Project Engineer - Rail

Rullion Managed Services; City Of London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading managed services provider in the United Kingdom is seeking a Project Engineer to join their Rolling Stock team. This role involves developing and implementing maintenance strategies, leading engineering investigations, and ensuring compliance with safety standards. Ideal candidates will have experience in rolling stock maintenance and a relevant engineering qualification. Join a forward-thinking team and shape the future of rail.

Qualifications

• Experience in rolling stock maintenance planning.
• Familiarity with traction and rolling stock maintenance techniques.
• Experience with reverse engineering and data-driven analysis.

Responsibilities

• Develop and improve maintenance strategies for optimum fleet performance.
• Manage maintenance manual updates and ensure compliance.
• Lead engineering investigations and risk assessments.

Skills

Proven experience in rolling stock maintenance

Strong understanding of maintenance techniques

Excellent written and verbal communication

Solid IT skills

Hands-on experience with reliability-centred maintenance

Education

Relevant engineering qualification or equivalent experience

Mechanical Engineering Degree (MEng)

Job description

Project Engineer

Location: Northampton or London

Duration: 6 Months initially

Overview

Drive innovation. Shape the future of rail. Make a real impact.
We’re looking for an Engineering Optimisation Specialist to join our client’s Rolling Stock team and play a key role in enhancing the reliability, safety, and performance of the maintained fleets. In this role, you’ll lead the development of maintenance strategies, champion engineering improvements, and ensure our assets deliver maximum availability and lifecycle value for our customers.

What You’ll Be Doing

Maintenance & Engineering Optimisation

• Develop, implement and continually improve maintenance, overhaul, and repair strategies to achieve optimum fleet performance.
• Maintain and update Vehicle Maintenance Schedules (VMS), ensuring full compliance with maintenance certification standards.
• Support the delivery of maintenance strategy by contributing to engineering projects and productivity‑driven initiatives.
• Apply RAMS (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability, Safety) and LCC (Life Cycle Cost) principles to identify opportunities for improvement.

Technical Investigations & Continuous Improvement

• Lead engineering investigations as required by the Optimisation & LCC Manager.
• Analyse scrap and quarantine component data; recommend re‑engineering or alternative repair processes where beneficial.
• Produce strategies, risk assessments, and documentation to support optimisation activities.

Documentation & Compliance

• Manage maintenance manual updates, coordinate customer approval processes, and ensure teams operate with accurate, up‑to‑date work instructions.
• Monitor and enforce compliance with internal controls, policies, and ethos.

Industry Best Practice & Innovation

• Stay ahead of industry trends to identify new techniques, materials, and processes that enhance fleet performance and support business objectives.
• Contribute to the development of innovative engineering and IT system solutions that support rolling stock optimisation.

Customer Collaboration

• Build strong, trust‑based relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Work closely with customers to understand needs, deliver solutions, and identify opportunities for mutual value and future business growth.

Health, Safety & Environment

• Demonstrate leadership in safety by implementing safe systems of work and promoting a culture of behavioural safety.
• Work with HSEW Advisors to set and cascade safety objectives and ensure compliance with Rolling Stock HSEW policies.
• Take personal responsibility for the environmental impact of your work and encourage the same within your team.

What You Need to Bring

Essential

• Proven experience in rolling stock maintenance, planning, and related IT systems.
• Relevant engineering qualification or equivalent experience.
• Strong understanding of traction and rolling stock maintenance techniques and procedures.
• Hands‑on experience applying reliability‑centred maintenance methodologies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Solid IT skills, with the ability to learn and leverage engineering and business systems.

Preferred

• Mechanical Engineering Degree (MEng).
• Experience in rail vehicle maintenance, repair activities, or rolling stock operations.
• Chartered Engineer status (or actively working toward it).
• Experience with reverse engineering and sourcing alternative components.
• In‑depth knowledge of rolling stock IT systems and railway operational procedures.
• Background in mathematics, statistics, or data‑driven analysis.
• Experience with system development or writing IT program specifications.

Leadership Capabilities

• Strategic & Innovative Thinking
• Customer Orientation
• Change Management
• Collaboration & Influencing
• Effective Leadership & Ownership

Who You’ll Work With

Engineering Department

Optimisation & LCC Manager

Internal & External Customers

External Suppliers & Subcontractors

Rullion supports applications from a diverse talent pool. We welcome the opportunity to discuss flexibility requirements. If you require any reasonable adjustments to be made to enable you to participate in the recruitment process, please contact us on (phone number removed).

Rullion celebrates and supports diversity and is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for both employees and applicants.