Technical Team Manager

Wabtec; Dampier; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Novated leasing

Lifestyle discounts with Woolworths, &

Access to Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Wabtec is seeking a Staff Manager to lead technical functions in our rail operations based in Karratha, WA. You will direct engineering support, fleet performance programs, and commissioning/decommissioning projects to ensure safety, reliability, and contractual performance.

The role interfaces with customers and internal teams to drive improvement, develop capability, and align with business objectives. Strong leadership and resilience in a dynamic industrial environment are essential.

Qualifications

• Significant experience within rail, rolling stock, heavy industrial, mining, transport, or related industries.
• Demonstrated experience in a technical leadership or management role.
• Strong understanding of maintenance, reliability, and asset performance principles.
• Proven experience managing customer relationships and stakeholder engagement.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, direction, and oversight of all technical activities within the operation.
• Ensure fleet reliability, availability, and performance targets are achieved.
• Lead the resolution of complex technical issues and drive corrective actions to completion.
• Oversee technical investigations, failure analysis, and reliability improvement initiatives.
• Support the successful implementation of engineering changes, modifications, and product improvements.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and technical excellence.
• Monitor and analyse fleet performance against operational and contractual requirements.
• Identify reliability trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Develop and implement strategies to improve fleet performance and operational efficiency.
• Ensure maintenance and service programs are executed effectively and within agreed timeframes.
• Drive accountability for performance outcomes and action plans.
• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for customers and key stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships to support long-term partnerships.
• Facilitate communication between technical, operational, engineering, supply chain, and maintenance teams.
• Present fleet performance results, technical updates, and improvement initiatives to customers and leadership teams.
• Ensure customer concerns and technical issues are addressed effectively and in a timely manner.
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Technical Advisors and Technical Specialists.
• Conduct regular team meetings, toolbox talks, and performance reviews.
• Support succession planning, capability development, and workforce planning activities.
• Ensure training, competency assessments, and certification requirements are maintained.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, safety, and continuous learning.
• Identify operational risks and implement mitigation strategies.

Skills

Technical leadership

Rail/rolling stock

Stakeholder engagement

Project management

Digital tools

Tools

Digital maintenance systems

Job description

• Discounted health insurance with Medibank
• Novated Leasing options
• Lifestyle discounts with Woolworths, Coles, Avis, JB Hifi and 500+ other retailers
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program

Who are we?

Wabtec Global Freight Services provides offering to customer which include technology, people, and processes, designed to maximize reliability and availability of customers’ locomotives at optimal operating costs. These tailored solutions meet each customer’s operating needs for fleet strategy, and changing business trends, ensuring we help customers achieve their desired business outcomes. These offerings include tailored Maintenance Contracts, Overhauls, Asset Performance Management, Upgrades and modernisations.

Who will you be working with?

The Staff Manager is responsible for leading and coordinating all technical functions within the operation to ensure fleet reliability, availability, safety, and contractual performance requirements are achieved.

Where is the position located?

Karratha, WA- Residential

What will your typical day look like?

The role acts as the primary technical interface between the customer, operational teams, and internal stakeholders, providing leadership across technical services, fleet performance programs, engineering support activities, commissioning and decommissioning projects, and continuous improvement initiatives. The Staff Manager is accountable for driving technical excellence, supporting customer outcomes, developing team capability, and ensuring alignment with business objectives.

Technical Leadership

• Provide leadership, direction, and oversight of all technical activities within the operation.
• Ensure fleet reliability, availability, and performance targets are achieved.
• Lead the resolution of complex technical issues and drive corrective actions to completion.
• Oversee technical investigations, failure analysis, and reliability improvement initiatives.
• Support the successful implementation of engineering changes, modifications, and product improvements.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and technical excellence.

Fleet Performance Management

• Monitor and analyse fleet performance against operational and contractual requirements.
• Identify reliability trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Develop and implement strategies to improve fleet performance and operational efficiency.
• Ensure maintenance and service programs are executed effectively and within agreed timeframes.
• Drive accountability for performance outcomes and action plans.

Customer and Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for customers and key stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships to support long-term partnerships.
• Facilitate communication between technical, operational, engineering, supply chain, and maintenance teams.
• Present fleet performance results, technical updates, and improvement initiatives to customers and leadership teams.
• Ensure customer concerns and technical issues are addressed effectively and in a timely manner.
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Technical Advisors and Technical Specialists.
• Conduct regular team meetings, toolbox talks, and performance reviews.
• Support succession planning, capability development, and workforce planning activities.
• Ensure training, competency assessments, and certification requirements are maintained.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, safety, and continuous learning.

Operational Excellence

• Ensure technical reporting and data management processes are accurate and effective.
• Drive improvements in data quality, reporting capabilities, and technical systems.
• Support implementation of digital tools and technologies to enhance operational performance.
• Collaborate with supply chain and materials teams to ensure appropriate support for fleet requirements.
• Identify operational risks and implement mitigation strategies.

Health, Safety and Compliance

• Promote and maintain a strong safety culture.
• Ensure compliance with all company, customer, and legislative requirements.
• Lead by example in demonstrating safe work practices and behaviours.
• Support investigations into safety incidents and ensure actions are implemented effectively.

What do we want to know about you?

• Significant experience within rail, rolling stock, heavy industrial, mining, transport, or related industries.
• Demonstrated experience in a technical leadership or management role.
• Strong understanding of maintenance, reliability, and asset performance principles.
• Proven experience managing customer relationships and stakeholder engagement.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication and leadership capabilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic operational environment.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary technical teams.
• Experience in reliability improvement and asset management programs.
• Project management or continuous improvement experience.
• Formal leadership or management qualifications.
• Knowledge of digital maintenance and fleet management systems.

We thank all applicants for their interest; each application will receive a response.

We do not accept unsolicited contact from recruitment agencies.

Successful candidates will be required to complete background and criminal history check.

Additional Information

What could you accomplish in a place that puts People First?

At Wabtec, it’s not just about a job - it’s about the impact you make. When our people come together, we’re Expanding the Possible by continuously improving what we do and how we do it - for our clients and each other.

If you’re ready to revolutionize how the world moves for future generations, Wabtec is the place for you.

Who are we?

Wabtec is a leading global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions, and value-added services for the freight and transit rail sectors. Drawing on more than 150 years of experience, we are leading the way in safety, efficiency, reliability, innovation, and productivity. Whether it’s freight, transit, ports, logistics, mining, industrial, or marine, our expertise, technologies, and people together – are accelerating the future of transportation. With roots that date back to George Westinghouse, Thomas Edison, and Louis Faiveley, Wabtec has always built technologies and implemented solutions for a variety of sectors that are critical to meeting the needs of customers and governments alike.

Our global team of about 30,000 employees worldwide delivers performance that moves the world forward. We’re lifelong learners, obsessed with better. Learn more at www.WabtecCorp.com.

Culture powers us and the possibilities.

We believe the best ideas come from a mix of experiences and backgrounds. At Wabtec, we strive every day to create a place where everyone belongs. We’re building a culture where leadership, inclusion and your unique perspective fuel progress.

We’re proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome talent of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities, including race, gender, age, disability, veteran status and more.

Need accommodation? Just let us know - we’ve got you.

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