Senior Rail Engineer

Huitt-Zollars•Dallas, TX

9h•Onsite

About The Position

Huitt-Zollars, Inc. is seeking a Senior Rail Engineer to support regional and nationwide transit and rail projects. The role is based in Dallas or Fort Worth, Texas, and calls for 10 or more years of engineering experience, including at least five years of direct railroad track design experience. The engineer will lead rail design tasks, coordinate multidisciplinary teams, apply railroad and transit design standards, and may support proposals and client coordination. The position reports to a Vice President or Associate Vice President and requires a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or a related engineering discipline, along with Texas Professional Engineer registration or the ability to obtain it within the first six months of employment. The position leads and performs design for freight, industrial, commuter, and light rail infrastructure. Work includes track alignment and geometry, turnouts, crossings, grading, calculations, drawings, specifications, quantities, and cost estimates. The engineer coordinates with related disciplines, provides technical direction and quality reviews, and supports project delivery, railroad and transit agency reviews, permitting, construction-phase services, and responses to RFIs and submittals. The engineer serves as a rail discipline lead or rail engineer on multidisciplinary projects, supports project managers with scope, schedule, budget, and quality objectives, and coordinates technical matters with clients and stakeholders. The role also contributes to proposals and business development, mentors junior staff, and maintains knowledge of rail design practices and standards. Task Manager expectations include following company processes, effectively leading project tasks, supporting task performance goals, and seeking opportunities to improve project and company performance. Huitt-Zollars is a privately held, 100% employee-owned architecture and engineering firm established in 1975, with locations in more than 20 locations across 10 U.S. states. The Dallas office is described as a Class A office with a gym, covered parking, and a food court. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. without employer sponsorship.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
10 or more years of engineering experience, including at least 5 years of direct railroad track design experience.
Texas Professional Engineer registration, or ability to obtain Texas licensure within the first six months of employment.
Demonstrated ability to independently lead rail engineering tasks and coordinate multidisciplinary design deliverables.
Working knowledge of AREMA standards and applicable freight railroad or transit agency design requirements.
Proficiency with rail and civil engineering design software, including MicroStation, Bentley OpenRail/OpenRoads Designer, or AutoCAD Civil 3D.
Experience with Class I railroads, particularly Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR).
Strong written and verbal communication, technical problem-solving, and mentoring skills.
Legal authorization to work in the U.S. without employer sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

Experience with rail design software such as MicroStation/OpenRail or comparable CAD and rail alignment tools.
Experience supporting railroad design reviews, construction coordination, and proposal development.
Construction inspection or construction management experience.
TxDOT pre-certifications in rail categories.

Responsibilities

Lead and perform engineering design for freight rail, industrial rail, commuter rail, and light rail infrastructure projects.
Lead track design tasks, including horizontal and vertical alignment, track geometry, turnouts, rail crossings, grading, and related civil improvements as applicable.
Prepare and review engineering calculations, design drawings, technical specifications, quantities, and construction cost estimates.
Apply AREMA, FRA, railroad owner, transit agency, and local design criteria.
Coordinate track design with civil, drainage, structural, signals, communications, utilities, and other disciplines.
Provide technical direction and quality-control reviews for engineering deliverables and help resolve design issues.
Serve as a rail discipline lead or rail engineer on multidisciplinary projects and support the Project Manager in meeting scope, schedule, budget, and quality objectives.
Assist with or lead development of level-of-effort estimates, task schedules, and technical deliverable requirements.
Coordinate technical matters with clients, railroads, transit agencies, subconsultants, and other stakeholders.
Support permitting, railroad review and approval processes, construction-phase services, responses to RFIs, and review of submittals as assigned.
Follow Huitt-Zollars’ project management procedures and Quality Management System.
Provide technical input for statements of qualifications, proposals, scopes of work, fee estimates, and interviews.
Support client relationships and identification of rail and transit opportunities through technical expertise and responsive project delivery.
Mentor junior engineers and designers, provide technical guidance and design reviews, and coordinate design work with project managers and discipline leads.
Maintain current knowledge of rail design practices, standards, and industry developments.
Follow Huitt-Zollars’ business processes and Core Value Competencies, support project task performance goals, and seek opportunities to improve project, team, or company performance.