Job & Business Opportunities

Job Summary

This classification is primarily responsible for performing tasks in the following areas: Supervisory/Administrative, Program Oversight and Management, and Engineering Consultant. Work mainly involves problem solving and mediating highly conflicting, unexpected, and unusual problems involving multiple groups.

Supervision

Supervision Received: This class works under administrative direction, which includes broad management responsibility for a large program or set of related functions. Work is usually received in terms of goals; review is received in terms of results.

Supervision Exercised: This class may provide direct and/or indirect supervision to lower level personnel.

Distinguishing Characteristics

N/A

Essential Functions

A. Supervisory/Administrative
Duties may include:
Review progress, schedules, funding, and assignments for department projects. Structure engineering tasks for each engineer in department. Provide technical and procedural guidance to staff. Train less experienced members of staff on signaling, traction power, and overhead contact wire issues. Review detail design parameters with project staff. Provide guidance when an engineering problem arises. Assist in preparation for division’s work plan. Check and coordinate attendance and assignments. Allocate staff time-off periods. Ensure administrative support for staff. Review and sign time cards. Mentor through personal contact and staff meetings. Conduct supervisory appraisals and development of measurable performance. Arrange training programs and technical support. Other duties as assigned.

B. Project Oversight and Management
Duties may include:
Review engineering submittals and reports from consultants for conformity and scope. Review project scope, direction, schedules, and funding of consultant contracts. Review and approve invoices for services rendered. Maintain budgetary cognizance over life of contract. Provide engineering direction to consultants as needed. Manage and coordinate testing programs that consultants initiate. Coordinate construction activities of new rail start-up lines with Construction Manager's staff. Coordinate new light rail vehicle burn-in schedules on new track. Organize and direct integrated test procedures for new track and vehicles. Oversee development of staging plans and schedule cutover of new track to revenue service. Provide vehicle equipment assignments and schedules for tests of new rail. Conduct First Article Inspections of new materials at manufacturer's facilities. Conduct on-site inspections with Quality Assurance and Construction Manager to verify safety and contractual requirements. Other duties as assigned.

C. Engineering Consultant
Duties may include:
Assist in preparation of division's work plan. Provide technical assistance in development of conceptual design for new rail start-ups. Provide engineering expertise to other departments and divisions for overhead line construction, traction power, signaling, and railroad construction. Attend construction meetings with construction managers and contractors regarding construction issues. Develop relationships with outside agencies. Provide technical support to these agencies to achieve the District's project goals. Member and participant in state-wide rail operations and regulatory committee. Meet with CPUC, FRA, and FTA. Prepare project descriptions, schedules, and budgets in simplified language for rapid comprehension. Develop issue papers for presentation to Board of Directors. Prepare non-technical status reports for BOD, CEO, Senior Staff, and FTA meetings. Give guidance on project priorities. Attend BOD meetings and senior staff consultations as rail systems consultant. Participate and contribute in quarterly FTA meetings. Other duties as assigned.

Job Demands

Physical and Mental Requirements:

• Mobility: frequent use of keyboard; frequent sitting for long periods of time; occasional bending or squatting.


• Lifting: frequently up to 10 pounds; occasionally up to 25 pounds.


• Vision: constant use of overall vision; frequent reading and close-up work; occasional color and depth vision.


• Dexterity: frequent repetitive motion; frequent writing; frequent grasping, holding, and reaching.


• Hearing/Talking: frequent hearing and talking, in person and on the phone.


• Emotional/Psychological: frequent decision-making and concentration; frequent public and/or coworker contact; occasional working alone.


• Environmental: frequent exposure to noise.

Knowledge and Abilities

Required Knowledge of:

• California Public Utilities Commission General Orders, NEC codes, FTA guidelines, and FRA rules and regulations.


• Overhead line construction, power transmission, rectification, distribution, train signaling methods, logic, and controls.


• Construction practices and controls and safety requirements.


• General engineering principles and applications to railroad transit.


• Management principles and practices, particularly as they pertain to engineering projects.


• Leadership techniques essential to work with people with various backgrounds.


• Contractual requirements for professional services.


• Construction efforts for new rail lines.


• Testing demands for certifying new starts.


• Rail operations and procedures.


• CPUC/FRA regulations and orders.


• Integration strategies for complex systems.


• Railroad fail-safe requirements.


• Railroad systems construction methods and materials.


• Electrical, mechanical, civil, and industrial engineering practices.


• Fail-safe operating procedures for light rail operations.


• Regulatory constraints.


• Other civil and construction project work which might impact systems Design.

• Present regulatory material in a clear way.


• Interface with agencies to assure coordination of projects on a high level.


• Read, prepare, and review engineering drawings to provide concise information to Contractors.


• Explain the District's needs to outside agencies.


• Meet tight project schedules and goals.


• Provide full coordination across all of the District's organizations.


• Find funds to achieve high priority goals.


• Assure that consultants provide effective and efficient service in a timely manner.


• Coordinate various District departments, consultants, and contractors to achieve a common goal.


• Provide realistic schedules for start-ups.


• Coordinate contractors and subcontractors to fully task the start-up effort.


• Develop sense of direction for engineering responses to other departments and divisions.


• Propose alternate engineering ideas for difficult problems.


• Learn the District’s organizational structure and communicating objectives.


• Learn management procedures, policies, and agreements of the District.


• Develop updated individual project work files.


• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

• Common word processing software.


• Common spreadsheet software.


• Common database applications.


• ERMS software concepts.


• Accounting or operations software functionality.


• Email, contact management, and scheduling software.


• Project management software.


• Presentation software.

Minimum Qualifications — Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Required Prior Experience:
Seven years of experience in systems and light and freight rail design.

Required Prior Education:
A Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Civil or Industrial Engineering and a license with the State of California as a Professional Engineer. Six years of additional qualifying experience may substitute for the required education.