Associate Director, Project Manager

Network Rail Consulting; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare premiums paid

25 days vacation

401K with employer matching

LifeMart discount program

Job summary

Network Rail Consulting (NRC) is the international consultancy arm of Network Rail. We are seeking an experienced rail professional to join our team in New York as Associate Director – Project Manager for the CBTC Modernization Program.

You will lead technical execution, coordinate CBTC subsystems, and manage multi‑disciplinary teams to deliver safe, reliable, and efficient signaling solutions for client projects. The role requires strong leadership and a collaborative, results‑driven mindset.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated CBTC or safety‑critical rail experience, including hands‑on exposure to design review and documentation control.
• Experience in rapid transit environments and interfacing vehicle systems with wayside technology.
• Ability to manage technical workstreams in a complex, operationally constrained setting.
• Strong ability to communicate across engineering, operations, vendors, and project controls.
• Proven ability to lead engineers and technical specialists.
• Solid CBTC technical knowledge and problem solving.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate day‑to‑day technical execution for CBTC modernization work streams, ensuring safety, reliability and performance.
• Drive integration readiness across CBTC subsystems and align design, interfaces, testing, and implementation.
• Manage technical reviews across stakeholders to meet contract requirements and quality expectations.
• Develop and maintain project baselines, scope documentation, and document control throughout the lifecycle.
• Plan and support technical analyses, recommend strategies for issues affecting schedule, cost, or readiness.
• Coordinate with client teams, consultants, CBTC suppliers, and operations to align signaling initiatives.

Skills

CBTC knowledge

Project management

Stakeholder communication

Team leadership

Change management

Scheduling & risk

Education

Master's degree in Engineering

Bachelor's degree + 4 years experience

Associate degree + 6 years experience

High school diploma + 10 years experience

Job description

Network Rail Consulting (NRC) is the international consultancy arm of Network Rail – the owner and operator of Britain’s mainline rail system. We have been active in the North American, Australian and the Middle East markets since 2013 and have successfully delivered more than 150 consultancy contracts for government, public and privately owned organizations.

Through our consulting services in the United States (US), we are assisting both public agencies and private clients in the transportation sector to accelerate transformation efforts, make step‑changes in major program delivery, and achieve leaps forward in areas such as asset management & maintenance, major projects, railway operations, strategic planning and advisory.

Our work is driven forward by our values: agile, always safe, care about people, collaborative, impartial and passionate.

The opportunity with NRC

Building on our continued success, we are looking for an experienced rail professional to join our team as an Associate Director – Project Manager in New York.

You will provide support to the clients Construction & Development (C&D) Program Executive, Signals & Train Control Business Unit as a technically minded Project Manager for the clients Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) Modernization Program.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead and coordinate day‑to‑day technical execution activities for modernization work streams, supporting the client objectives related to safety, reliability, system performance, and service delivery.
• Drive technical and integration readiness across CBTC subsystems, ensuring alignment between design, interfaces, testing, and phased implementation requirements
• Manage and coordinate technical review cycles across multiple stakeholders to ensure consultant and supplier deliverables comply with contractual requirements, approved specifications, standards, and document quality expectations.
• Develop, maintain, and advance project baselines and scope documentation, supporting effective technical document control, traceability, and auditability throughout the project lifecycle.
• Plan, coordinate, and support technical analyses and evaluations, and develop recommended strategies for resolution of technical, integration, or programmatic issues impacting schedule, cost, or system readiness.
• Serve as a central coordination point among the clients Construction & Development, consultant teams, CBTC suppliers, Engineering, Operations, and Maintenance groups to align signaling initiatives, testing and integration activities, and feasibility assessments for CBTC deployments.
• Facilitate timely resolution of technical issues by organizing and leading technical working sessions, tracking action items, and coordinating closure of integration gaps, testing deficiencies, and documentation issues that affect delivery milestones.
• Maintain integrated delivery plans and milestone tracking that reflect CBTC implementation phases, readiness gates, and operational constraints, including cutover, transition, and stabilization periods.
• Prepare and provide regular status reports and presentations to the clients leadership and project stakeholders summarizing technical progress, delivery risks, integration challenges, reliability indicators, and system readiness assessments.
• Participate in the development and management of effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders to support collaboration, issue resolution, and successful project outcomes.
• Demonstrate a results‑oriented approach, strong organizational effectiveness, and commitment to continuous improvement in project delivery processes, tools, and controls.
• Act as a change agent by applying leadership, strategic thinking, and innovative problem‑solving skills to align technical execution with business objectives and drive process and performance improvements.
• Support the development of schedules and risk registers.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the CBTC Modernization Program and the clients Construction & Development objectives.

Experience, skills, knowledge and competencies

• A master’s degree in Engineering or related field. In lieu of a master’s or advanced degree in System Engineering, or related field;
• A bachelor’s degree and four years of relevant industry experience can be substituted for a bachelor’s degree.
• An associate’s degree and six years of relevant industry experience can be substituted for a bachelor’s degree.
• A high school diploma or its equivalent and ten years of relevant industry experience can be substituted for a bachelor’s degree.
• Demonstrated experience providing engineering/project support for CBTC or comparable safety‑critical rail technology implementations, including hands‑on exposure to design review and technical documentation control.
• Prior experience in the rapid transit environment and familiarity with the interface between vehicle systems and wayside technology.
• Ability to manage technical workstreams in a highly complex and operationally constrained environment.
• Ability to communicate effectively across engineering, operations, vendors, and project controls.
• Must be able to manage engineers and technical specialists.
• Strong CBTC technical knowledge.

For the right person, this role presents a fantastic opportunity to develop their career, joining an established and passionate team, with ambitious plans to grow.

We offer benefits such as:

• Competitive compensation packages
• Healthcare insurance premiums (100% paid for by us)
• Generous vacation leave entitlement (25 days)
• 401K with employer matching contributions
• Access to Employee Discount Program via LifeMart

NRC supports flexible working practices

We offer a wide range of flexible work/life balance options such as hybrid (home/office) working, flexible working hours where appropriate.

NRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of age, race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, or veteran status.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.