Director, Rail Vehicle Maintenance

Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority•Austin, TX

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director, Rail Vehicle Maintenance provides leadership and strategic direction for CapMetro rail vehicle maintenance operations, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient revenue and non-revenue rail vehicle service. The role has full accountability for operational performance, safety, workforce management, and contract management across rail vehicle maintenance. The Director aligns vehicle maintenance initiatives with organizational goals and maintains regulatory compliance across vehicle maintenance functions. The position reports directly to the VP, Rail Operations and leads the Manager, Vehicle Maintenance, vehicle maintenance operational teams, and contracted service providers. The Director oversees preventive and corrective maintenance, inspections, fleet readiness, maintenance planning and scheduling, workforce deployment, and resource allocation. The role directs workforce training and contractor performance; establishes and analyzes maintenance KPIs; develops initiatives to improve fleet reliability, maintenance effectiveness, efficiency, service delivery, commissioning, rehabilitation, and long-term fleet performance; and coordinates fleet capital and lifecycle planning with engineering and capital projects leadership. The position enforces safety policies and regulatory compliance, leads investigations into maintenance incidents and failures, and supports CapMetro’s System Safety and Security Plan and Safety Management Systems. It prepares and administers operating and capital budgets, oversees service contracts and vendors, and manages department personnel and assigned work. The position is primarily onsite at a CapMetro facility or field location, with an expectation of working in the office four or more days per week. It is an on-call escalation point and may require responses to emergencies, major service disruptions, and other critical incidents outside normal operating hours.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Business Administration, or a related technical field; relevant experience may substitute year for year for up to four years.
Ten years of progressive leadership experience in rail or transit operations.
Six years of progressively responsible leadership experience in rail or transit vehicle maintenance operations, with direct accountability for fleet maintenance performance.
Advanced skill in word processing and spreadsheet software, such as Microsoft Office Suite or similar applications.
Executive-level leadership and decision-making capabilities.
Deep knowledge of rail vehicle maintenance operations, fleet systems and subsystems, safety standards, and regulatory compliance.
Strong strategic planning, organizational, and performance management skills.
Effective professional communication and the ability to influence and lead across the organization and work courteously with coworkers, contractors, agency personnel, and the public.
Ability to find solutions to complex interpersonal, technical, financial, legal, and administrative problems.
Working knowledge of Federal Railroad Administration and Federal Transit Administration principles, practices, and laws as they apply to rail vehicle maintenance.
Ability to demonstrate fiduciary responsibility when handling confidential materials and information.
Ability to effectively supervise and direct consultants and contractors.
Must be currently authorized to work in the United States; visa sponsorship is not available.
Ability to stand and sit frequently throughout an eight-hour period and reach vertically overhead and horizontally.
Ability to use a telephone or headset equipment.
Ability to lift and move material weighing up to 20 pounds.
Ability to work at a computer terminal for 6–8 hours a day and function in an environment with constant interruptions.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic oversight and accountability for rail vehicle maintenance, including preventive and corrective maintenance, inspections, and fleet readiness.
Lead maintenance planning, scheduling, workforce deployment, and resource allocation.
Direct the Manager, Vehicle Maintenance, and maintenance leadership in overseeing frontline supervisors, mechanics, technicians, cleaners, and contracted providers; ensure performance and contractual compliance.
Develop, implement, and oversee required vehicle maintenance training, including FRA-mandated training, certifications, and ongoing competency requirements.
Establish, monitor, and analyze maintenance KPIs and provide executive leadership with reports, recommendations, and insights on performance, workforce needs, and strategic priorities.
Develop and implement initiatives to improve asset reliability, maintenance effectiveness, operational efficiency, service delivery, and long-term fleet performance, including vehicle commissioning and rehabilitation programs.
Coordinate vehicle maintenance capital and lifecycle planning priorities with the Director of Engineering Services and Capital Projects.
Implement and enforce maintenance policies, procedures, and safety protocols, ensuring compliance with applicable federal, state, local, FRA, and rail industry requirements.
Lead investigations of maintenance-related incidents and failures, identify root causes, implement corrective actions, and mitigate risks to prevent recurrence.
Promote a safety-first culture and work with internal stakeholders to support compliance with CapMetro’s System Safety and Security Plan.
Prepare, administer, and monitor vehicle maintenance operating and capital budgets, including funding requests and resource allocation.
Oversee vehicle maintenance service contracts, negotiate with vendors, and manage capital program requirements related to fleet maintenance.
Support CapMetro’s Safety Management Systems process by ensuring staff follow safety and security policies, consider safety in their work, and report safety and security concerns.
Plan, schedule, delegate, and oversee department employee work assignments; coordinate work with vendors and consultants; conduct personnel actions including hiring and interviewing; and oversee training and performance evaluations.
Perform other duties as required or assigned.
Respond as an on-call escalation point to emergencies, major service disruptions, or other critical operational incidents outside normal operating hours when required.