Manager Short Line Development

Job Summary

The Manager of Short Line Development is responsible for supporting growth, strengthening partnerships, and enhancing service performance across CSX short line railroad connections. This role serves as a key liaison between CSX and assigned short line partners, working across Sales, Marketing, Operations, Industrial Development, Customer Service, and other stakeholder groups to identify business opportunities, improve coordination, and deliver value for shared customers.

The position is intended to be execution-oriented at the Manager level. The role supports commercial growth initiatives, partner engagement, service improvement efforts, and issue resolution while escalating broader strategic, policy, or executive-level matters to leadership as appropriate.

Primary Roles/Responsibilities

Short Line Relationship Management

• Build and maintain productive working relationships with assigned short line railroad partners.

• Serve as a primary point of contact for day-to-day commercial and operational coordination.

• Facilitate regular communication between internal teams and short line partners to improve alignment, responsiveness, and follow-through.

• Support partnership initiatives that improve collaboration and strengthen the value of the CSX-short line network.

Commercial Development & Customer Growth

• Identify and advance growth opportunities with customers served through short line connections.

• Partner with Sales, Marketing, Industrial Development and other internal teams to support customer retention, new business development, and truck-to-rail conversion opportunities.

• Assist in developing and executing joint selling strategies with short line partners.

• Support industrial development and customer expansion opportunities by coordinating with internal and external stakeholders.

Service Performance & Interchange Coordination

• Monitor interchange performance, service trends, and partner feedback impacting customer experience.

• Work with Operations, Customer Service, and short line representatives to address service issues and improve network fluidity.

• Support the use of KPIs, dashboards, reports, and other tools that provide visibility into service performance and partner needs.

• Help identify process improvements that enhance service consistency, accountability, and customer confidence.

Industry Engagement & Partner Advocacy

• Participate in short line partner meetings, industry events, caucuses, and conferences as appropriate.

• Support engagement with industry organizations and trade associations, including ASLRRA-related activities when needed.

• Maintain awareness of short line priorities, market trends, customer needs, and emerging industry issues.

• Share relevant partner feedback and market insights with internal stakeholders to support better decision-making.

Business Continuity & Issue Resolution

• Assist in coordinating response efforts during service disruptions, network events, or partner-related issues affecting customers.

• Support contingency planning and communication efforts to minimize customer impact.

• Escalate risks, recurring issues, or strategic concerns to leadership with clear recommendations and supporting information.

Knowledge and Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with proficiency in Excel and data visualization tools.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to interact with customers and partners in a professional manner.
• Knowledge of freight rail operations, short line relationships, or transportation industry preferred but not required.
• Ability to balance multiple responsibilities and work independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Analytical Thinking: Ability to interpret data and identify actionable insights.
• Customer Focus: Commitment to delivering solutions that create value for partners and customers.
• Collaboration: Strong interpersonal skills to work across teams and with external stakeholders.
• Adaptability: Ability to adjust to evolving priorities, market changes, and service challenges.
• Results Orientation: Focused on meeting goals and driving measurable outcomes.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Logistics, Supply Chain, Transportation, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

• 3-5 years of experience in freight rail, transportation, logistics, supply chain, customer service, or commercial operations.

• Working knowledge of railroad operations, interchange processes, customer service, and commercial business processes.

• Demonstrated ability to build productive relationships with customers, partners, and cross-functional stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Logistics, Supply Chain, Transportation, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

• 5-7 years of experience in freight rail, transportation, logistics, supply chain, customer service, or commercial operations.

• Experience working with short line railroads, Class I railroad partners, or rail-served customers.

• Familiarity with rail pricing, industrial development, customer pipeline management, and joint selling processes.

• Experience using data, dashboards, reporting tools, or performance metrics to support business decisions.