Director of Engineering - Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

Belmond Ltd.; Venezia; Hybrid; EUR 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Complimentary stays

Discounted train rides

Food and beverage discounts

Health and life insurance

Learning platform access

Belmond Discovering program

Job summary

Belmond Ltd. in Venice is seeking a Director of Engineering to oversee maintenance planning and execution for the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

You will lead a technical team, define roles, and ensure collaboration across departments to maintain safety, reliability, and regulatory compliance. The role requires deep expertise in rolling stock maintenance, ECM requirements, and budget oversight, with a focus on continuous improvement and cost optimization under senior leadership guidance.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in engineering management within rail/rolling stock.
• Strong knowledge of railway safety regs, ECM requirements, and EU Regulation.
• Proven ability to lead engineering teams and manage budgets.
• Experience with risk management, audits, and regulatory compliance.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Fluency in Italian or French and English; additional languages are an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Oversee planning, execution, and management of maintenance activities related to carriages and equipment.
• Lead technical teams, clearly define roles, and ensure cross‑department collaboration.
• Oversee ECM 3, ECM 4, and quality‑related functions to maintain safety and compliance.
• Manage budgets, monitor performance, and drive cost optimization with Area MD oversight.
• Lead monthly meetings to review punctuality, performance, and safety; handle on‑call duties and incidents.
• Act as main contact for railway undertakings and external operators on technical matters.

Skills

Engineering management

Railway operations

Rolling stock maintenance

Budget management

Regulatory compliance

ECM requirements

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Languages: EN/IT/FR

Job description

Director of Engineering - Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

The Director or Engineering is responsible for overseeing the planning, execution, and management of all maintenance activities related to the carriages and related equipment. This role ensures the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the rolling stock by implementing effective maintenance strategies, and adhering to all relevant regulations and standards (ECM 779/2019).

The Director of Engineering is responsible for leading the technical team, clearly defining roles and responsibilities, and ensuring effective collaboration across departments. Oversees ECM 3, ECM 4, and quality-related functions to maintain technical performance, safety, and compliance. He manages budgets, monitors performance, and drives cost optimization initiatives under the leadership of the Area Managing Director as well as promoting a strong quality culture through operational feedback, continuous improvement, and ongoing learning to enhance the overall performance and reliability of train operations

The Director of Engineering acts as the main point of contact for railway undertakings and external operators on all technical matters, oversees train operations and maintenance activities, and maintains strong working relationships with key industry stakeholders. This includes leading monthly meetings to review punctuality, operational performance, and safety; taking part in on‑call duties and managing incidents that affect service continuity; ensuring maintenance activities are properly planned and carried out in line with ECM requirements; and monitoring the resources, and maintenance facilities provided by external partners to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient operations.

Requirements

• Significant experience in engineering management, railway operations, rolling stock, or maintenance.
• Strong knowledge of railway safety regulations, ECM requirements, and EU Regulation
• Experience leading engineering teams, technical projects, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ability to oversee fleet reliability, maintenance strategies, technical performance, and asset lifecycle management.
• Experience managing technical budgets, resources, suppliers, and subcontractors.
• Knowledge of risk management, quality assurance, audits, and regulatory compliance.
• Strong leadership, strategic planning, decision‑making, and problem‑solving skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Fluency in Italian or French and English; additional European languages are an advantage.

BELMOND AND YOU

By joining Belmond, you become part of a global family. We ask you to embrace Belmond's values, follow our guidelines, and embody the spirit of our group.

In return, we are committed to ensuring that our employees enjoy unforgettable experiences just as much as our guests.

Benefits include the Discovering Belmond program, which offers team members complimentary stays, subject to availability, at Belmond properties, discounted rates on our trains, cruises, and safaris, as well as food and beverage discounts.

Team members also benefit from comprehensive health and life insurance coverage and unlimited access to world‑class learning platforms, empowering them to continuously develop new skills and advance their careers.