Senior Tie Buyer

Workdays mix supplier work — calls, mill visits, contract negotiations — with operational coordination about specs and delivery. The senior role often involves longer-term supplier development — the relationships that supply railroad ties at volume take time to build.

Collaboration involves producers, processors, internal operations, and junior buyers. What's harder than expected is the technical specification work — railroad tie specs are detailed, and getting them wrong creates real downstream problems for railroads that depend on the wood meeting strict standards.

People who thrive tend to be knowledgeable about the trade, methodical, and good at supplier relationships. If you've built expertise, the role often fits well. People without long forest products background, or who can't hold the technical discipline at scale, usually find the senior role harder than the junior version — tie work rewards specific knowledge of the trade.