Director, Central Canada

 Reference Number : 1264 

Status : Permanent - Full-time  

Annual Salary / Hourly Rate : $140 000 - $170 000

Number of positions to be filled : 1 

Application Deadline : 05/11/2026

Did you know that VIA Rail is carrying out ambitious projects to modernize its services and infrastructure? From our new ultramodern train fleet to ongoing improvement of our infrastructure, we’re building the future of transportation in Canada. Working for VIA Rail is being a part of a collective effort in sustainable mobility. 

The Director, Customer Experience – Corridor is responsible for leading and optimizing the end-to-end customer experience across VIA Rail’s Corridor region. Reporting to the Senior Director, Customer Experience Canada, the Director ensures the achievement of the Corridor’s financial objectives—including full ownership of the profit and loss statement—while driving continuous improvements in customer satisfaction and employee engagement.

The role provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for customer service delivery across stations, on‑train services, and customer support environments within the Corridor. The Director guides the implementation of customer service initiatives, marketing programs, and business development opportunities that enhance the Corridor’s competitiveness and overall customer journey.

This position plays a critical role in fostering a culture of safety, collaboration, and service excellence. Working collaboratively with counterparts across Canada, the Director contributes to the development and execution of VIA Rail’s national customer experience strategy, ensuring aligned, consistent, and high‑quality service delivery across the organization.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Proactively monitors and interprets internal performance indicators and external market dynamics to assess their implications on VIA Rail’s growth, competitiveness, and operational strategies within the Corridor;
• Maintains a comprehensive understanding of competitor activities, industry trends, and customer expectations, adjusting regional plans and strategic priorities to ensure VIA Rail continues to deliver a differentiated and competitive customer experience;
• Identifies and pursues new business opportunities and strategic partnerships with regional stakeholders, municipalities, tourism boards, and community organizations to strengthen VIA Rail’s presence, increase ridership, and enhance the overall customer journey;
• Develops and leads the execution of strategic and operational plans for Customer Experience across the Corridor, ensuring alignment with VIA Rail’s national priorities and long‑term business objectives;
• Promotes and embeds a strong customer‑centric culture, ensuring that service excellence, safety, and employee engagement are at the core of daily operations and decision‑making;
• Evaluates, challenges, and refines existing plans, processes, and operational strategies, recommending innovative alternatives that strengthen regional effectiveness, optimize financial performance, and prioritize activities that deliver the greatest value to customers;
• Drives a cross‑functional and collaborative approach by aligning teams and resources around common goals, fostering employee involvement, and enhancing customer‑focused processes that elevate the overall end‑to‑end experience;
• Collects, analyzes, and reports key performance indicators for the Corridor, ensuring timely insights into operational performance, customer satisfaction, and financial results to support evidence‑based decision‑making;
• Continuously reviews, challenges, and evaluates existing operational strategies and plans, recommending innovative alternatives to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and overall performance of the region’s customer experience operations;
• Identifies, documents, and shares bestd emonstrated practices across Customer Experience teams nationally, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, standardization, and cross-regional collaboration;
• Ensures that financial, service, sales, operational, and safety objectives are clearly defined, communicated, and understood across all Customer Experience teams, enabling alignment, accountability, and consistent execution throughout the Corridor;
• Monitors, evaluates, and interprets regional performance against key performance indicators, identifying trends, gaps, and opportunities to improve results and drive continuous enhancement of the customer experience.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, Business Administration, Marketing, Tourism Management, or a related field;
• MBA or equivalent graduate degree preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant leadership experience;
• 10–15years of progressive leadership experience in tourism, hospitality, transportation, or customerservice–intensive industries, with demonstrated accountability for operational, financial, and customer satisfaction results;
• Proven experience leading large, multidisciplinary teams in a complex, customer‑facing operational environment;
• Demonstrated success in building collaborative, high‑performing, and accountable teams, with strong capabilities in coaching, change leadership, and employee engagement;
• Strong track record in stakeholder management, including building productive relationships with regional partners, community stakeholders, and business development organizations;
• Extensive experience working within unionized environments, including handling sensitive labour relations issues and navigating collective agreements;
• Experience in driving customer experience transformation through continuous improvement, process optimization, and cross-functional collaboration;
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast‑paced, multi-stakeholder environment with competing priorities;
• Strategic Thinking: Anticipates trends and develops long‑range strategies that align operational, financial, and customer experience objectives;
• Collaboration: Works effectively across teams and stakeholders to drive alignment and shared outcomes;
• Leadership: Inspires, guides, and motivates teams toward achieving a unified vision of service excellence;
• Team Building and Development: Builds high‑performing teams by coaching, empowering, and developing employees;
• Analytical Thinking: Uses data and insights to evaluate performance and inform sound business decisions;
• Creative Problem Solving: Identifies innovative solutions to complex challenges to enhance service delivery.

At VIA Rail, we are proud to be an employment-equity employer and we strive to form teams that reflect the diversity of Canadian society. We aim to remove barriers to employment accessibility and aspire to provide an inclusive and equitable work environment where everyone is valued, regardless of their identity or differences, to enable them to reach their full potential.

If you need assistance in making the recruitment process or the position you are applying for more accessible, please let us know. Alternate arrangements may be offered to individuals who request them at any stage of the recruitment process. All information received in relation to arrangements will be kept confidential.

Note that we will only contact those who are selected for an interview.

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