Senior Manager, Repair Standards & Technical Services

Recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in Chicago by Fortune Magazine and Great Place to Work, Sasser prides itself on supporting an employee-driven, opportunity-based culture that empowers, recognizes, and rewards its employees. From highly competitive benefits to exciting employee events to organic, grassroots philanthropy and volunteerism, Sasser is an awesome place to begin and grow your career. We are a transportation asset services and management company with roots dating to 1928. Sasser's subsidiary units are leaders in providing commercial- and industrial-focused rail, automotive, and containerized shipping solutions, including asset leasing, fleet administration management, asset repair and maintenance, and innovative technology services. Sasser Family Companies includes subsidiaries Chicago Freight Car Leasing, Union Leasing, CF Rail Services, Express 4x4 Truck Rental, and Falcon Lease. To learn more about what makes Sasser special, visit www.sasser.com.

The Senior Manager, Repair Standards & Technical Services at CF Rail Services is responsible for overseeing all pricing-related functions across CFRS railcar repair operations, including managing job code rates, developing and maintaining work templates, and completing RFPs and bid packages.

As a Senior Manager, Repair Standards & Technical Services, Here's What You'll Do:

Responsibilities

Pricing, Standards, and Technical Services

• Manage and maintain job code rates, labor standards, and repair time expectations across all CFRS locations.
• Develop, update, and standardize work templates to ensure consistency, accuracy, and ease of use.
• Serve as the Tank Car Subject Matter Expert, providing guidance on tank car repairs, regulatory requirements, and technical best practices.
• Conduct field service inspections to verify repair accuracy, assess conditions, and support customer needs.

Bids, RFPs, and Business Support

• Prepare complete, accurate, and competitive RFP responses, job bids, and customer proposals.
• Analyze labor, material costs, historical performance, and market trends to develop profitable pricing structures.
• Support Sales and Operations by providing technical pricing guidance and repair scope clarification.
• Create and manage project codes, structures, and workflows to support repair programs and customer-specific requirements.

Quality, Accuracy, and Compliance

• Audit BRCs (Billing Repair Cards) for accuracy, completeness, and alignment with AAR, FRA, and customer standards.
• Ensure consistency in documentation, repair classifications, and labor application across the network.
• Identify discrepancies or inefficiencies and recommend corrective actions.

Operational Loading & Network Support

• Communicate network loading requirements and capacity considerations to help balance workflows across CFRS facilities.
• Support forecasting, planning, and scheduling by providing clear repair scope and labor standard data.

Keystone System Upgrade & Process Improvement

• Lead or support assigned projects related to the Keystone operating system upgrade.
• Collaborate with IT, Operations, and Finance to optimize system workflows, templates, and data structures.
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes, enhance visibility, and improve reporting capabilities.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Leadership

• Partner with Operations, Sales, Quality, and Finance to ensure alignment between technical standards and business objectives.
• Provide training, guidance, and support to shop personnel, supervisors, and managers on repair standards and pricing practices.
• Act as a subject matter resource for technical inquiries from customers, regulatory bodies, and internal teams.

Note: Responsibilities include the expectation to always act to support the interests of the department and organization and to perform other duties as assigned to ensure the successful achievement of departmental and company objectives.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business Operations or other related field
• 15 years of railcar repair facility management experience, including extensive knowledge of tank car
• 10 years of railcar production management.
• 5 years of railcar shop scheduling.
• 5 years of railcar repair inspection.
• Extensive knowledge of AAR and FRA rules, regulations, repair standards, and compliance requirements
• Demonstrated experience with pricing, labor standards, job code management, or technical services in the railcar repair industry.
• Prior experience supporting RFPs, bid packages, or customer proposals.
• Experience conducting field inspections or technical assessments of railcars.
• Experience working with or supporting operating systems such as Keystone

Skills

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively with Operations, Sales, Quality, and Finance.
• Strong attention to detail, accuracy, and documentation control.
• Ability to train and guide teams on standards, pricing, and repair practices.
• Effective project management skills with the ability to lead or support cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• High degree of professionalism, judgment, and integrity.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, priorities, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Physical Requirements

Work assignments involve standing, stooping, bending, kneeling, reaching, climbing, crawling, and crouching in strained and awkward positions for prolonged periods of time at various heights up to 20 feet. Uses hands, legs, and arms to climb vertical ladders to staging or suspended platforms. Lifts, carries, and sets up equipment and components that weigh up to 50 lbs. Employee must be medically certified to wear a respirator, as well as be able to wear respirators for prolonged periods of time.

Note: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Compensation

The hiring range for this role is: $110,000 - $150,000 USD annual. This role is classified as exempt for purposes of all applicable wage and hour laws, which means that the individual hired is paid for the job and not by the hour, and will not be eligible for, and will not receive, overtime pay if working more than 40 hours in a workweek. This role will be paid on a semi-monthly basis.

Sasser is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. Pay ranges are assigned to a job based on market data according to 3rd party salary benchmarking surveys. Actual base salary is dependent upon factors such as knowledge, skill level, and experience.

This role is also eligible for benefits. Sasser employees enjoy a competitive benefits program that:

• Includes comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans, including HSA and FSA accounts with employer contributions toward HSA
• Includes a 100% Company-paid disability and life insurance plans
• Includes a 401K plan with company match PLUS additional end-of-year funding
• Provides paid vacation time (tiered based on tenure), as well as personal time, sick days and summer half days for certain roles
• Provides 10 paid holidays annually
• Provides paid parental leave for new parents, as well as a monetary gift towards a 529 education account
• Provides a confidential Employee Assistance Program
• Provides training and tuition reimbursement
• Provides community service opportunities, charity match opportunities, employee recognition programs, and many celebrations!

The Company provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.