Role
The Dry Operations Superintendent is responsible for leading and overseeing all day-to-day dry bulk operations at Texas International Terminals. This role reports directly to the Dry Operations Manager. This role ensures the safe, efficient, and environmentally compliant handling of dry cargo while driving continuous improvement in throughput, reliability, and cost performance. The Superintendent directly supervises front-line operational leaders and hourly personnel, ensuring effective coordination between rail, operations, maintenance, logistics, and safety. The position focuses on operational execution, daily leadership presence in the field, environmental compliance, and implementing cost-saving initiatives that enhance terminal efficiency and performance.
This role carries full responsibility and extreme ownership for dry operations results. The Dry Operations Superintendent is expected to proactively identify issues, drive solutions, and deliver results aligned with quarterly scorecards and ROCK commitments.
The Dry Operations Superintendent position is a succession role preparing the incumbent for advancement within the organization. This pathway is designed to develop people leadership, operational discipline, financial accountability, and cross-departmental collaboration skills necessary for future management responsibilities.
- Core Values:Model and reinforce company values in all decisions and actions, ensuring safety, integrity, quality, and excellence remain central to operations. Demonstrate strong Safety and Environmental Stewardship bymaintainingeffective controls, promoting a culture of compliance, and striving for adherence to all laws and regulations. Exhibit Quality Focus through Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence by acting with urgencyanddiscipline, andwhile embracing innovation, constructive challenge, and continuous learning. Uphold Integrity and Accountability in All Actions through consistent, ethical, and transparent decision-making, taking ownership of commitments and delivering reliable results. Foster Care for Customers, Coworkers, and Community by showing respect, teamwork, and empathy, understanding customer needs, andoperatingresponsibly to create long-term value for the organization and the communities it serves.
- Operational Leadership and Execution:Lead and manage all dry cargo operations, including vessel loading/unloading, conveyor systems, hoppers, stockpiles, and bulk material handling systems. Ensure safe, reliable, and efficient movement of product through the terminal.
- Daily and Weekly Field Oversight:Maintaina consistent, visible presence in the field-walking the operation daily toidentifyinefficiencies, safety concerns, and improvement opportunities. Conduct formal weekly field reviews to evaluate process performance, housekeeping, and team engagement.
- Performance Optimization:Monitorthroughput, dwell time, and operational KPIs, with a goal of maximizing efficiency and reducing turnaround time. Track unit train handling count,and turnaround-with emphasis on achieving unit train processing.
- Environmental and Regulatory Compliance:Oversee compliance with all applicable environmental laws, including TCEQ, EPA, and Coast Guard standards for air, water, and waste. Lead environmental reporting and ensure documentation accuracy for inspections, audits, and spill response readiness.
- Continuous Improvement and Cost Savings:Identifyand implement cost-saving opportunities through operational discipline, energy reduction, material efficiency, and preventive maintenance. Actively lead and track cost improvement initiatives.
- Team Leadership and Development:Build and mentor a high-performing operations team. Foster a culture of safety, accountability, communication, and ownership. Develop team members through structured coaching, skills development, and succession planning. Conduct formal performance evaluations for all direct reports at least semi-annually and provide ongoing feedback tied to expectations, scorecard performance, and core values.
- Safety and Risk Management:Champion a strong safety culture through field presence, near-miss reporting, and incident prevention.Identifyrisks in processes, equipment, and behavior; lead corrective and preventive actions to protect personnel, assets, and the environment.
- Customer and Stakeholder Coordination:Partner withlogistics, maintenance, and commercial teams to ensure reliable,timely, and transparent operations that meet customer expectations. Communicate operational progress, delays, and performance metrics effectively.
Responsibilities
- Direct all aspects of dry cargo operations including vessel discharge/loading, conveyor systems, storage management, and bulk handling.
- Coordinate daily withRailOperations Superintendent for labor staffing needs.
- Ensure daily operations meet performance, safety, and environmental standards.
- Track and report operational KPIs such as:
- Throughput rates
- Vessel turnaround times
- Unit train count and completion times (
- Equipment uptime andutilization
- Staffing headcount and training cost vs budget
- Tons per hour - cars per hour
- Completeenvironmental documentation, incident reporting, and regulatory submissions in coordination with the Environmental Department.
- Lead daily operational meetings to align theteam ongoals, production targets, and safety priorities.
- Walk the field daily toobserveoperations, coach employees, and verify compliance with procedures.
