Senior Project Engineer Traction Power

Mott MacDonald•Austin, TX

4d•Onsite

About The Position

At Mott MacDonald, we trust our brilliant people to do brilliant things in engineering, management, and development services, supporting multisector project work in over 150 countries. As one of the largest employee-owned companies in the world, we pride ourselves on our ability to deliver exceptional outcomes through our network of 20,000+ talented consultants. With sustainability and innovation at the heart of all our sectors in North America, including, Buildings, Energy, Transportation, and Water. We believe in empowering our people to excel, learn, and grow, offering diverse opportunities to contribute to career-defining work. Join us and be part of a collaborative environment where your ambitions are united with ours, and you can truly shape your story. If you share that vision, even if you don’t meet every requirement listed, we’d still love to hear from you. We value potential and diverse perspectives as much as experience. Let’s explore how we can support your growth and help you take the next step in your career, while contributing to an exciting new chapter for Mott MacDonald in North America. We are seeking a Senior Traction Power Engineer to join our team in Austin, Texas, supporting a major, high-profile transit program that will transform mobility and connectivity across the city. Based within the client’s office, you will work in a fully integrated delivery environment on a complex urban rail corridor program. In this role, you will provide technical leadership for the design and delivery of traction power systems across a large-scale light rail program. You will lead the development of safe, reliable, and efficient electrification solutions while coordinating closely with multidisciplinary teams, project stakeholders, and client representatives. You will serve as a subject matter expert for traction power systems, helping to guide design decisions, manage technical risks, and ensure successful project outcomes throughout the program lifecycle.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in traction power, rail electrification, or power systems engineering within transit, rail, or major infrastructure sectors
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline
Professional Engineer (PE) license in Texas, or ability to obtain licensure within 6 months
Extensive experience in the design and delivery of traction power systems, including TPSS, OCS, and associated railway power infrastructure
Strong knowledge of power system modeling and analysis, including load flow, fault studies, protection coordination, and system performance evaluations
Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary engineering teams and coordinate complex technical interfaces across large-scale projects
Experience managing technical design activities through multiple project phases, from concept development through commissioning
Strong understanding of rail electrification standards, industry practices, and regulatory requirements, including AREMA, IEEE, NFPA, and applicable state or local standards
Expertise in grounding and bonding, system protection, EMC, and safety requirements for electrified railway systems
Experience working directly with transit agencies, public-sector clients, utilities, contractors, and other external stakeholders
Excellent communication, leadership, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills
Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality technical solutions within demanding project environment

Nice To Haves

Experience within client-facing or embedded delivery environments is highly desirable

Responsibilities

Lead the planning, design, and delivery of traction power systems, including traction power substations (TPSS), overhead contact systems (OCS), and associated power distribution infrastructure
Act as the technical lead for traction power engineering activities, ensuring designs meet project requirements, industry standards, and client expectations
Develop and oversee TPSS designs, including equipment selection, system architecture, layouts, protection schemes, and interface requirements
Lead power system analyses and studies, including load flow, short-circuit, voltage regulation, harmonics, fault coordination, and system reliability assessments
Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior and intermediate engineers, supporting professional development and best engineering practices
Manage technical coordination across multidisciplinary teams, including track, civil, structural, stations, signaling, communications, utilities, and systems integration disciplines
Lead coordination with utility providers and external stakeholders to establish power supply strategies, service connections, and interface agreements
Review and approve engineering calculations, design packages, reports, specifications, and technical documentation
Identify, assess, and mitigate technical risks related to traction power systems throughout design and delivery phases
Lead design reviews, interdisciplinary workshops, constructability assessments, and value engineering initiatives to optimize project outcomes
Ensure compliance with applicable codes, standards, regulations, and industry best practices, including AREMA, IEEE, NFPA, and local authority requirements
Direct the development of grounding and bonding systems, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) strategies, system protection schemes, and safety-critical design elements
Support procurement activities, including technical evaluations, vendor reviews, and equipment acceptance processes
Provide technical support during construction, testing, commissioning, system integration, and handover activities
Collaborate closely with client representatives and project leadership teams, providing technical input to support informed decision-making and program delivery
Contribute to project planning, resource forecasting, schedule development, and engineering budget management activities