Collects and interpret information to gain knowledge of customer physical distribution and profiles.

May be required to participate in Incident Command exercises and activities.

FACTOR 1: Technical and Operational Knowledge

Knowledgeable of transportation rules, regulations, tariffs, and ARRC operational plans and procedures.  Interprets rail, water carrier and truck freight tariffs and issues quotations with confidence.   Investigates competitors’ tariffs and pricing structure.  Knowledgeable of the transportation business in North America, particularly Alaska.  Possesses thorough knowledge of transportation terminology, techniques, and international market trends as they relate to Alaska.  Possesses effective selling skills.  Exhibits background in statistical reporting and an ability to prepare reports.  Possesses extensive knowledge of loading freight to rail car or truck trailers and general freight handling techniques and methods. Possesses computer background using Windows, spreadsheet, database, management systems, pricing systems, and other programs.

FACTOR 2:  Analytical Skills and Impact

Performs mathematical rate analysis and prepares proposals for bids to ensure effective bidding procedures. Ensures commitments with customers are met in an efficient and timely manner. 

FACTOR 3:   Supervision and Control

Generates and maintains freight revenue. Supervises Freight Marketing, Sales and Customer Service staff. Coordinates and supervises the work of contractors, truckers, and other connecting or service partners in the course of providing ARRC service. 

FACTOR 4:  Communication

Internal contacts are with co-workers, employees in other departments/locations including the Seattle office for the purpose of coordinating loading, unloading, tie-down, car placement, routing, and resolving billing issues.  External contacts are with rail and truck interline carriers and ARRC customers for the purpose of soliciting business and providing information regarding routing, rates, equipment, schedules, transit time, rules, and regulations. Exhibits confidence in public speaking situations and gives professional presentations to customers and prospective customers.  

FACTOR 5:  Working Conditions

Work is primarily performed in a corporate office environment with trips to the yard. May have occasional trips to Fairbanks, Seattle, and other locations both within and outside Alaska.  Considerable time is spent traveling in automobile and commercial airlines.  Much time is spent at clients’ places of business.

The full position description and example of duties for this position is located under Class Specifications (enter position title in Search): https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/Alaska/classspecs

Education Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Logistics, or a related field is required.  

May substitute related professional work experience for education requirement on a year for year basis.

Work Experience

Eight (8) years of experience with outside sales, or telemarketing experience in rail or truck freight solicitation is required. Two (2) years of supervisory experience is required. 

Certification/License Requirements

Valid driver’s license is required.

Preferred Qualifications

Three (3) years’ experience in Alaskan trade is preferred.   

Please include any REQUIRED AND DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS in your APPLICANT PROFILE and/or RESUME. If using work experience not already documented in your application, also provide the employer name, your job title, dates of employment and whether full- or part-time. Your application will be closely reviewed to determine if the responses are supported and minimum qualifications are clearly met. If they are not, the applicant will not advance to the interview and selection phase of the recruitment.