Assistant Vice President, Transit and Rail Project Management

WSP•Pittsburgh, PA

10h•Hybrid

About The Position

WSP USA is seeking an Assistant Vice President, Transit and Rail Project Management for our Pittsburgh, PA location. This role supports transit agencies in ensuring the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of rail vehicle fleets while maintaining full compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. The position oversees and contributes to the execution of preventive and corrective maintenance programs to achieve reliability, availability, and safety targets, ensuring consistent delivery of dependable passenger service. It provides leadership, guidance, and strategic recommendations to maintenance personnel and supervisory teams to drive performance and improve key operational metrics.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, or a related major, or equivalent experience in a technical or engineering firm.
Minimum of 10 years of experience in a maintenance role within our industry including at least 5 years in a managerial role.
Highly proficient understanding of maintenance programs within the A/E/C industry and strong background and experience in a rail environment.
Advanced proficiency with analytical and organizational skills, with business acumen to bridge the business operations with maintenance teams and processes.
Advanced proficiency with critical thinking and problem-solving skills to make assessments and calculations involving the application of fleet management principles, with a sound understanding of intent, impact, and optimal outcomes.
Advanced proficiency with interpersonal and communication skills to interact effectively, persuasively, and tactfully with leadership, subcontractors, and employees at all levels of the organization.
Excellent self-leadership with attention to detail, multi-tasking, and adjusting readily to the changing prioritization of responsibilities in a dynamic work environment.
Works independently and provides guidance and leadership to mid-level to senior level team or project members, with strict adherence to QA/QC.
Proficient in technical writing, office automation, relevant software, MS Office suite products (e.g., Word, Excel, Visio, Project, SharePoint), technology, spreadsheets, and PM tools.
Strong experience in managing the review and approval of documents and discipline-specific project deliverables, processes, and plans in a multi-project environment is highly desirable.
Ability to elicit cooperation from a wide variety of sources, including senior management, subcontractors, consultants, and company-wide staff, including those with whom no formal hierarchical relationship exits.
Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
Strong ability to quickly adapt to change and demonstrate flexibility to a variety of schedules and hours to meet project-specific needs.
Travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.

Nice To Haves

Proven ability to remain resilient and adaptable in a fast-paced, multi-shift, service-oriented maintenance environment, consistently meeting rigorous operational and scheduling demands.

Responsibilities

Provide leadership for larger scale/complex projects ensuring contributors know what they are required to do and by when, preparing and overseeing relevant project budgets, forecasts, margins and KPIs, monitoring external events and risk contingencies, tracking hours and expenses, ensuring satisfactory performance, and managing the contractual obligations to deliver the project or assigned portfolio of assigned project(s) as defined in the contract.
Develop and foster effective strategies to engage project stakeholders at all levels, maintain effective relationships, and report on project progress.
Provide verbal and/or written inputs to multi-disciplinary project teams and contribute to providing high level strategic advice to clients.
Mentor staff to support their growth and professional development.
Manage and provide performance guidance and leadership to assigned staff.
Maintain regular communications with the client including reporting on monthly status, safety incidents, and major issues together with scope and budget impacts.
Participate in and oversee problem project reviews, providing input about root cause issues and potential solutions. Assist with developing project recovery plans.
Collaborate with professionals from a variety of disciplines to provide “trusted advisor” service and future ready solutions for clients.
Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company funds, resources and conduct, and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.