Vice President - Rail Vehicle Engineering

This Opportunity WSP is seeking a Vice President - Rail Vehicle Engineering, for our Boston, MA location. Provides project management and technical leadership for complex transit and rail vehicle programs, with an emphasis on vehicle engineering, design review, qualification testing, commissioning, field modifications, and fleet acceptance. Supports transit agency clients in delivering safe, reliable, and contract-compliant heavy rail, light rail, commuter rail, and bus vehicle programs. Leads coordination among vehicle engineering, maintenance, operations, signaling, power, maintenance-of-way, consultants, manufacturers, and system suppliers to resolve technical issues and advance vehicles into revenue service. Depending on program needs, may serve as Project Manager, Deputy Project Manager, or Lead Electrical Engineer.

Your Impact

• Provide leadership for large-scale and complex rail vehicle projects, including management of scope, schedule, budget, forecasts, risks, quality, contractual obligations, and project performance metrics.
• Serve in project management, deputy project management, or lead electrical engineering roles based on the needs of each assignment.
• Lead or support vehicle design reviews, including preliminary, intermediate, and final design review activities, and evaluate supplier designs for compliance with technical specifications and project requirements.
• Plan, coordinate, manage, and witness qualification, routine, commissioning, and field testing for new and overhauled rail vehicles and related systems.
• Provide technical leadership during vehicle commissioning, software revisions, field modifications, troubleshooting, nonconformance resolution, warranty support, and preparation for revenue service.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary activities among vehicle engineering, vehicle maintenance, transportation/operations, signaling, traction power, maintenance-of-way, consultants, manufacturers, and system suppliers.
• Lead recurring technical meetings with clients, vehicle manufacturers, and system suppliers, and drive timely resolution of technical issues through structured issue tracking and corrective-action processes, including FRACAS where applicable.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with client stakeholders at all levels and provide clear verbal and written reporting on technical status, project progress, key risks, safety concerns, scope, schedule, and budget impacts.
• Provide high-level strategic and technical advice to clients regarding vehicle procurement, fleet commissioning, system integration, reliability, maintainability, safety, and operational readiness.
• Review and approve technical documents, engineering deliverables, test procedures, test reports, modification packages, and discipline-specific plans in a multi-project environment.
• Mentor engineers and project staff, support professional development, and provide guidance to multidisciplinary teams with consistent adherence to QA/QC requirements.
• Participate in project reviews, identify root causes and practical corrective actions, and support development and implementation of project recovery plans.
• Collaborate across disciplines to provide trusted-advisor service and future-ready solutions for transit clients.
• Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company funds, resources, and conduct, and comply with WSP policies, procedures, and Code of Conduct.

Who You Are Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, or a related major, or equivalent experience in an engineering firm or transit agency.
• Minimum of 12 years of experience in rail vehicle engineering, transit vehicle procurement, or related program delivery.
• Demonstrated experience supporting heavy rail and/or light rail vehicle procurements through design review, qualification testing, routine testing, commissioning, field modifications, and entry into revenue service.
• Strong knowledge of rail vehicle electrical and onboard systems, vehicle-system interfaces, engineering change implementation, troubleshooting, and technical specification compliance.
• Experience coordinating across transit agency engineering, maintenance, operations, signaling, power, and maintenance-of-way functions.
• Experience working directly with rail vehicle manufacturers, major subsystem suppliers, contractors, and consultant teams to resolve complex technical and contractual issues.
• Experience leading technical meetings and using structured failure reporting, analysis, and corrective-action processes such as FRACAS.
• Advanced project leadership, analytical, organizational, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to balance technical, operational, schedule, budget, and stakeholder considerations.
• Advanced interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to interact effectively, persuasively, and tactfully with clients, senior leadership, subcontractors, consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, and employees at all levels.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and provide technical and project leadership to mid-level and senior team members while maintaining strong QA/QC discipline.
• Proficiency in technical writing and Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint; experience with maintenance or engineering information-management systems is desirable.
• Proven commitment to workplace safety and the ability to comply with WSP health, safety, drug/alcohol, and harassment policies.
• Ability to adapt to changing project priorities, schedules, client needs, and field conditions in a dynamic transit environment.
• Travel may be required depending on project-specific needs.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 20 or more years of experience in transit vehicle engineering, procurement, testing, commissioning, overhaul, or fleet modernization.
• Prior experience delivering vehicle programs for large U.S. transit agency.
• Experience with heavy rail, light rail, bus, and signaling systems across both new procurements and selective system overhaul or replacement programs.
• Experience supporting electrical and communications systems, vehicle software changes, onboard auxiliary power, HVAC, propulsion, braking, doors, train control interfaces, or other major vehicle subsystems.
• Proven ability to remain resilient and adaptable in a fast-paced, service-oriented transit environment while meeting demanding technical and operational schedules.

Compensation and Benefits WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on a providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. Expected Salary: $119,000- $219,100 WSP USA is providing the compensation range and general description of other compensation and benefits that the company in good faith believes it might pay and/or offer for this position based on the successful applicant’s education, experience,

#LI – AC1

About WSP WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.

www.wsp.com

WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career.

At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?

WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status.

The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.

NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES:

WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes include any resume or hiring document sent to WSP in the absence of a signed Service Agreement where WSP has expressly requested recruitment/staffing services specific to the position at hand. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of WSP and WSP will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.