Principal Telecom Engineer, Interoperable Train Control Messaging (Remote - US)

BNSF Railway • ,

3d • $107,000 - $145,000 • Remote

About The Position

This position manages, maintains, and configures the ITCM middleware network. It ensures secure, reliable, and asynchronous messaging between locomotives, wayside devices, and back-office servers. The administrator directly supports railroad interoperability, system monitoring, and regulatory compliance. BNSF is one of the largest U.S. railroads transporting freight across 28 western states and 3 Canadian provinces. BNSF | Tech is the technology division making BNSF the preeminent freight and mobility company in North America. This is a full-time remote position, and employees may work from anywhere within the contiguous 48 states of the United States. Travel is up to 20%, and employees will be required to occasionally travel to the corporate headquarters in Fort Worth, TX for in-person meetings. Travel expenses for business needs will be covered by BNSF.

Requirements

• Authorized to work in the US now and in the future without BNSF’s assistance (whether monetary, through sponsorship, or otherwise) in obtaining, maintaining, or extending employment authorization (including H-1B, STEM OPT/CPT, or TN nonimmigrant status).
• Bachelors degree in Technical, Business or related discipline preferred and/or equivalent formal training or work experience.
• Minimum of 10 years work experience in a technical/operations environment.
• Minimum of 5+ years of experience in enterprise systems administration, messaging middleware, or railroad signaling/communications infrastructure.
• Proficiency with messaging platforms like Apache ActiveMQ, Red Hat AMQ, or Apache QPID AMQP Brokers.
• Deep understanding of networking protocols, including TCP/IP, EMP (Electronic Message Protocol), AAR Messaging Standards. and Class I Railroad network architecture.
• Strong familiarity with Linux/Unix operating systems and shell scripting languages (e.g., Bash, Python) for automation.

Nice To Haves

• Working knowledge of FRA PTC regulations, I-ETMS architecture, and Meteorcomm ITCnet operations.
• Prior experience working for a Class I Railroad or transit agency.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret raw telemetry data under pressure.
• Excellent communication skills for cross-functional collaboration with external railroad partners.

Responsibilities

• Configure, deploy, and maintain ITCM environments across back-office systems (BOS), wayside messaging servers, and locomotive mobile platforms including monitoring and managing message queues, topics, and channels to ensure seamless, real-time message delivery.
• Coordinate configuration changes and asset routing updates with tenant and host railroads to maintain seamless industry-wide interoperability.
• Use Interoperable Train Control Systems Management (ITCSM) and custom open source based tools to track network health, evaluate system telemetry, and proactively diagnose communication drops.
• Resolve complex messaging failures, address routing anomalies, and analyze log files to identify and fix transport-layer disruptions.
• Maintain rigorous configuration control records for software versions, network routing tables, and hardware assets across the system lifecycle.
• Demonstrate operational excellence by monitoring, troubleshooting, and resolving production issues by remaining on-call 24/7.

Benefits

• An industry-leading 401(k) and renowned Railroad Retirement program.
• A range of robust health care options for you and your dependents (including domestic partners), including medical, dental, vision, telemedicine, mental health, cancer support, and high-quality care network options.
• Health care spending accounts (HSA) with employer contributions, as well as life and disability insurance, provided at no cost.
• Family benefits including parental, pediatric and family building support, adoption and surrogacy reimbursement, and dependent care spending account (with employer match).
• Access to discounts on travel, gym memberships, counseling services and wellness support.
• Annual bonus (Incentive Compensation Program)
• Generous leave / time off policies.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal
• Education Level: Associate degree