VP Customer Service - 90247775 - Washington (Onsite)

Your success is a train ride away!

As we move America’s workforce toward the future, Amtrak connects businesses and communities across the country. We employ more than 20,000 diverse, energetic professionals in a variety of career fields throughout the United States. The safety of our passengers, our employees, the public and our operating environment is our priority, and the success of our railroad is due to our employees.

Are you ready to join our team?

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.

SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
The Vice President (VP) Customer Service will serve as the leader of Amtrak’s customer service transformation, redefining how we serve and engage with our customers while simultaneously driving quality and reliable on-time service. We are seeking a visionary, strategic, and action-oriented leader, whose foremost task will be ensuring our customer service operations align seamlessly with the delivery of exceptional, hospitality-driven on time experiences. This role will drive innovation, operational excellence, and customer-centric strategies to enhance satisfaction, loyalty, and brand reputation.

The VP, Customer Service will provide strategic leadership, developing and executing a customer service strategy aligned with Amtrak’s hospitality transformation goals and will serve as a key member of both the Service Delivery & Operations (SD&O) and Commercial leadership teams. The VP will be tasked with identifying emerging trends and technologies in customer service to drive innovation and continually refine Amtrak’s roadmap to becoming a hospitality powerhouse. Further, the VP will develop and implement training programs focused on hospitality, empathy, and personalized service. The VP will foster a culture of accountability, creating an environment where employees feel safe, valued, motivated, and aligned with the organization’s hospitality transformation goals.

The VP will be responsible for leading an organization of ~3,600 team members collectively tasked with delivering outstanding customer experiences, spanning all in-person interactions, both in-station and on-board and will operate in a highly collaborative manner with both internal and external stakeholders to accomplish the objectives of the organization, completing all work with a sense of urgency, within scope, on schedule, and within budget. The VP of Customer Service will also oversee Food & Beverage Operations, including Commissary and Warehousing Management, ensuring seamless service delivery and supply chain efficiency.  Internal stakeholders include, but are not limited to, key employees in Transportation,The Vice President (VP) Customer Service will serve as the leader of Amtrak’s customer service transformation, redefining how we serve and engage with our customers while simultaneously driving quality and reliable on-time service. We are seeking a visionary, strategic, and action-oriented leader, whose foremost task will be ensuring our customer service operations align seamlessly with the delivery of exceptional, hospitality-driven on time experiences. This role will drive innovation, operational excellence, and customer-centric strategies to enhance satisfaction, loyalty, and brand reputation.

The VP, Customer Service will provide strategic leadership, developing and executing a customer service strategy aligned with Amtrak’s hospitality transformation goals and will serve as a key member of both the Service Delivery & Operations (SD&O) and Commercial leadership teams. The VP will be tasked with identifying emerging trends and technologies in customer service to drive innovation and continually refine Amtrak’s roadmap to becoming a hospitality powerhouse. Further, the VP will develop and implement training programs focused on hospitality, empathy, and personalized service. The VP will foster a culture of accountability, creating an environment where employees feel safe, valued, motivated, and aligned with the organization’s hospitality transformation goals.

The VP will be responsible for leading an organization of ~3,600 team members collectively tasked with delivering outstanding customer experiences, spanning all in-person interactions, both in-station and on-board and will operate in a highly collaborative manner with both internal and external stakeholders to accomplish the objectives of the organization, completing all work with a sense of urgency, within scope, on schedule, and within budget. The VP of Customer Service will also oversee Food & Beverage Operations, including Commissary and Warehousing Management, ensuring seamless service delivery and supply chain efficiency.  Internal stakeholders include, but are not limited to, key employees in Transportation, Commercial (Product Development & Customer Experience, Services & Standards, Loyalty, Customer Engagement, Customer Care, Digital, Brand Marketing, and each Service Line), , Mechanical, Stations, Facilities, Properties & Accessibilities, Labor Relations, and Safety, Health, and Environmental and APD.  External stakeholders include, but are not limited to Customers, State Partners, Commuter Partners, Labor Unions, and other government and regulatory agencies. This role will prioritize employee engagement by developing programs that recognize excellence, cultivate professional growth, and empower employees to embody Amtrak’s hospitality values in their daily interactions with customers.

This position requires adept management of competing priorities and interests, always keeping the customer, onboard services, and the station experience at the forefront.  This position will require a comprehensive understanding of station and onboard services operations, users and customers’ expectations in order to provide overall superior customer service and operational excellence. The VP Customer Service will also be responsible for ensuring the consistent cleanliness of the stations as well as onboard the train, consistent and professional displays/signage, overall customer flow, including staging and boarding.

