Director, Central Canada

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. 

This is a unique opportunity to have a direct impact on the experience of millions of travelers while driving the performance of the VIA Rail Corridor.

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 best demonstrated 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.