Senior Manager: Rail Systems

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Job Description:

The Senior Manager: Rail Systems is a senior, client‑facing role embedded within an integrated client–PMC office on a major transportation program with a strong focus on rail (metro, heavy rail, light rail, high‑speed). Sitting within the PUA function, the role provides leadership, governance, and integration of all rail systems activities across multiple projects and contracts.

This is a non‑operational position: the focus is on managing and assuring the design and build process on behalf of the client—not running day‑to‑day railway operations or maintenance. The role oversees signalling and train control, telecoms, SCADASCADA, platform systems, automatic fare collection, security and other line‑wide systems, ensuring that all solutions are safe, compliant, interoperable, and aligned with program objectives.

Key Responsibilities

1. Rail Systems Governance & Strategy (PUA)

• Act as the program‑level lead for rail systems within PUA, setting direction and priorities for rail systems across all relevant projects.
• Develop and maintain rail systems strategies, standards, and technical principles aligned with the client’s vision, regulatory requirements, and interoperability objectives.
• Ensure employer’s requirements for rail systems are clear, consistent, and properly reflected in contracts, scopes of work, and design briefs.
• Provide independent, strategic advice to senior client leadership on rail systems issues, risks, opportunities, and long‑term implications.

2. Multi‑Project Rail Systems Management

• Oversee rail systems scope across multiple projects and packages (signalling, telecoms, SCADASCADA, platform systems, AFC, security, control centres, line‑wide systems).
• Coordinate and align project‑level rail systems managers and engineers to ensure consistent technical approaches, assumptions, and interfaces.
• Review and challenge project plans for rail systems design, procurement, installation, testing, and commissioning to ensure realism and alignment with program milestones.
• Drive resolution of cross‑project rail systems issues and conflicts, escalating to PUA and program leadership as required.

3. Technical Assurance & Design Management

• Oversee the rail systems technical assurance framework at program level, ensuring adherence to:
  • Employer’s requirements and performance specifications
  • Local regulatory and authority requirements
  • International and industry
• Provide senior review and approval (on behalf of the client) of key rail systems design concepts, architectures, and key technical decisions.
• Ensure that requirements management, verification, and validation processes for rail systems are properly applied and evidenced.
• Support and, where necessary, chair high‑level technical and design review boards for critical rail systems decisions.

4. Systems Integration & Interfaces

• Provide program‑level oversight of systems integration across:
  • Signalling/train control and rolling stock
  • Rail systems and civil/MEP/architectural works (rooms, routes, environmental conditions)
  • Central control centres and operational systems
  • External systems (utilities, communications providers, legacy or adjacent rail networks)
• Ensure that interface management processes and tools (interface registers, interface agreements) are consistently applied across all contracts.
• Drive resolution of major interface issues that cross project boundaries, ensuring integrated, end‑to‑end solutions that support operational concepts.

5. Safety, RAMSRAMS & Regulatory Approvals

• Provide leadership on rail systems safety and RAMS at program level, in coordination with Engineering & Safety and PUA governance.
• Oversee rail systems safety cases, hazard logs, RAMS analyses, and related evidence, ensuring consistency and sufficiency for regulatory approvals.
• Coordinate with independent safety assessors, notified bodies, and regulators to plan and achieve rail systems safety approvals and certifications.
• Ensure cyber‑security requirements for critical rail systems are defined and properly integrated into contracts, designs, and assurance evidence.

6. Testing, Commissioning & Entry‑Into‑Service (EIS) Oversight

• Provide program‑level oversight of rail systems testing & commissioning strategies and schedules.
• Ensure alignment of rail systems FAT, SAT, static and dynamic tests, integration tests, and trial operations across multiple projects.
• Review readiness for key program milestones (e.g., power‑on, system integration testing, trial operations, EIS) from a rail systems perspective.
• Support the client in defining and applying acceptance criteria for rail systems and in making go/no‑go recommendations for EIS.

7. Program, Risk & Change Management

• Work with program controls and risk teams to ensure that key rail systems activities, risks, and constraints are reflected in the integrated master schedule and risk registers.
• Identify and manage program‑level rail systems risks and opportunities, including technology, integration, safety, approvals, and supplier performance.
• Review and advise on major changes, variations, and value engineering proposals that affect rail systems scope, performance, and lifecycle costs.
• Provide concise, high‑quality reporting and briefings to program governance bodies on rail systems progress, risk, and decision needs.

8. Stakeholder, Operator & Third‑Party Coordination

• Coordinate with internal client stakeholders (Operations, Maintenance, Safety, IT, Commercial, Customer Experience) to ensure rail systems support operational concepts and service levels.
• Work closely with future operators/maintainers to incorporate operational requirements and maintenance strategies into rail systems design and acceptance.
• Engage with regulators, transport authorities, and adjacent infrastructure owners where rail systems interface with external networks or shared assets.
• Support communication with external stakeholders where rail systems technology, safety, or performance is a key concern.

9. Leadership, People & Capability Development

• Lead and mentor rail systems managers and engineers within the integrated client–PMC environment; foster a high‑performance, collaborative culture.
• Build capability in rail systems and systems integration within the PUA and client teams, including training, knowledge sharing, and lessons learned.
• Promote best practice in rail systems engineering, integration, and assurance across all projects.
• Contribute to succession planning and long‑term capability development for rail systems disciplines.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Telecommunications, Control/Systems Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Master’s degree in Railway Systems, Transportation Engineering, Systems Engineering, or Project/Program Management is an advantage.
• Professional registration/chartership (e.g., CEng, PE, or equivalent) is highly desirable.
• Project/program management certification is an advantage.

Experience

• 15+ years’ experience in rail systems engineering on major rail/metro/light rail/high‑speed rail programs.
• Significant experience in a PMC, client organization, or major consultancy, including program‑ or portfolio‑level rail systems responsibility.
• Proven track record in systems integration, technical assurance, RAMS, and safety certification for rail systems.
• Demonstrated experience working within integrated client/PMC environments and leading multi‑disciplinary teams and multiple contractors/OEMs.
• Experience across multiple delivery phases (design, procurement, installation, testing & commissioning, EIS) is essential.

Skills & Competencies

• Deep technical understanding of rail systems architectures and technologies (signalling/train control, telecoms, SCADA, platform systems, AFC, security, control centres).
• Strong knowledge of systems engineering, integration, and RAMS processes (including CENELEC norms for safety‑related systems).
• Excellent leadership, stakeholder management, and influencing skills at senior levels.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and problem‑solving abilities; able to balance technical, commercial, and program considerations.
• Highly effective communication and presentation skills; able to convey complex issues clearly to non‑technical decision‑makers.
• Solid understanding of program controls (time, cost, risk) and how rail systems activities impact them.
• High level of professionalism, integrity, and commitment to client outcomes.

Parsons equally employs representation at all job levels no matter the race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability or genetic information.

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