- Conduct weekly field audits toidentifyimprovement and cost-saving opportunities.
- Responsible forcost control oflabor, utilities,andconsumables.
- Collaborate with Maintenance to ensure equipment reliability and planned maintenance execution.
- Promote and support cross-training ofpersonnel to build flexibility and bench strength.
- Identifyand mitigate operational risks through proactive hazard identification and emergency preparedness.
- Provideaccurateandtimelyreports on operations, environmental incidents, cost tracking, and performance metrics to senior leadership.
- Support andparticipatein company-wide initiatives such as safety campaigns, environmental programs, and continuous improvement projects.
- Foster a coaching culture that favors development over discipline. Address performance issues through training, mentorship, and constructive feedback before resorting to termination, ensuring employees are set up for success and growth.
- Define and clarify company culture: Ensure the organization's values and principles are clearly documented, communicated, and consistentlydemonstratedacross all levels of the operations team.
- Share and embed culture throughout the organization: Lead efforts to builda common understandingof the company's values and ensure they are reflected in day-to-day operational decisions and interactions.
- Live the culture through example: Integrate company values into hiring, promotions, performance reviews, and daily leadership behavior so that actions consistently align with what the company stands for.
- Apply the Virtue & Talent Matrix: Evaluate and develop team members based on both character and capability, aiming to build a workforce that combines high virtue with high talent.
- Translate values into measurable leadership decisions: Ensure that all personnel decisions-including hiring, training, and advancement-balance virtue and talent to strengthen both culture and performance.
- Model balanced leadership: Prioritize performance and trust equally, ensuring results are achieved through integrity, collaboration, and accountability rather than authority or fear.
- Hire, develop, andretainindividuals based on both virtue and talent: Value character, humility, and teamwork as highly as technicalexpertise.
- Hold individuals and teams accountable while encouraging learning: Create an environment where mistakes become opportunities for improvement rather than sources of blame.
Expectations
- Extreme Ownership and Accountability:Demonstrateextreme ownership of dry operations performance. The Dry Operations Superintendentisresponsibleforresults and is expected to solve problems proactively without deflecting responsibility.
- Quarterly performance will be measured through a scorecard and ROCK completion, with an expectation of achieving 80% or greater completion of committed ROCKS.
- Maintain a visible leadership presence in the field-walking operations daily,conducting structured weekly inspections to reinforce safety, housekeeping, and performance standards.
- Consistently achieve unit train turnaround in less than 22hours through effective planning, communication, and execution.
- Ensure full compliance with environmental, safety, and regulatory requirements;maintainzero violations andaccurateenvironmental reportingwhile delivering reliable and efficient dry cargo operations.
- Drive measurable cost savings through energy reduction, improved laborutilization, and equipment reliability initiatives.
- Communicate clearly and proactively with leadership, peers, and staff to ensure operational alignment and transparency.
- Develop team members through daily coaching, structured feedback, and formalquarterlyperformanceevaluations,building a strong succession bench.
- Ensure all direct reports meet the EOS criteria of Get It (understand the role), Want It (have the desire and motivation to do the role), and Capacity (have the time, skills, and capability to perform the role effectively). Address gaps through coaching, development, or role alignment decisionsbased on Right Person Right Seat (RPRS).
- Maintain costs within budget while meeting or exceeding throughput and service targets.
- Support Operations Management and Senior Leadership by providingaccurateoperational data, analysis, and recommendations for improvement.
- Measurable Expectations (Scorecard KPIs)
- Throughput rates
- Vessel turnaround times
- Unit train count and completion times (target:
- Equipment uptime andutilization
- Environmental compliance metrics
- Cost performance versus budget
- Safety performance (incidents, near misses, corrective actions)
- Assignedothertaskas may berequired.
Qualifications and Education Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, Operations Management, Logistics, or equivalent experience preferred.
- 7+ years of experience in dry bulk, port, or terminal operations, with at least 3 years in a supervisory role.
- Demonstrated success in managing high-volume dry cargo operations involving conveyor systems, hoppers, and bulk storage.
- Strong understanding of environmental and safety regulations (FRA,TCEQ, EPA, OSHA, and Coast Guard).
- Proven ability to analyze data, manage budgets, and drive cost-saving initiatives.
- Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
Physical Demands
- Ability to walk, stand, and climb in an industrial environment daily.
- Occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds.
- Frequent exposure to outdoor terminal conditions including dust, heat, and noise.
- Ability to work flexible hours as required by operations schedules.
