Deputy Chief Engineer ET - 90001570 - Philadelphia

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As we move America’s workforce toward the future, Amtrak connects businesses and communities across the country. We employ more than 20,000 diverse, energetic professionals in a variety of career fields throughout the United States. The safety of our passengers, our employees, the public and our operating environment is our priority, and the success of our railroad is due to our employees.

Are you ready to join our team?

Our values of ‘Do the Right Thing, Excel Together and Put Customers First’ are at the heart of what matters most to us, and our Core Capabilities, ‘Building Trust, Accountability, Effective Communication, Customer Focus, and Proactive Safety & Security’ are what every employee needs to know and do to be most impactful at Amtrak. By living the Amtrak values, focusing on our capabilities, and actively embracing and fostering diverse ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives, together we will honor our past and make Amtrak a company of the future.

SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
Under the direction of the Assistant Vice President, Engineering Services, the Deputy Chief Engineer Electric Traction has the overall responsibility and oversight for directing the Engineering Department ET design, construction, Operation and Maintenance, Training, Compliance and Standard Operating procedures. This includes specifying equipment and material to provide continued safe and reliable operation of the electric traction facilities. The individual should be an industry known technical expert in the electric traction field. The Deputy Chief Engineer Electric Traction works collaboratively and in coordination with all Amtrak Capital Delivery senior staff and staff from other departments, Commercial Power Suppliers, the Federal Railroad Administration, and other U.S. DOT agencies, Congress, States and localities, commuter and freight operators, and suppliers, other third parties, investors and stakeholders to develop strategies, plans, funding and finance approaches, and partnerships to advance Amtrak’s mission.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• The following duties ARE NOT intended to serve as a comprehensive list of all duties performed by all employees in this classification, only a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties.
• Act as Subject Matter Expert for Electric Traction related capital improvement and maintenance projects. Creates and implements State of Good Repair Initiatives through Asset Management, identifying required resources, assigning duties and tasks to team members, and reviews and monitors the progress on a regular basis.
• Initiates and assists in the development of the infrastructure capital program budget.
• Plans and prepares the maintenance budget.
• Extensive technical knowledge of traction power operations, contingency planning and emergency response to catenary, substation, signal power and transmission systems.
• Extensive experience in project and inventory management, technical design, supervision, planning and scheduling, budget and finance, contracts management, field production methods, agency coordination, railroad maintenance, construction methods, operations and procedures.
• Plans, schedules, estimates, and manages the force account work for infrastructure capital projects.
• Has input in the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements.
• Coordinates with the DCE Maintenance for the plans and implementation of Engineering’s Safety Plan.
• Supports and implements the employee technical training and developmental programs.
• Conducts scheduled inspections and assists in the infrastructure audits.
• Complies with Engineering policy, procedures, and standards.
• Assists in planning and forecasting RWP protection requirements.
• Plans and forecasts vehicle and equipment requirements for maintenance, production, and construction projects and programs.
• Manages the Load Dispatchers and Power Director Offices
• Manages the SCADA systems for the electric traction facilities.
• Has input in the development of and adherence to job position descriptions, compensation levels, and promotion and discipline programs.
• Responds to and resolves infrastructure failures and unusual emergencies by supporting the DCE Maintenance.
• Identify and recommend processes to be improved to drive continuous improve in deliverable quality
• Approves expenditures and implements budgetary adjustments as appropriate.
• Provides technical advice to the AVP Engineering Services and the Vice President Engineering Services on matters related to Electric Traction with focus on State of Good Repair • Builds and maintains external relationships to provide effective communication of capital program status and accomplished goals and objectives.
• Represents Amtrak at meetings and conferences with elected and public officials, the community, private citizens, and public and private organizations.
• Analyze challenges, problems, and process breakdowns to ensure that lessons learned are used to improve project management and project delivery practices.
• Continuously improves and/or develops key business processes that focus on delivering capital projects on-time and within budget.
• Effectively contributes to a safe and secure work environment for employees and travel experience for customers.
• Demonstrates necessary leadership to support a zero incident and injury culture within Amtrak.
• Oversees the development and implementation of assigned department goals, objectives, policies and priorities for each assigned service area.
• Assesses and monitors workloads, administrative and support systems, and internal reporting relationships; identifies opportunities for improvement; directs and implements changes.
• Directs department’s activities including setting goals and objectives, policies, work standards, and controls for professional staff and consultants.
• Maintains a teamwork environment within all peers as well as the engineering department’s internal customers.
• Attends and participates in professional group meetings; stays abreast of new trends and innovations in the field of project management in public transportation.
• Serves as acting AVP Engineering Services as required and assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• B.S. Degree in Engineering with extensive railroad work experience including demonstrated supervisory experience and extensive maintenance, production and construction experience.
• Extensive experience in project, and inventory management; technical design supervision, planning and scheduling; budget and finance; contracts management; field production methods; agency coordination; railroad maintenance; construction methods; operations and procedures.
• Extensive experience managing large, diverse, and geographically dispersed groups of individuals.
• Extensive experience showing strong interdepartmental leadership with the ability to identify problems and develop and implement solutions.
• Known in the industry as a Technical Expert in traction power operations.

