Train Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and Risk Management,Information Technology and Systems

AMTRAK GROUP INFORMATION OFFICER

Background

Amtrak (a combination of “American” and “track”) is the brand name of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, created in 1970 by an act of Congress. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation is a private, for-profit corporation established by government with all of its preferred stock owned by the federal government and its budget subsidized by federal money totaling more than $1 billion per year. Some common stock is held by the private railroads that transferred their passenger service to Amtrak in 1971. Though Amtrak stock does not pay dividends and is not routinely traded, a small number of private investors have purchased Amtrak stock from its original owners.

Amtrak, headquartered in the District of Columbia, is currently governed by a five-member Board of Directors, appointed by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. The Secretary of Transportation, the Honorable Mary E. Peters, represents the federal government as a member of the Board. The day-to-day operations are led by Amtrak’s President and CEO, an ex-officio member of the Board, and a thirteen-member senior management team of dedicated railroad professionals, including the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and the Chief Information Officer (CIO).

Amtrak employs over 19,000 people and has a nationwide network of 22,000 miles of routes serving 500 communities in 46 states and the District of Columbia, with some of the routes serving communities in Canada. The tracks for these routes are owned mostly by private freight railroad companies, with Amtrak owning 650 miles of track, primarily in area between Boston and DC. In fiscal year 2006, Amtrak served an estimated 25 million passengers (where about two-thirds of Amtrak’s ridership taking trains in the Northeast Corridor) and recorded $1.37 billion in ticket revenue, a company record.
 

Current Situation

Amtrak’s information technology (IT) resides in multiple areas due to organic growth of independent software and applications among various departments. Amtrak Technology (AT) group led by the CIO represents the centralized IT function of the organization, while significant IT expertise resides in the functional areas of sales and marketing, operations, finance, risk management, procurement, human resources, etc. Amtrak Technology initiatives for unifying management of IT within Amtrak have been ongoing and have done a good job of keeping pace with the increasing capabilities of the newer software and infrastructure products. Web-based initiatives, SAP, and Oracle-based systems can be found throughout the corporation.

The Operations functions at Amtrak headed by the COO include all departments that make the trains go, including Engineering, Train Operations, Environmental, and Mechanical. The engineering department includes all control systems such as power and signal. Each operating department has its own engineers and technicians that implement and maintain business applications relevant to the needs of that department, for example, Engineering uses Maximo while Mechanical uses Spear. These two systems are not directly compatible but each has important data that the other department would benefit greatly in an IT partnership. New systems for Engineering are currently being developed that will allow engineers to acquire data quickly and efficiently. The SAP implementation has been rescheduled to consider adding an asset management module.

To develop a partnership between IT and the business units, Amtrak’s new President and CEO, Alexander Kummant, has recently made a number of key management changes, most importantly making the CIO a direct reporting position to him. This new management team is intent on finding the best and brightest minds to tie together on a higher level the IT platforms across its various business units. To meet this strategic business need, the CIO has created the position of Group Information Officer.

Specific Role

The new Group Information Officer (GIO) will work in a matrixed organization, with a hard-line reporting relationship to the Chief Information Officer (CIO), the leader of Amtrak Technologies, and a strong dotted-line reporting relationship to Amtrak’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), who manages all operating departments including Engineering, Maintenance, and Train Operations. The new GIO will serve as a member of the senior leadership team of Amtrak Technologies, serving along with two other GIOs (for marketing and for enterprise resource planning), a Chief Architect Officer (CAO), an IT Chief Operations Officer, and a Deputy CIO. The nature of this role and its dual reporting relationships demands that the GIO work collaboratively both within Amtrak Technologies and the IT specialists (engineers and technicians) of Operations. The CIO and COO will jointly evaluate the performance of the GIO.

The Group Information Officer (GIO) coordinates the development, enhancement, and maintenance of business systems in the Operations portfolio for Amtrak Technologies. The GIO will supervise full-time staff members, contractor employees, and contracted services. Acting as a business partner, the GIO consults with the COO and other members of the senior leadership team to develop technology applications that will support the unit’s business operations and objectives and that are compatible with the long term plans for Amtrak’s enterprise architecture and infrastructure.

