Senior Manager - Rail Systems

Parsons; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Parsons in Riyadh is seeking a Senior Manager – Rail Systems to lead program governance, technical assurance, and integration across major metro, rail, and high-speed rail projects. You will oversee design, procurement, installation, testing, and commissioning, ensuring alignment with client requirements and international standards. The role is client-facing with deep expertise in signaling, train control, telecoms, SCADA, AFC, and platform systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 15+ years in rail systems engineering and program delivery.
• Experience in signaling, train control, telecoms, SCADA, AFC.
• PM/PMC experience with client-side delivery.
• Chartership or professional registration desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead rail systems governance and set program direction across multiple projects and contracts.
• Develop and maintain rail systems standards, principles, and assurance expectations.
• Ensure employer requirements for signalling, train control, telecoms, SCADA, AFC, security, and control centres are reflected in scopes and briefs.
• Provide strategic advice to senior client leadership on risks, decisions and delivery options.
• Coordinate rail systems managers, engineers, consultants, and OEM teams to maintain a unified program approach.
• Review design, procurement, installation, testing and commissioning plans for realism and milestones.

Skills

Rail systems governance

System integration

Safety assurance

RAMS

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Systems Engineering

Master's in Railway Systems or Project Management

Professional registration (CEng/PE) desirable

Job description

Senior Manager – Rail Systems

Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Industry: Transportation-Trucking-Railroad

Function: Project-Program Management

Experience: 15 years in rail systems engineering and program delivery

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: 55,000 – 75,000 (estimated range, final offer confirmed by employer)

Role Overview

Senior Manager – Rail Systems is a client‑facing leadership role focused on program‑level governance, technical assurance, integration, safety, and delivery oversight across major metro, heavy rail, light rail, and high‑speed rail projects. The position supports design, procurement, installation, testing, commissioning, and entry‑to‑service readiness for complex rail systems packages.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead rail systems governance within the PUA function and set program‑level direction for rail systems across multiple projects and contracts.
• Develop and maintain rail systems strategies, standards, technical principles, and assurance expectations aligned with client objectives and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure employer requirements for signalling, train control, telecoms, SCADA, platform systems, automatic fare collection, security systems, control centres, and line‑wide systems are properly reflected in scopes, contracts, and design briefs.
• Provide strategic advice to senior client leadership on rail systems risks, technical decisions, delivery constraints, long‑term implications, and opportunities for improvement.
• Oversee rail systems scope across multiple project packages, ensuring consistent technical assumptions, interface management, and program alignment.
• Coordinate project‑level rail systems managers, engineers, consultants, contractors, and OEM teams to maintain a unified approach across the program.
• Review design, procurement, installation, testing, and commissioning plans to confirm realism, technical completeness, and alignment with key milestones.
• Drive resolution of cross‑project rail systems issues, technical conflicts, and delivery risks, escalating critical matters to program leadership when required.
• Oversee the program‑level rail systems technical assurance framework and confirm adherence to employer requirements, performance specifications, local authority requirements, and international rail standards.
• Review and approve key rail systems design concepts, system architectures, interface strategies, and major technical decisions on behalf of the client.
• Ensure requirements management, verification, validation, evidence tracking, and assurance documentation are properly applied across rail systems workstreams.
• Support or chair senior technical review boards and design review sessions for critical rail systems decisions.
• Provide program‑level oversight of systems integration between signalling, train control, rolling stock, civil works, MEP systems, architectural spaces, communications rooms, control centres, utilities, and adjacent rail networks.
• Ensure interface registers, interface agreements, coordination tools, and integration processes are consistently used across all relevant contracts.
• Lead the resolution of major interface issues crossing project boundaries to support integrated, end‑to‑end rail systems delivery.
• Provide leadership on rail systems safety, RAMS, hazard logs, safety cases, cyber‑security requirements, and certification evidence.
• Coordinate with independent safety assessors, notified bodies, regulators, and authority representatives to support approvals and safety certification.
• Review rail systems testing and commissioning strategies, schedules, readiness plans, and acceptance criteria.
• Oversee FAT, SAT, static testing, dynamic testing, integration testing, trial operations, and entry‑to‑service readiness from a rail systems perspective.
• Support client go or no‑go recommendations for major milestones such as power‑on, systems integration testing, trial operations, and entry into service.
• Work with program controls and risk teams to ensure rail systems activities, constraints, and dependencies are reflected in the integrated master schedule and risk registers.
• Review major changes, variations, and value engineering proposals affecting rail systems performance, lifecycle cost, safety, integration, and delivery outcomes.
• Prepare concise senior‑level reports, governance briefings, risk updates, and decision papers for program leadership.
• Coordinate with client stakeholders including operations, maintenance, safety, IT, commercial, customer experience, and future operators or maintainers.
• Engage with regulators, transport authorities, infrastructure owners, and third parties where rail systems interface with external networks or shared assets.
• Lead, mentor, and develop rail systems managers and engineers while encouraging collaboration, technical discipline, and knowledge sharing.
• Promote best practice in rail systems engineering, integration, assurance, and program delivery across the integrated client‑PMC team.

