Specialist, Railway Structures

VIA Rail Canada; Montreal (administrative region); Hybrid; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

VIA Rail Canada seeks a Senior Structural Asset Manager to oversee inspection, maintenance, and capital projects for bridges, culverts, retaining walls, and drainage systems. The role ensures safety, regulatory compliance, and optimized asset investments while coordinating with internal teams and external contractors.

You will develop investment plans, manage project scopes, budgets, and schedules, and provide technical leadership in a matrix organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in civil engineering or related field.
• Master’s degree in project management is an asset.
• Professional engineer licensure (OIQ in QC or PEO in ON) is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Manage inspection and maintenance of structural assets (bridges, culverts) across the railway network.
• Develop short, medium, and long-term investment and maintenance plans.
• Plan, coordinate, and deliver maintenance and capital projects for railway structures.
• Ensure project governance, budgeting, scheduling, risk management, and reporting.
• Provide specialized technical expertise and support for complex issues.

Skills

Civil engineering

Project management

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in civil engineering

Master’s degree in project management (asset)

OIQ/PEO membership (asset)

Tools

AutoCAD

Microsoft SharePoint

EPM 2010

Project Online

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Did you know that VIA Rail is carrying out ambitious projects to modernize its services and infrastructure? From our new ultramodern train fleet to ongoing improvement of our infrastructure, we’re building the future of transportation in Canada. Working for VIA Rail is being a part of a collective effort in sustainable mobility.

POSITION

Reporting to the Director, Railway Infrastructure, the incumbent is responsible for managing VIA’s railway structural assets, including bridges, culverts, retaining walls and drainage systems. The role oversees the planning, execution, and monitoring of maintenance activities, capital projects, and contracts related to structures, while ensuring safety, regulatory compliance, infrastructure reliability, and the optimization of asset investments.

Responsibilities

Structural Asset Management and Maintenance

• Manage the inspection and maintenance of structural assets, including bridges and culverts, across the railway network;
• Ensure compliance with structural inspection, maintenance, and safety programs;
• Develop short, medium, and long-term investment plans and maintenance programs;
• Prioritize corrective, preventive, and asset renewal interventions;
• Conduct field audits and ensure follow-up on corrective actions;
• Manage the inventory of structural assets and recommend innovative, sustainable solutions to improve asset performance and extend service life.

Project and Contract Management

• Plan, coordinate, and deliver maintenance and capital projects related to railway structures;
• Define project requirements, scope, budgets, schedules, risks, and success criteria;
• Mobilize and coordinate internal resources, consultants, engineering firms, and contractors;
• Plan project execution to minimize or avoid impacts on train operations;
• Ensure project governance, financial tracking, document management, and reporting activities;
• Ensure compliance with procurement processes, contractual obligations, and corporate standards;
• Ensure a smooth transition of projects to operations teams upon commissioning and entry into service.

Technical Expertise and Compliance

• Provide specialized expertise in the field and support the resolution of complex technical issues;
• Review and analyze plans, specifications, technical studies, and intervention requests;
• Develop and maintain standards, procedures, guidelines, and technical tools related to railway structures;
• Perform load and dimensional analyses, structural capacity assessments, technical evaluations, and provide recommendations as required;
• Participate in incident investigations and contribute to the continuous improvement of safety practices.

Leadership and Continuous Improvement

• Influence, advise, and support internal stakeholders in achieving business objectives;
• Promote a culture of safety, collaboration, and continuous improvement;
• Identify and implement opportunities to optimize processes, work methods, and asset management strategies;
• Contribute to the evolution and enhancement of project management practices and railway infrastructure management methodologies.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• Bachelor's degree in civil engineering or any other relevant field;
• Master’s degree in project management (an asset);
• Membership in the The Quebec Order of Engineers (OIQ) or Professional Engineers Ontario.

Experience

• 5 to 10 years of relevant experience in the railway structures field;
• Minimum of 3 years of project management experience;
• Knowledge of Transport Canada railway regulations, AREMA (American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association) standards, and/or CN and CPKC standards (an asset);
• Training and certification recognized by a North American railway company (an asset);
• PMP (Project Management Professional) certification (an asset);
• Practical knowledge of project management activities, tools, and methodologies, including Microsoft SharePoint, EPM 2010, and Project Online;
• Demonstrated leadership skills with the ability to engage, mobilize, and influence stakeholders;
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills in both official languages (French and English);
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a matrix organization environment;
• Strong customer focus with a results-oriented mindset and commitment to continuous improvement;
• Ability to work in the field and collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and working knowledge of AutoCAD.

Working Conditions

• Must have a valid driver's license and a vehicle for occasional business use;
• Generally, the work schedule is from Monday to Friday, as follows;
• 3-4 days / week at the office or various sites within the VIA infrastructure network;
• 1-2 day / week at home (with authorization);
• May be required to work outdoors in various weather conditions;
• Flexibility in work schedules to meet work deadline requirements;
• VIA infrastructure network is located mainly between Coteaux (Québec) to Windsor (Ontario).

Employment Period, Schedule and Location:

• Full-time permanent position (40 hours/week);
• Occasional evening, night and weekend work may be required;
• Job location: Montreal Downtown.

#VIAPROF

At VIA Rail, we are proud to be an employment-equity employer and we strive to form teams that reflect the diversity of Canadian society. We aim to remove barriers to employment accessibility and aspire to provide an inclusive and equitable work environment where everyone is valued, regardless of their identity or differences, to enable them to reach their full potential.

If you need assistance in making the recruitment process or the position you are applying for more accessible, please let us know. Alternate arrangements may be offered to individuals who request them at any stage of the recruitment process. All information received in relation to arrangements will be kept confidential.

Note that we will only contact those who are selected for an interview.

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