Knowledge of:

• Theories, principles, and practices of passenger railroad systems design, construction, operations, maintenance, safety, accident prevention, and emergency response
• Applicable local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations governing the design, engineering, and construction of passenger railroad capital improvement and maintenance projects.
• Project delivery, engineering, and maintenance roles, responsibilities, and requirements.
• Railroad systems including track, structures, communications, signals, electric traction and track usage procedures.
• Principles and practices of capital and operating budgets preparation and administration
• Principles and practices of contract negotiation and administration
• Principles of supervision, training and performance evaluation
• Principles and practices of public administration
• Social, political, and environmental issues influencing capital programs.
• Labor unions agreements
• The Amtrak organization, Federal Railroad Administration and NEC stakeholders, including state and local governments, commuter railroads and freights.
• Roadway Workers Protection (RWP), NORAC/General Code Operating Rules; MW 1000, AMT2, AMT23, AMT27, Hazard Communication (Right to Know) and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Skills and Abilities to:

• Motivate and support people across the organization to work collectively as a cohesive whole to produce superior results.
• Develop strategy and tactical direction in alignment with Amtrak’s Strategic Plan
• Identify talented managers and advocating for their future development.
• Conduct meetings and interviews, interpersonal communications, time management, conflict resolution, and to conduct formal investigations.
• Communicate clearly and concisely in verbal and written form, including ability to articulate complex issues, and interact with outside stakeholders as well as all levels of Amtrak.
• Present and discuss programs and projects status with senior management, 3rd parties and the Board of Directors
• Effectively oversee all aspects of Electric Traction systems for passenger rail
• Plan, develop and implement objectives, policies, procedures, and work standards to organize and control the design and construction of Electric Traction infrastructure.
• Understand, interpret, and apply applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, budgets, contracts, and labor/management agreements
• Facilitate and encourage objective analyses of alternative points of view and to articulate the strengths and weaknesses of various business options in order to reach an informed decision.
• Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with superiors, peers, and subordinates across the organization.
• Represent Amtrak before elected officials and the public as requested.
• Exercise judgment and creativity in making decisions.
• Prepare reports and correspondence.
• Microsoft Project, Visio and Office, including intermediate level capabilities in the use of Excel, Power Point, and Word

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• 13+ years of relevant work experience exhibiting progressive growth and increased responsibility in providing major project delivery services to the public
• In lieu of education a minimum of 17 years of relevant work experience, or equivalent combination of education, training, and work experience is needed. Proven leadership in operations, cost reduction, process improvement, asset utilization, program and organizational management and a demonstrated understanding of railroad operations.
• 5+ years of senior management-level experience at the department-head level in project/construction management, engineering and/or maintenance within passenger railroads, or in any comparable public or private organization

• Master's degree in engineering, business, or project management, and extensive experience working in Electrified Railroad Operations
• Professional Engineer’s (PE) License
• CMAA Certified Construction Manager (CCM) and/or PMI Project Management Professional (PMP) credential

WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Travel Requirements: Up to 25

COMMUNICATIONS AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:

Must have excellent oral and written communication skills.

The salary/hourly range is $206,200-$267,192. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. Depending on an employee’s assigned worksite or location, Amtrak may consider a geo-pay differential to be applied to the employee’s base salary. Amtrak may offer additional incentive and pay programs to recognize and reward our employees, including a short-term incentive bonus based upon factors such as individual and company performance that is commensurate with the level of the position and/or long-term incentive plan compensation. In addition to your salary, Amtrak offers a comprehensive benefit package that includes health, dental, and vision plans; health savings accounts; wellness programs; flexible spending accounts; 401K retirement plan with employer match; life insurance; short and long term disability insurance; paid time off; back-up care; adoption assistance; surrogacy assistance; reimbursement of education expenses; Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility; Railroad Retirement sickness and retirement benefits; and rail pass privileges. Learn more about our benefits offerings here.

Requisition ID:161165
Posting Location(s):Pennsylvania
Job Family/Function:Engineering 
Relocation Offered:Yes 
Travel Requirements:Up to 25% 
 

You power our progress through your performance.
 

We want your work at Amtrak to be more than a job. We want your career at Amtrak to be a fulfilling experience where you find challenging work, rewarding opportunities, respect among colleagues, and attractive compensation. Amtrak maintains a culture that values high performance and recognizes individual employee contributions. 

Amtrak is committed to a safe workplace free of drugs and alcohol. All Amtrak positions requires a pre-employment background check that includes prior employment verification, a criminal history check and a pre-employment drug screen. 

Candidates who test positive for marijuana will be disqualified, regardless of any state or local statute, ordinance, regulation, or other law that legalizes or decriminalizes the use or possession of marijuana, whether for medical, recreational, or other use. Amtrak's pre-employment drug testing program is administered in accordance with DOT regulations and applicable law.  

In accordance with DOT regulations (49 CFR § 40.25), Amtrak is required to obtain prior drug and alcohol testing records for applicants/employees intending to perform safety-sensitive duties for covered Department of Transportation positions. If an applicant/employee refuses to provide written consent for Amtrak to obtain these records, the individual will not be permitted to perform safety-sensitive functions.

In accordance with federal law governing security checks of covered individuals for providers of public transportation (Title 6 U.S.C. §1143), Amtrak is required to screen applicants for any permanent or interim disqualifying criminal offenses. 

Note that any education requirement listed above may be deemed satisfied if you have an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Amtrak is an EOE/Affirmative Action Minority/Female employer, and we welcome all to apply. We consider candidates regardless of race/color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions), national origin/ethnicity, age, disability (intellectual, mental and physical), veteran status, marital status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, genetic information, citizenship or any other personal characteristics protected by law.