Norfolk Southern

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Role Summary

This Data Engineer role sits within the Network Planning & Design organization and plays a critical part in supporting Norfolk Southern’s operations, particularly across Intermodal and Automotive, which together represent over 60% of NS volume. The engineer will design and maintain scalable data pipelines, curate governed data assets, and deliver analytics-ready datasets that drive operational visibility and performance across the entire transportation network. This role empowers field personnel and leadership with self-service tools and trusted data to support both tactical execution and long-range planning.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain robust ETL/ELT pipelines using Microsoft SQL Server, SSIS, and related tools.
• Deliver clean, timely, and governed datasets for business use, enabling self-service analytics in Power BI.
• Apply modern software engineering practices (version control, unit testing, CI/CD) to improve quality and repeatability.
• Optimize pipeline performance and data availability to support time-sensitive operational needs.
• Maintain data dictionaries, metadata, and documentation to support data transparency, reuse, and auditability.
• Collaborate with business and analytics stakeholders to translate requirements into scalable, reliable data solutions.
• Partner with IT, BI, and data platform teams to align data products with enterprise architecture and governance standards.
• Contribute to shared documentation, team retrospectives, and continuous improvement of agile delivery practices.

Required Qualifications

Experience:

• Minimum: 2 years of data engineering or analytics experience
• Preferred: 3–5 years, ideally in logistics, operations, or related high-availability environments

Education:

• Preferred: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, including:
  • Data Science, Computer Science, Business Intelligence, Software Engineering
  • Information Systems, Database Management, or a related discipline

Technical Skills

• SQL development and optimization (SQL Server, Teradata, IBM DB2)
• Microsoft Data Platform: SSIS, SSAS, MDX, SQL Server Management Studio
• Power BI: data modeling, DAX, report development, shared datasets
• Python scripting for data transformation and automation
• Alteryx or other data wrangling tools
• Tableau (helpful but not required)
• JIRA and Agile delivery tools
• Microsoft Office Suite

Competencies

• Data architecture and pipeline design
• Analytical thinking and data-driven decision-making
• Strong communication and stakeholder collaboration skills
• Understanding of statistical methods and applied machine learning (a plus)
• Excellent time management, documentation, and teamwork habits

Career Path Opportunities

This position offers a variety of advancement opportunities across technical and operational domains, including:

• Senior Data Engineer
• Data Product Manager
• Technology Leadership (IT/BI/Analytics)
• Operational Leadership (e.g., Senior Market Manager, Operations Manager)

Work Conditions

• Location: Hybrid (approx. 60% in-office)
• Schedule: Standard business hours; no shift or on-call requirement
• Travel: Minimal (0–2 days/month)
• Weekend Work: Occasional, based on project needs

Company Overview

Since 1827, Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) and its predecessor companies have safely moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today, it operates a customer-centric and operations-driven freight transportation network. Committed to furthering sustainability, Norfolk Southern helps its customers avoid 15 million tons of yearly carbon emissions by shipping via rail. Its dedicated team members deliver more than 7 million carloads annually, from agriculture to consumer goods, and is the largest rail shipper of auto products and metals in North America. Norfolk Southern also has the most extensive intermodal network in the eastern U.S., serving a majority of the country’s population and manufacturing base, with connections to every major container port on the Atlantic coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes. Learn more by visiting www.NorfolkSouthern.com.

At Norfolk Southern, we believe in celebrating our individuality. By leveraging the unique backgrounds and viewpoints of our employees, we can create a culture of innovation, respect, and inclusion. We know that employees thrive in a workplace where differing viewpoints, ideas, and experiences are freely shared and valued. As such, we encourage all employees to contribute their distinctive skills and capabilities to our organization.

Equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Together, we power progress.