Head of Operations

Hitachi

Hitachi

Operations
Honolulu, HI, USA
USD 123k-184,500 / year
Posted on Sep 17, 2025

Location:

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

Job ID:

R0102663

Date Posted:

2025-09-16

Company Name:

HITACHI RAIL HONOLULU JV

Profession (Job Category):

Job Schedule:

Full time

Remote:

No

About Us

A career at Hitachi Rail will help create a legacy. With operations in every corner of the world, our work goes to the cutting-edge of digital transformation and technology. From the multi-cultural strength of our global organisation to the sustainable and innovative ways we work to bring people together, there’s something for everyone to get stuck into. And that’s where you come in.

Job Description:

Hitachi Rail Honolulu is looking for an enthusiastic self-motivated Head of Operations to work on our Honolulu Rail Project. As the successful candidate your ideas for continuous improvement and creativity are welcome. The position is based in Pearl City, HI.

Accountabilities

  • Overall responsibility and accountability of the safe, efficient, and reliable Hitachi Rail Honolulu (HRH) rail transit service (Skyline).
  • Responsible for the development and monitoring of the operations budget, both the annual budget and the multi-year project life budget.
  • Accountable for the correct calculation of the daily system service availability (SSA) and coordinating meetings with the Client to review and approve the SSA. The SSA (rail transit service on-time performance) is the primary determining factor of HRH’s monthly cash flow.
  • Provides recommendations and assists in the development of corrective action to be taken to increase rail transit service efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Provides leadership for the operational personnel (≈ 135 between employes, supervisors and managers) and direction to the operations department.
  • Support the ramp up activities and mobilization for future extension of the rail transit system (≈ 230 between employees, supervisors and managers).
  • Responsible for posting jobs, interviewing, hiring and coaching Managers for each of the operations departments.
  • Provides effective counsel and guidance to managers and conducts annual performance appraisal evaluations.
  • Provide strategic direction as a member of the principal leadership in the Hitachi Rail Honolulu Operations and Maintenance (O&M) project.
  • Ensure effective implementation of various operating plans and schedules, including special events and extended hours of service.
  • Ensures the effective implementation of contingency plans and the coordination between the operational and maintenance departments to rectify train service problems and restore normal operations as soon as safely possible.
  • Establishes and promulgates operating rules and regulations; assists in the planning and development, management and implementation of policies and work instructions; ensures the enforcement of safety policies and programs, reviewing problems or potential areas to ascertain the need for changes.
  • Being familiar with collective bargaining agreements (CBA) and participating as a contributing member of the HRH management team for union contract edits and negotiations.
  • Prepares and presents oral and/or written reports and recommendations within areas of assigned responsibility as may be appropriate; prepares periodic reports to determine possible problems, trends or other items of concern to be brought to the O&M Director’s attention.
  • Meets with the O&M Director throughout the week to provide updates on the rail transit system performance, the vacancy rate and plans to hire, and any human resource issues within operations.
  • Manages the resources assigned to Operations to optimize utilization of these resources.
  • In coordination with the HRH O&M Training and Competency Manager, identifies training needs for all Operation personnel and coordinates the implementation of effective training programs for all functions within operations.
  • Maintains a required level of technical knowledge to oversee and contribute to the resolution of complex problems involving automatic train supervision (ATS), automatic train operations (ATO) and automatic train control (ATC).
  • Establish procedures to ensure that communication between operating, maintenance, safety, security and support departments results in the most efficient and safe rail service.
  • Take over the duties of the HRH O&M Deputy Director in case of their absence.
  • Proved experience in a rail transit managerial role in an operations department.
  • Proficient in MS Office package.
  • Knowledge of systems such as ERP (SAP, Maximo), HiNext, ADP, Saleforce and other corporate software.
  • Experience with budget and cost estimation.
  • Experience with rail transit operating procedures, work instructions, safety rules and regulations.
  • Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively lead a large department and maintain morale while building teamwork and accountability.
  • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
  • Ability to communicate effectively across multiple departments and at various organizational levels.

Required Skills and experience:

  • 10 years of experience with 5 years proven experience in a rail transit managerial role in an operations department.
  • Proficient in MS Office package.
  • Knowledge of systems such as ERP (SAP, Maximo), HiNext, ADP, Saleforce and other corporate software.
  • Experience with budget and cost estimation.
  • Experience with rail transit operating procedures, work instructions, safety rules and regulations.
  • Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively lead a large department and maintain morale while building teamwork and accountability.
  • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
  • Ability to communicate effectively across multiple departments and at various organizational levels.

Education:

Bachelor’s in Engineering or equivalent technical experience

PMI Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification - Project Management Institute preferred

The salary range for this position is $123,000 - $184,500.

Final pay is determined by the candidate’s experience, skillset and ability level, internal equity and location.

Benefits:
Hitachi Rail employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package including Competitive Pay, Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance, Short & Long Term Disability, Life & Accident Insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts, a Retirement Savings Plan, and Paid Vacation. We also offer a number of Work/Life Programs such as Flextime and a variety of Training and Development opportunities.


Additional Information
Hitachi Rail Honolulu has a zero tolerance drug and alcohol policy for all employees. All internal and external applicants will be required to undergo drug testing before employment and will be subject to further drug and/or alcohol testing throughout their employment.

Further, employees who perform safety-sensitive functions will submit to drug and/or alcohol testing in accordance to the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regulatory requirements.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those under consideration will be contacted. Join us at https://www.hitachirail.com/careers

It is our commitment at Hitachi Rail to create a diverse environment and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

We would be delighted if you would be one of our followers! Have a glance at our LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/company/hitachirail/

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Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE)-Females/Minorities/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job at Hitachi, please send the nature of request and contact information to hrunitedstates@hitachirail.com.

Queries other than accommodation requests will not be responded to.

Thank you for your interest in Hitachi Rail. If your application is of interest, we will be in contact. Please do not hesitate to discover more about us and our latest jobs at https://www.hitachirail.com/careers.

At Hitachi Rail, there is a place for everyone. We welcome and value differences in background, age, gender, sexuality, family status, disability, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, and world view. It is our commitment to create an inclusive environment - we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

We would be delighted if you would be one of our followers at https://www.linkedin.com/company/hitachirail