Technical Safety Specialist

Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas, Inc.; Burnaby; On-site; CAD 112,000 - 144,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental & vision plans

Retirement savings plan with company"s

3 weeks of vacation

Life and accident Insurance

Flextime

Training opportunities

Job summary

Hitachi Rail Canada Inc. in Burnaby, BC, is seeking a Technical Safety Specialist to lead safety activities for railway signaling and safety-critical systems. The role enforces the safety strategy and develops methodologies to drive compliant safety engineering across projects.

You will perform hazard studies (HAZID/HAZOP/FTA), define safety requirements, review safety evidence, and collaborate with RAMS Engineering and the Chief Safety Architect to deliver robust Safety Case artifacts.

Qualifications

• B.Sc. in Electronics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• Minimum 10 years in a senior technical role in train control or automation.
• Knowledge of railway signaling, train control, interlocking design.
• Strong understanding of systems engineering and safety standards.
• Experience with safety standards (CENELEC, IEC, IEEE, MIL) and hazard management.
• Ability to lead technical staff and communicate in English.

Responsibilities

• Ensure Safety Engineering activities align with processes and standards.
• Perform hazard identification studies (HAZID/HAZOP) and safety analyses (FTA/ FMEA).
• Define safety requirements and evaluate design compliance with safety principles.
• Review safety evidences and produce Safety Case artifacts.
• Collaborate within an integrated project team and align with RAMS strategy.
• Report to RAMS Engineering Manager and liaise with Chief Safety Architect.

Skills

Railway signaling systems

Safety engineering

Systems engineering

Functional safety

Hazard analysis

Technical leadership

Written and verbal English

Education

B.Sc. in Electronics/CS/EE or equivalent

M.Sc. in Electronics/CS/EE (preferred)

Job description

Location: Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Job ID: R0144892

Date Posted: 2026-10-02

Company Name: Hitachi Rail Canada Inc.

Profession (Job Category): Engineering & Science

Job Schedule: Full time

Remote: No

About Us

A career at Hitachi Rail will help create a legacy. With operations in every corner of the world, our work goes to the cutting‑edge of digital transformation and technology. From the multi‑cultural strength of our global organisation to the sustainable and innovative ways we work to bring people together, there’s something for everyone to get stuck into. And that’s where you come in.

Job Description

The Safety Engineering department is responsible for the safety of the products and project solutions developed and deployed by the Urban Rail Signaling business line and compliance to safety principles, industry specific standards and best practices for the development of safety‑critical systems. The Technical Safety Specialist provides technical safety leadership to the safety team, is responsible for enforcing the safety strategy, developing and continuously improving safety methodologies, execution of Safety Engineering activities in accordance with the company’s process, applicable industry standards, best practices and sharing expert knowledge.

Key Accountabilities

• Ensure that the Safety Engineering activities are executed in accordance with the company’s process, applicable industry standards and best practices.
• Perform hazard identification studies (HAZID, HAZOP), hazard analyses (PHA, SHA, OSHA, FTA), safety analyses (FFMEA, FMECA, FSA) and hazard management.
• Define safety requirements; analyze and evaluate design compliance with safety requirements and safety principles.
• Review the adequacy and completeness of the safety evidences and produce the corresponding Safety Case artifacts.
• Work as part of an integrated project team, promoting the company’s safety policy and best practices.
• Report directly to the Manager, RAMS Engineering and liaise with the Chief Safety Architect.

Key Requirements

• B.Sc. in Electronics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in a senior technical role in train control systems or automation in other industries such as aerospace, defense, automotive, medical or nuclear.
• Knowledge of railway signaling systems, train control systems, fixed and moving block signaling principles, relay-based and/or computer-based interlocking design.
• Good understanding of systems engineering, software engineering and functional safety.
• Detailed knowledge of system safety lifecycle, system requirements definition, safety design concepts (system and software), safety and risk analysis.
• Extensive experience with safety standards (CENELEC, IEC, IEEE, MIL), best practices, safety methods and techniques (HAZID, HAZOP, PHA, SHA, OSHA, FTA, FMEA/FMECA, FSA) and hazard management.
• Ability to lead and coordinate technical staff.
• Good technical writing skills, excellent communication and analytical skills; excellent command of the English language, both written and oral.

Preferred Qualifications

• M.Sc. in Electronics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• Working knowledge of Communications‑Based Train Control (CBTC) and/or Solid‐State Interlocking (SSI).
• Member of Professional Engineer of Ontario (PEO) or Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE).

Base Salary

Base Salary : $112,221 – $144,102

Benefits

The Company provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 24 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following:

• Health, Dental and Vision plans - 100% of premiums are company-paid
• Retirement Savings Plan with a company match
• Company paid holidays - 3 weeks of vacation
• Company provided Life and accident Insurance, LTD
• Worklife programs such as Flextime and a variety of Development and Training opportunities

Company Culture and Values

At Hitachi Rail, there is a place for everyone. We welcome and value differences in background, age, gender, sexuality, family status, disability, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, and world view. It is our commitment to create an inclusive environment - we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

Hitachi brings together the world’s greatest minds to help breathe life into new possibilities – and drive innovation for a better future. That’s why we look for individuals who share our pioneering spirit, have imaginative ideas and are fearless when it comes to tackling the world’s biggest challenges. Our people love technology – and they love making a difference. They have a passion for finding new solutions and working with brilliant colleagues. Every day they dedicate themselves to a huge range of exciting projects, contributing to the Hitachi vision around the globe. From engineering new sustainability solutions that conserve water and energy to creating the infrastructure for the smart cities of tomorrow, there’s no challenge too great for our pioneers. And there’s no shortage of opportunities for you to make a difference. Come and experience the dynamic, collaborative and creative environments where your ideas are welcome and new discoveries are waiting. To help you grow to your full potential, we strive to support our employees in their career aspirations and promote the freedom to explore new horizons.