Ideal Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Telecommunications, Control Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Master's degree in Railway Systems, Transportation Engineering, Systems Engineering, Project Management, or Program Management is an advantage.
• Professional registration or chartership such as CEng, PE, or an equivalent credential is highly desirable.
• Project or program management certification would support success in this senior client‑facing role.
• Minimum 15 years of experience in rail systems engineering across major rail, metro, light rail, heavy rail, or high‑speed rail programs.
• Strong background in PMC, client‑side delivery, major consultancy, or portfolio‑level rail systems management.
• Proven experience managing systems integration, technical assurance, RAMS, safety certification, and regulatory approval processes.
• Demonstrated ability to work in integrated client‑PMC environments while leading multidisciplinary teams, contractors, consultants, and OEM stakeholders.
• Experience across design, procurement, installation, testing and commissioning, trial operations, and entry‑to‑service phases.
• Deep technical knowledge of signalling, train control, telecoms, SCADA, platform systems, AFC, security systems, control centres, and line‑wide rail systems.
• Strong understanding of systems engineering, interface management, requirements management, verification, validation, and assurance evidence.
• Familiarity with CENELEC norms and safety‑related rail systems standards is highly valuable.
• Excellent leadership, stakeholder management, negotiation, and influencing skills at senior program level.
• Ability to translate complex technical matters into clear decisions, risks, options, and recommendations for non‑technical stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of time, cost, risk, commercial impact, and how rail systems activities affect the wider program baseline.
• High level of professionalism, integrity, technical judgment, and commitment to client outcomes.

Skills Set

• Rail systems management
• Rail systems governance
• Metro systems
• Heavy rail systems
• Light rail systems
• High‑speed rail systems
• Signalling and train control
• Telecommunications systems
• SCADA
• Platform systems
• Automatic fare collection
• Security systems
• Control centres
• Line‑wide systems
• Systems integration
• Interface management
• Requirements management
• Verification and validation
• Technical assurance
• Rail safety assurance
• RAMS
• Hazard logs
• Safety cases
• Cyber‑security requirements
• CENELEC standards
• Testing and commissioning
• FAT and SAT
• Dynamic testing
• Trial operations
• Entry into service
• Regulatory approvals
• Program controls
• Risk management
• Change management
• Stakeholder coordination
• Client‑side delivery
• PMC coordination
• Contractor and OEM management
• Technical reporting
• Design review leadership

Why Join Us

This Senior Manager – Rail Systems role offers a high‑impact opportunity to support major rail and transportation program delivery in Riyadh, one of the region's most active infrastructure markets. The position provides exposure to complex rail systems architecture, strategic client‑side decision‑making, multi‑contract integration, and large‑scale mobility transformation. It is a strong fit for a senior rail professional who wants to influence safe, reliable, and future‑ready transport infrastructure while developing leadership depth within a global engineering and program management environment.