Project Manager, Overhead Contact System (OCS)
About The Position
Burns Engineering is seeking a Project Manager, Overhead Contact System (OCS), to join its Rail and Transit Team in Sacramento, California. The role supports delivery of 25kV AC railway electrification infrastructure on the California High-Speed Rail Program, spanning OCS design, procurement, installation, testing, commissioning, energization, and operational handover. Systems include catenary and contact and messenger wires, registration equipment, cantilever assemblies, auto-tensioning systems, sectioning and paralleling facilities, switching infrastructure, neutral sections and overlap zones, grounding and bonding, traction return, and OCS monitoring. The Project Manager is accountable for scope, schedule, budget, risk, contractor performance, and delivery milestones across OCS work packages. The role coordinates with traction power, signaling, communications, track, structures, stations, maintenance facilities, operations, and maintenance teams, as well as utility providers, railroad operators, local jurisdictions, regulators, and Authorities Having Jurisdiction. It leads outage planning, electrical safety, energization readiness, and integrated testing programs, and supports approvals for energization and railway operation. Reporting to the Rail Systems Lead, the role provides delivery accountability for railway electrification, verified installation and energization readiness, and the dynamic test and acceptance evidence needed for trial running and entry into revenue service. The position is based in Sacramento, California, and requires 25 to 50 percent travel along the alignment.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Railway Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related engineering discipline, or demonstrable on-the-job work experience.
- At least 10 years of experience delivering railway electrification or OCS infrastructure projects.
- At least 10 years of project management experience on transportation, railway, utility, or infrastructure programs.
- Demonstrated experience delivering 25kV AC OCS systems from design through commissioning and operational service.
- Experience leading multidisciplinary teams, contractors, suppliers, and consultants.
- Strong working knowledge of railway electrification systems, OCS interfaces, grounding and bonding, traction return systems, and railway operations.
- Experience coordinating OCS delivery with traction power, signaling, track, structures, and rolling stock disciplines.
- Experience leading outage planning, energization readiness, and railway electrical safety programs.
- Experience managing approvals with utility providers, railroad operators, regulators, and Authorities Having Jurisdiction.
- Experience leading Factory Acceptance Testing, Site Acceptance Testing, integrated testing, and energization programs.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
- Availability to travel 25 to 50 percent along the alignment.
Nice To Haves
- Experience on high-speed rail projects operating above 125 mph (200 km/h).
- Experience delivering high-speed catenary systems and electrification infrastructure.
- Experience with EN 50119, AREMA, FRA, and railway electrification standards.
- Experience supporting dynamic testing and pantograph-catenary interaction testing.
- Experience supporting entry into revenue service on an electrified passenger railway.
- Experience overseeing contracts exceeding $250 million.
- PE, PMP, CEng, APM, or equivalent professional certification.
- Experience with OCS monitoring systems and electrification asset condition management.
Responsibilities
- Support OCS system delivery through design, procurement, construction, testing, commissioning, energization, and operational handover.
- Manage scope, schedule, budget, risk, contractor performance, and delivery milestones for OCS work packages.
- Coordinate delivery activities among traction power, signaling, communications, track, structures, stations, maintenance facilities, operations, and maintenance teams.
- Support delivery of catenary, contact and messenger wire systems, cantilever assemblies, registration equipment, and auto-tensioning systems.
- Support delivery of sectioning and paralleling facilities, switching infrastructure, neutral sections, overlap zones, grounding and bonding systems, traction return systems, and OCS monitoring systems.
- Lead railway electrical safety, outage planning, energization readiness, and operational readiness programs.
- Coordinate with utility providers, railroad operators, local jurisdictions, regulators, and Authorities Having Jurisdiction.
- Support approvals for energization, railway operations, and electrification infrastructure.
- Coordinate responses to technical reviews, stakeholder comments, and system acceptance requirements.
- Provide technical oversight of contractor installation activities and system implementation.
- Coordinate resolution of technical issues, field changes, interface challenges, and construction constraints.
- Review installation, testing, and energization readiness across OCS work packages.
- Lead Factory Acceptance Testing, Site Acceptance Testing, integrated testing, dynamic testing, and energization programs.
- Coordinate testing interfaces with traction power, signaling, communications, rolling stock, and operations systems.
- Support defect resolution, punch-list closure, operational readiness, and entry into revenue service.
- Support executive reporting, forecasting, change management, stakeholder engagement, and governance activities.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
