Assistant Vice President, Track Design Lead

WSP in the U.S.; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 115,000 - 186,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP USA is seeking an Assistant Vice President, Track Design Lead to join our Transit & Rail Team in the New York City/New Jersey area. The role blends leadership with hands-on track design, systems coordination, and field inspection experience to deliver CBTC-enabled rail modernization and major capital projects.

You will guide design teams, coordinate with engineers, contractors, and clients, ensure adherence to contract requirements and safety standards, and help grow client relationships

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or closely related discipline.
• 10+ years of track design experience.
• Professional Engineer (P.E.) license.
• Proven ability to deliver railroad and transit design projects as lead designer or specialist.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficient in track alignment design and MicroStation/AutoCAD.

Responsibilities

• Lead all phases of track design delivery from planning through construction support.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams and coordinate with clients and stakeholders.
• Ensure safety, schedule, and budget compliance across projects.
• Develop solutions for field conditions and design revisions as needed.
• Support business development by marketing WSP capabilities to transit agencies.
• Prepare detailed reports and presentations for internal and client reviews.

Skills

Track design leadership

Rail/transit design

CADD MicroStation

CADD AutoCAD

Client communication

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering

Professional Engineer (P.E.) license

Tools

MicroStation

AutoCAD

Job description

This Opportunity

WSP is currently initiating a search for an Assistant Vice President, Track Design Lead to join our 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 New York metropolitan region.

Job Description

This Opportunity

WSP is currently initiating a search for an Assistant Vice President, Track Design Lead to join our 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 New York metropolitan region.

This position will be based out of the greater New York City/New Jersey Area.

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.
• Understanding of NYCT MOW
• Understanding of NYCT subway operations.

WSP Benefits

• coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life
• retirement savings
• paid sick leave
• paid vacation (or other personal time)
• paid parental leave
• paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.

Compensation

Expected Salary (all locations): $115,000 - $186,400

About WSP

ABOUT US

WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.

www.wsp.com

WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career.

At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?

WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status.

The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.

NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES

WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes include any resume or hiring document sent to WSP in the absence of a signed Service Agreement where WSP has expressly requested recruitment/staffing services specific to the position at hand. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of WSP and WSP will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.