Engineering Manager (Rail) – Bid Opportunity

SYSTRA; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

SYSTRA is seeking an Engineering Manager to lead all engineering and design management activities for a conventional railway and freight project, coordinating civil, structural, track, systems, MEP, and architectural disciplines to deliver integrated design packages on time and to client standards.

The role requires strong leadership, governance, and a proactive approach to risk, interface management, and safety in design across the project lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil/Structural/Electrical/Mechanical engineering or related field.
• Extensive experience leading engineering and design management on major rail infrastructure projects.
• Proven ability to coordinate civil, structural, track, systems and building disciplines within complex rail environments.
• Gulf experience preferred and strong knowledge of design development, governance and authority approvals.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering and design delivery for the railway project across all disciplines.
• Provide technical leadership to multidisciplinary design teams and consultants.
• Ensure timely delivery of coordinated design packages in line with schedules and standards.
• Manage interfaces across all design disciplines and oversee design reviews and submissions.
• Drive design quality, constructability and compliance with safety and regulatory requirements.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Multidisciplinary design management

Rail systems coordination

Stakeholder management

Technical governance

Safety in design

Interface management

Quality assurance

Constructability

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Master’s degree (advantage)

Job description

SYSTRA is one of the world's leading engineering and consultancy groups specialising in public transport and sustainable mobility. With over 10,300 employees, SYSTRA's mission is to design safe and sustainable transport solutions to bring people together, develop social inclusion and facilitate access to employment, education and leisure throughout the world.

For 65 years, the Group has been working alongside cities and regions to contribute to their development by creating, improving and modernising their infrastructure and transport systems, throughout the life cycle of their projects. SYSTRA is involved from the earliest stages of design through to the testing, deployment and maintenance phases. The company provides all its services in over 80 countries worldwide and generates 74% of its turnover internationally. With its new services, SYSTRA supports its clients and partners in their digital, ecological and energy transition, in order to invent the mobility of tomorrow.

Context

This requirement is for a bid opportunity only at this stage. Any engagement will be subject to successful project award and final client approval.

The Engineering Manager will lead all engineering and design management activities for the conventional and freight railway project, ensuring effective technical coordination across civil, structural, geotechnical, track, systems, MEP, and architectural disciplines. The role will be accountable for design integration, technical compliance, constructability, interface definition, and engineering assurance across the full project lifecycle. Particular emphasis will be placed on the coordination of infrastructure and systems associated with conventional railway and freight operations, including rail corridors, sidings, yards, depots, terminals, and operational interfaces, to ensure that design outputs are fully integrated, operationally suitable, and aligned with safety, regulatory, and performance requirements.

Missions/Main Duties

• Lead and manage the overall engineering and design delivery for the railway project across all relevant disciplines.
• Provide technical leadership and direction to multidisciplinary design teams, consultants, and specialist engineering contributors.
• Ensure the timely delivery of coordinated design packages in line with project schedules, technical requirements, and client expectations.
• Manage interfaces across all design disciplines, ensuring integration between civil, structural, track, rail systems, MEP, architectural, and other project components.
• Oversee design reviews, technical submissions, value engineering initiatives, and design optimization activities.
• Ensure design compliance with project specifications, contractual requirements, applicable codes and standards, authority regulations, and client standards.
• Drive design quality, consistency, constructability, and completeness throughout all engineering phases.
• Coordinate with construction, commercial, planning, procurement, project controls, and stakeholder teams to ensure alignment between design intent and delivery requirements.
• Manage engineering risks, technical issues, design changes, and interface challenges, and implement effective mitigation strategies.
• Lead consultant management, design progress tracking, reporting, and engineering governance processes.
• Support bid-stage engineering planning, methodology development, resource planning, and technical solution development as required.
• Facilitate technical coordination with clients, consultants, contractors, and authorities to support approvals and successful project delivery.
• Promote a strong culture of safety in design, quality assurance, innovation, and engineering excellence.

Profile/Skills

The successful candidate will be a technically strong and highly organized engineering leader with deep multidisciplinary design management capability and significant experience in conventional railway and freight rail infrastructure. They should have a strong track record of leading integrated engineering and design activities for passenger and freight rail systems, including rail corridors, yards, depots, terminals, and operational interfaces.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering in a relevant discipline such as Civil, Structural, Electrical, Mechanical, or a related field. A master’s degree is an advantage.
• Extensive experience in engineering and design management on major infrastructure, conventional railway, and freight rail projects.
• Strong multidisciplinary design experience is essential, with a proven ability to coordinate civil, structural, track, systems, and building-related engineering disciplines within complex rail environments.
• Proven experience in managing integrated engineering teams and coordinating complex design packages across multiple disciplines, particularly for conventional rail corridors, freight facilities, yards, depots, and associated infrastructure.
• Strong background in railway project design, including coordination of civil, structural, track, systems, and operational interfaces, with specific experience in conventional railway engineering standards, freight operations, and heavy-haul or mixed-traffic rail systems.
• Prior experience in an Engineering Manager, Design Manager, or similar senior engineering leadership role on major railway or freight infrastructure programs.
• Gulf experience preferred.
• Strong understanding of design development processes, design assurance, technical governance, interface management, and authority approval requirements, particularly within conventional rail and freight project environments.
• Demonstrated ability to manage consultants, engineering deliverables, technical reviews, and cross-functional coordination in complex project environments, including those involving freight operators, rail authorities, and operational stakeholders.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong knowledge of HSE in design, quality standards, risk management, and engineering best practices, with an understanding of the safety, operational, and regulatory requirements relevant to conventional and freight railway systems.

Systra is an equal opportunities company; this position is open to all applicants.