Sr Director of Operations - Station and Onboard Services - 90347017 - DC/New York
New York, NY, US, 10001
As we move America’s workforce toward the future, our goal is to connect businesses and communities across the country. The safety of our passengers, our more than 20,000 colleagues, the public and our operating environment is our priority, and the success of our railroad is due to your efforts
Our values of ‘Do the Right Thing, Excel Together and Put Customers First are at the heart of what matters most to us, and our Core Capabilities, Building Trust, Accountability, Effective Communication, Customer Focus, and Proactive Safety & Security’ are what every employee needs to know and do to be most impactful at Amtrak. By living the Amtrak values, focusing on our capabilities, and actively embracing and fostering diverse ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives, together we will honor our past and make Amtrak a company of the future.
This position can be based in Washington DC or New York, NY.
Job Summary
The Senior Director of Operations leads a team of highly experienced operations leaders across Amtrak’s Stations, Onboard Services, and Coach Cleaning functions on the Northeast Corridor (NEC), the core of Amtrak’s national network. This role demands a strong and consistent presence in the field, within a 24/7 operating environment, maintaining high availability, including nights and weekends, to ensure operational stability and provide leadership during critical moments. The position demands a hands‑on leader who actively engages employees and champions a culture rooted in safety, operational excellence, financial discipline, and customer satisfaction.
The Senior Director acts as a catalyst for transformation. A change agent who relentlessly questions how work is organized, staffed, and delivered. Challenging legacy structures, outdated processes, and long‑held assumptions to uncover inefficiencies and redesign the operation for efficiency and customer impact. Every aspect of the operation is open for examination: organizational design, role clarity, shift patterns, workflow sequencing, resource allocation, and cross‑team coordination. The mandate is to rethink, rebuild, and elevate.
The ideal candidate is a decisive, action‑oriented, entrepreneurial leader who treats the organization as a high‑performing business unit. A critical driver in preparing the organization for next‑generation service delivery, both in stations and aboard the new Acela and Airo trainsets, advancing Amtrak’s evolution from a traditional transportation provider into a hospitality‑driven service organization.
Essential Functions
- Develop and implement customer service strategies for stations and onboard services.
- Collaborate with internal stakeholders to establish service standards and ensure consistency.
- Build a safe work environment and safe travel experience by demonstrating the leadership required to sustain a zero incident, zero injury culture.
- Lead the team to achieve operational excellence that drives long term customer loyalty and retention.
- Develop talent through effective performance management, strategic hiring, effective training, and ongoing investment in employee growth to meet performance goals.
- Oversee budget development, manage operating costs, direct staffing practices, and drive productivity initiatives to strengthen overall financial performance.
- Monitor performance metrics, analyze customer feedback and act on improvement opportunities.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of education, training and/or relevant experience.
- Plus 13 years of relevant work experience.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of education, training and/or relevant experience.
- Plus 15 years of relevant work experience.
- Experience in the industries of hospitality or transportation are preferred.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Extensive leadership experience in multi‑regional transportation or hospitality operations, with a proven ability to elevate customer service while delivering measurable financial gains.
- Strong leadership to inspire teams for service excellence.
- Excellent communication for collaboration with stakeholders.
- Proven success in driving customer service improvements.
- Knowledgeable in transportation industry practices and safety standards.
- Analytical skills to identify service gaps and implement solutions.
- Experience in managing customer service operations.
- Adaptability to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
The salary/hourly range is $187,500.00 – $242,892.00. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. Depending on an employee’s assigned worksite or location, Amtrak may consider a geo-pay differential to be applied to the employee’s base salary. Amtrak may offer additional incentive and pay programs to recognize and reward our employees, including a short-term incentive bonus based upon factors such as individual and company performance that is commensurate with the level of the position.
| Health and Wellbeing | Financial and Retirement | Work and Family Life Support |
| Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance | 401K with Employer Match | Generous Paid Time Off |
| Wellness Programs | Railroad Retirement Benefits | Paid Caregiving Days and Backup Care |
| Health Savings Account | Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness | Fertility and Family Building Benefits |
| No-cost Personal Health Advocate | Student Loan Assistance | Adoption and Surrogacy Assistance |
| Medical Plan Opt-out Credit | Tuition and Education Reimbursement | Paid Family Leave |
| Life Insurance | Rail Pass Privileges | |
| Short- and Long-term Disability Insurance | Employee Assistance Program | |
| No-cost Financial Advisor Sessions | Commuter and Flexible Spending Accounts |
Learn more about our benefits offerings here.
Requisition ID:166616
Work Arrangement:06-Onsite 4/5 Days Click here for more information about work arrangements at Amtrak.
Relocation Offered:Yes
Travel Requirements:Up to 25%
You power our progress through your performance.
We want your work at Amtrak to be more than a job. We want your career at Amtrak to be a fulfilling experience where you find challenging work, rewarding opportunities, respect among colleagues, and attractive compensation. Amtrak maintains a culture that values high performance and recognizes individual employee contributions.
Amtrak is committed to a safe workplace free of drugs and alcohol. All Amtrak positions requires a pre-employment background check that includes prior employment verification, a criminal history check and a pre-employment drug screen.
Candidates who test positive for marijuana will be disqualified, regardless of any state or local statute, ordinance, regulation, or other law that legalizes or decriminalizes the use or possession of marijuana, whether for medical, recreational, or other use. Amtrak's pre-employment drug testing program is administered in accordance with DOT regulations and applicable law.
In accordance with DOT regulations (49 CFR § 40.25), Amtrak is required to obtain prior drug and alcohol testing records for applicants/employees intending to perform safety-sensitive duties for covered Department of Transportation positions. If an applicant/employee refuses to provide written consent for Amtrak to obtain these records, the individual will not be permitted to perform safety-sensitive functions.
In accordance with federal law governing security checks of covered individuals for providers of public transportation (Title 6 U.S.C. §1143), Amtrak is required to screen applicants for any permanent or interim disqualifying criminal offenses.
Note that any education requirement listed above may be deemed satisfied if you have an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
Amtrak is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race/color, to include traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to, hair texture and hairstyles such as braids, locks and twists, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions, such as lactation), national origin/ethnicity, disability (intellectual, mental and physical), veteran status, marital status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, genetic information, citizenship or any other personal characteristics protected by law.
