Assistant Vice President, Track Design Lead

WSP; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 135,000 - 213,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP is seeking an Assistant Vice President, Track Design Lead to join our Mid-Atlantic Transit & Rail Team in the Baltimore area, supporting planning, design, and delivery of CBTC and rail modernization projects across the Mid-Atlantic region.

The role blends hands-on track design leadership with systems coordination, field inspection, and cross‑disciplinary supervision to ensure design intent, contract requirements, and safety standards are met.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or closely related discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in track design.
• Professional registration (P.E. License).
• Proven ability to deliver railroad and transit design projects in the lead designer role.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills across diverse audiences.
• Proficiency in track alignment design and CAD platforms (MicroStation/AutoCAD).
• Experience delivering large-scale metro/rail projects.
• Commitment to safety and adherence to company policies.

Responsibilities

• Lead all phases of project delivery for track design and installation, from planning to commissioning.
• Provide design leadership for track design facets across transit and rail projects.
• Coordinate and lead engineering efforts on rail infrastructure projects from planning to maintenance.
• Build and maintain relationships with external clients; market WSP services.
• Grow team engineers by assigning technical tasks and promoting excellence.
• Supervise multidisciplinary rail teams and integrate design disciplines.
• Provide technical design support for field activities to ensure safety, schedule, and budget alignment.
• Develop solutions for unusual field conditions and manage design revisions as needed.
• Support PMC team with cost estimates, change orders, and negotiations.
• Prepare detailed reports and documentation for internal and client reviews.

Skills

Track design leadership

CADD - MicroStation

CADD - AutoCAD

Communication

Project leadership

Stakeholder management

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering

Master’s Degree preferred

Tools

MicroStation

AutoCAD

MS Office

Job description

This Opportunity

WSP is currently initiating a search for an Assistant Vice President, Track Design Lead to join our Mid-Atlantic Transit & Rail Team. The selected candidate will support the planning, design, and delivery of rail modernization projects, to include Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) and its extensive supporting track design, capital construction projects for major transit clients across the Mid-Atlantic region.

This position will be based out of the following offices: Baltimore-MD, Washington-DC, and Virginia.

This position blends hands‑on track design leadership with technical signal‑systems, field inspection experience and third‑party design coordination, ensuring all project work is delivered in full alignment with design intent, contract requirements, and operational standards. As Track Design Lead, you will provide strategic direction for all track design aspects of transit and railroad projects, guiding the engineering process from initial planning through construction support and ongoing maintenance. You will coordinate and supervise multidisciplinary teams in coordination with program leadership—including design engineers, contractors, and client stakeholders to achieve seamless integration of signal, communications, traction power, and track systems.

The ideal candidate is a detail‑oriented, proactive professional with a strong background in all elements of track design to include systems design coordination, cost estimation, and stakeholder management. You will play a key role in delivering high‑profile rail‑system upgrades and modernization efforts that enhance the safety, reliability, and performance of the region’s transit network. In addition, this position will be integral to establishing and maintaining strong client relationships, actively marketing WSP’s expertise and services to regional transit agencies and local railroads.

Your Impact

• Act as a leader for all phases of project delivery for track design and installation—from planning and design coordination, facilitating construction and supporting testing, and commissioning.
• Provide design leadership and direction for all track design facets of transit and railroad design projects and pursuits.
• Coordinate and lead engineering efforts on rail infrastructure projects ranging from planning and design to construction support and maintenance.
• Establish and maintain strong, effective relationships with external clients and market WSP services to transit agencies and local railroads.
• Sustain the growth of team engineers by assigning appropriate technical tasks and promoting a culture of growing technical excellence.
• Supervise and integrate multidisciplinary rail teams.
• Provide technical design support for field activities to ensure work is executed safely, on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with contract specifications and agency requirements.
• Lead the development of solutions for unforeseen field conditions and coordinate design revisions or contract modifications as necessary.
• Support the PMC team to manage and oversee contractor deliverables, cost estimates, and change orders, supporting negotiations, claims resolution, and progress payment reviews.
• Prepare detailed reports, presentations, and documentation for internal and client review, ensuring transparent communication and timely issue resolution.
• Identify and apply industry best practices, lessons learned, and innovative tools to enhance project efficiency and system performance.
• Enforce safety standards and promote a strong safety culture across all project sites.
• Encourage knowledge-sharing and continuous improvement across teams to strengthen technical and delivery excellence.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, or closely related discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in track design.
• Professional registration (P.E. License).
• Proven ability to deliver railroad and transit design projects in the role of lead designer or specialist.
• Demonstrated communications skills, both verbal and written. This includes the ability to present design concepts and principles in verbal and written form to audiences with a wide spectrum of backgrounds, from technical manager to ordinary citizen.
• Strong skills in track alignment design and CADD skills in both the MicroStation and AutoCAD platforms.
• Extensive experience in the delivery and design of large-scale metro and rail projects.
• Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and compliance with WSP’s health, safety, drug/alcohol, and harassment policies.
• Strong ability to adapt quickly to change and demonstrate flexibility to meet varying project schedules and business needs.
• Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.
• Working knowledge of track structure design principles and special trackwork details.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Engineering.
• Working knowledge of design requirements for rail systems (e.g. traction power, catenary, signals).
• Experience with design and testing of ballast‑less track forms.
• Experience in construction, maintenance or inspection of track.
• Strong experience in managing the review and approval of documents and discipline‑specific deliverables, certifications, processes, and plans in a multi‑project environment.

WSP Benefits:

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on a providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.

Compensation:

Expected Salary (all locations): $134,700 - $213,200

WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.