ATCS System Engineer I-II-III-IV (Advanced Train Control Systems) (Alaska Railroad)

State of Alaska•Anchorage, AK

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The primary responsibility is to support the Alaska Railroad's Advanced Train Control Systems department and its safety systems to ensure safe, stable and efficient operations. This position is fundamentally a systems integrations position requiring a deep understanding of computing and networking technology, data and database systems, systems design, systems engineering, and systems validation and systems testing methodologies. The successful candidate will have a comprehensive background that allows for multidisciplinary systems design, implementation and validation. This background will be focused on supporting the Alaska Railroad’s implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC) and its auxiliary subsystems. Additionally, this position participates in a rotating on-call after-hours support rotation and will be subject to the Alaska Railroad’s Hours of Service program. This tiered position allows for career advancement through personal, technical, and professional skills acquisition and development. Each tier represents a milestone in technical competency, accountability, and responsibility in not only modern information systems technologies but also in Positive Train Control systems and its auxiliary subsystems.

Requirements

An Associate’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline is the minimum education requirement.
Minimum two (2) years of experience in information technology, systems engineering, or a related technical discipline is required for Tier I entry with an Associate’s degree, or zero (0) years with a Bachelor’s degree.
Experience must demonstrate proficiency in computing systems administration, networking, database management, or software testing.
Must have a valid driver’s license.
To be considered a valid driver's license, an employee must maintain a continuous three-year period free of any Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Operating Under the Influence (OUI) convictions.

Nice To Haves

A Bachelor’s degree is preferred and reduces the work experience requirement.
A Master’s degree further reduces the experience requirement.
Industry certifications such as CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+, CCNA, or Microsoft certified credentials are valued.
Previous experience with railroad operations, Positive Train Control systems, or safety-critical system engineering is preferred.
Familiarity with formal software testing methodologies, configuration management, and systems integration practices is desirable.

Responsibilities

Maintains and administers Automated Test Environments (ATE) including server configuration, network setup, virtualization platforms, and database systems to support PTC acceptance testing.
Performs system validation and acceptance testing of PTC software releases from the vendors, executing test procedures and documenting results in accordance with department quality assurance methodologies.
Administers and troubleshoots PTC subsystems including BackOffice Server, MDM Server, Communication Server, Control Server, and Train Management Computer (TMC) software across test and production environments as qualified.
Manages messaging infrastructure (RabbitMQ, ITCM, WSRS) and database systems (SQL Server/TMDS) supporting PTC operations, including configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting.
Supports production PTC system deployments under change management procedures and Hours of Service rules, ensuring smooth, stable, and safe system changes while maintaining railroad operational continuity.
Creates and maintains technical documentation including system configurations, test procedures, validation reports, installation guides, and operational runbooks.
Manages PTC data including track survey data collection and validation, On-Board Track File creation and distribution, code line control assignments, and wayside addressing conventions.
Mentors and provides technical guidance to lower-tier engineers, reviews their work output, and assists with knowledge transfer across PTC competency areas.
Coordinates with the Manager, Systems Engineering - ATCS on supervision, task assignment, resource utilization, and technical direction for the ATCS Systems Engineering team.
Participates in vendor coordination for software updates, issue resolution, and system enhancement planning. May be required to travel for vendor meetings or field installations.