It is expected that the GIO will work at a strategic level to identify the optimal long-term technology solutions in support of the Operations unit while also balancing the need to deliver near-term business solutions. The GIO will work together with key Operations leaders, including the Chief Engineer, the Deputy Chief Engineer of Signals, and the Senior Director of System Operations. To be successful, the GIO should have a strong background working in rail operations and IT systems related to this field.

The GIO will be responsible for the following:

• Collaborate closely with the Chief Architecture Officer (CAO) to develop and implement an enterprise blueprint for the Company’s long-term data and systems architecture;

• Collaborate with the Operation departments to develop a strategic plan for applications in support of Operations long-term business strategy and goals as part of the enterprise architecture; revises and updates the plan as required to maintain its relevance to the organization and its business;

• Provides counsel and guidance to Operations executives to ensure the optimal utilization of business systems;

• Monitors significant project progress within areas of responsibility and ensures timely completion;

• Works closely with the Chief Architect Officer (CAO) and the Chief Operations Officer (COO) to ensure that all business solutions are compatible with the current and long term strategies for the Information Technology function;

• Oversees the development of and adherence to the GIO’s unit’s budget;

• Provides leadership and management oversight of the unit, including responsibility for the timely and effective delivery of all services in support of the client organization, determination of the unit’s structure and staffing levels, and the utilization of staff;

• Reviews ongoing performance of staff, oversees development programs to provide for the continuity of staff managerial and specialized skills, and ensures appropriate succession planning with the IT function.

Major Objectives

Amtrak expects the new GIO to accomplish the following major objectives over the next 12-18 months:

• Successfully lead a team that will provide the best possible client services to the COO and his senior management team in a responsive and timely manner;

• Align IT systems with corporate strategic goals by acting as a liaison to Operations that will bring together areas of IT expertise that have functioned independently in the past;

• Work to reduce duplication of IT efforts and information between the various departments, minimize costs, and improve reliability.

Professional Qualifications

The new GIO must have the following professional qualifications:

• Minimum of 12-15 years of experience as an IT executive with increasingly responsible business and IT managerial roles, with major project management experience and a track-record of successful strategic planning;

• Experience working with railroad operations personnel and railroad IT specialists;

• A client- and customer-focused IT leader with a demonstrated ability to manage a significant business applications function in a complex business environment;

• Demonstrated experience in implementing core business and IT solutions, such as SAP, Oracle-based systems, and power and signal systems;

• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across a complex organization like Amtrak and partner with internal and external stakeholders to meet business goals;

• In-depth knowledge of best practices and trends of IT and business industry;

• Ability to form and maintain business relationships and partnerships with external vendors to drive successful technology solutions;

• Ability to influence a broad spectrum of constituencies, achieving outcomes through influence rather than direct authority.
   

Personal Characteristics

The following characteristics are preferred in the new GIO:
 

• Comfortable working closely with railway managers and technical specialists as principal clients;

• Keen intellect with interest in technical IT and business software applications;

• Strong analytical, planning, and organizational skills;

• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, characterized by compassion but tempered by focus and discipline;

• Strong verbal and written skills with equally strong presentation/standup skills;

• Leadership ability that inspires people to achieve;

• Strong management skills including experience in a union environment as well as experience with communicating effectively with multiple constituency groups and individuals;

• Interest in innovative best practices regarding customer service and care;

• Goal-oriented, project-oriented, and achievement-oriented;

• Healthy respect for colleagues, employees, and superiors;

• Strong sense of integrity and a sense of humor.

Compensation

Compensation will be commensurate with skill and market.

Application

Please forward resumes and appropriate material immediately to:

Anna Koivisto
The Boulware Group
625 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 422
Chicago IL 60611-3172
Phone: 312-322-0088
Fax: 312-322-0092
E-mail (preferred): resume@boulwareinc.com