The VP Customer Service s will align the Station and Onboard Services management teams to proactively identify and solve issues impacting customer experience across the station and onboard journey. The VP will leverage data analytics to measure the success of customer service initiatives, identify opportunities for improvement, and inform strategies to enhance customer satisfaction and operational effectiveness and efficiency. They will instill ownership of Amtrak’s brand across all customer touchpoints by holding employees accountable for delivering to expectations, establishing clear metrics and accountability frameworks to monitor performance, and driving results to achieve a consistent customer-centric image aligned with organizational goals and continuous improvement.  

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Responsible for leading and ensuring station, customer, and onboard service standards are being met and are consistent with established expectations.
• Responsible for leading managers in all aspects of Amtrak’s food and beverage operations including Commissary and Warehousing management, 
• Responsible for leading managers and assuring compliance with all station and onboard services-specific regulatory requirements, including but not limited to ADA and FDA.
• Partner closely with Transportation, Commercial (Product Development & Customer Experience, Services & Standards, Loyalty, Customer Engagement, Customer Care, Digital, Brand Marketing, and each Service Line), Stations, Labor Relations, Facilities, Properties & Accessibilities, and Safety, Health, and Environmental and APDfor thorough understanding of standards and expectations, influencing when needed to ensure practical and effective implementation as the voice of the customer
• Partner closely with Leaders in Transportation, Mechanical, and Infrastructure Maintenance and Construction Services (IMCS) to execute and consistently apply station and customer standards
• Partner closely with State Partners, Commuter Partners, Labor Unions, and other government and regulatory agencies as needed
• Provide subject matter expertise and overall support for all state-supported and real estate initiatives involving stations
• Partner with internal personnel responsible for bus transportation to promote consistency and a positive customer experience
• Lead, manage, and develop a diverse and talented team of experts and builds an organization capable of successfully achieving these essential functions with the highest level of customer service, reliably and within budget
• Effectively contribute to a safe and secure work environment for employees and travel experience for customers
• Additional responsibilities as directed by his / her supervisor

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business or equivalent 
• Minimum 20 years of highly relevant experience, including a minimum of five (5) years’ experience leading teams responsible for highly collaborative relationships and outcomes 

MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Extensive experience and demonstrated passion for meeting and exceeding customer expectations
• Extensive experience working collaboratively and effectively in a complex, matrixed organization
• Extensive experience successfully managing competing priorities and interests
• Demonstrated passion for Amtrak customers 
• Demonstrated ability to successfully negotiate, execute, and hold people accountable
• Demonstrated attention to detail
• Business acumen, including awareness of industry trends, and political savvy
• Working knowledge of railroad operations, including key operating metrics (e.g. OTP, ITP and Safety measures)
• Working knowledge of service lines including the challenges for operations both on- and off-corridor
• Working knowledge of stations, including the challenges for small, medium, and large stations and stations with varying levels of volume
• Working knowledge of business model for lines of business, including state and commuter rails
• Demonstrated willingness to learn more about railroad operations
• Extensive communication/presentation skills and experience including distilling and communicating complex issues to senior level officers
• Advanced leadership and management skills with proven ability to motivate others; experience in managing staff, contractors, and cross-functional teams in multiple locations
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with staff and decision-makers at all levels while successfully challenging conventional practices and incorporating new approaches to business

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in Business or a related field
• Extensive knowledge of railroad operations, station operations and Amtrak’s service lines. Familiarity with other transportation modalities and/or with large, complex hospitality enterprises
• Working knowledge of ADA and regulatory requirements that impact stations and customers

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Constantly or frequently uses a computer keyboard, monitor, and mouse to perform a variety of tasks (office environment)
• Frequently resolves problems with conflicting priorities in cognitively demanding situations  
• Constantly communicates, comprehends, and responds to verbal statements and instructions both orally and in writing
• Ability to work effectively under pressure
• Constantly works in a fast-paced, time sensitive environment with frequently changing priorities
• Frequently or occasionally travels throughout the country as required (e.g., via airplane, train, automobile) with additional travel by overnight train to various stations
• Extensive walking at times throughout all parts of stations, transportation facilities, mechanical yards, wearing personal protective equipment when necessary

COMMUNICATIONS AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:
Must have excellent oral and written communication skills.

PAY TRANSPARENCY:

The salary/hourly range is $250,600-$324,800. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, internal equity, 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 and/or long-term incentive plan compensation. In addition to your salary, Amtrak offers a comprehensive benefit package that includes health, dental, and vision plans; health savings accounts; wellness programs; flexible spending accounts; 401K retirement plan with employer match; life insurance; short and long term disability insurance; paid time off; back-up care; adoption assistance; surrogacy assistance; reimbursement of education expenses; Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility; Railroad Retirement sickness and retirement benefits; and rail pass privileges. Learn more about our benefits offerings here.

Requisition ID:164092
Posting Location(s):District of Columbia

Work Arrangement:06-Onsite Click here for more information about work arrangements at Amtrak. 
Job Family/Function:Customer Service 
Relocation Offered:Yes 
Travel Requirements:Up to 50% 

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..