Lead Proposal Engineer

Wabtec•Erie, FL

21h•Hybrid

About The Position

Wabtec’s Train Handling team develops a range of high‑tech fuel efficiency and automation solutions for customers across the rail industry. As a Lead Proposal Engineer, you will collaborate closely with Product Management to identify new technology opportunities and partner with Engineering teams to develop concepts and estimates. These efforts will drive future enhancements and new features across our product portfolio. The Lead Proposal Engineer is a critical technical role that bridges Sales, Product Management, and Engineering. In this position, you will: Partner with Product Management to define technical requirements and key customer KPIs Work with engineering design teams to develop concepts that meet these requirements Develop preliminary cost estimates and project timelines from initiation through completion Lead the transition from proposal to execution when projects are awarded, ensuring alignment on scope, assumptions, risks, and schedule Maintain a repository of proposals and supporting documentation for future reference.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from an accredited institution
Minimum of 5 years of experience in Project Engineering, Application Engineering, Systems Engineering, Hardware/Software Engineering, and/or Information Systems
Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally (~10%)

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Engineering, STEM field, or MBA
Experience developing technical proposals and cost estimates
Customer-facing experience as a technical expert
Proven ability to work in a cross-functional, global environment
Experience with locomotive systems design (preferred)
Rail industry experience (preferred)
Self-starter with the ability to lead with minimal supervision
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Strong interpersonal and leadership capabilities

Responsibilities

Partner with Product Management to define technical requirements and key customer KPIs
Work with engineering design teams to develop concepts that meet these requirements
Develop preliminary cost estimates and project timelines from initiation through completion
Lead the transition from proposal to execution when projects are awarded, ensuring alignment on scope, assumptions, risks, and schedule
Maintain a repository of proposals and supporting documentation for future reference
Collaborate with Product Management and customers to translate ideas into technical requirements and actionable engineering concepts
Lead technical discovery discussions with customers to define preliminary project scope
Support the business approval process from concept (CP0) through formal quotation (CP1)
Partner with engineering teams to develop technical concepts and participate in concept reviews (e.g., TG240)
Identify and engage key stakeholders and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to support concept development
Provide technical oversight where needed, especially in the absence of senior systems architects
Develop estimation templates and work with engineering leaders to produce accurate bid estimates
Provide consolidated cost and effort estimates to support deal reviews
Prepare technical scope summaries, preliminary schedules, and effort estimates for Program Management inputs
Identify technical and programmatic risks and key dependencies
Track and manage active proposals, providing status updates to leadership
Establish and maintain proposal data in engineering (ELM) and financial (Clarity) systems
Coordinate with other business units (P&Ls) to support estimation of new opportunities