Engineering Technical Leader - Systems

Wabtec Corporation; Pittsburgh, Northern (Allegheny County, KY); Hybrid; USD 105,000 - 149,000; Full time

Job summary

Wabtec Corporation's Freight Services division seeks a Senior Systems Engineer to lead architecture, integration, validation and productization of next-generation industrial automation and robotics for rail yard operations.

You will own system-level decisions across hardware and software, supervise design reviews, risk management, safety and cybersecurity readiness as the solution moves from prototype to production.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical, Mechanical, Robotics, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of experience delivering complex integrated technical systems.
• Experience as systems engineer, technical lead, chief engineer, or system integration owner with schedule management.
• Proven track record transitioning automation/robotics from development to production or deployment.
• Strong architecture, requirements, interface management, and risk management skills.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end system architecture, requirements, interfaces, and technical roadmap across subsystems.
• Lead trade studies and architecture decisions involving robotics, AI, embedded software, and cloud services.
• Define performance, reliability, maintainability, and safety requirements for industrial environments.
• Coordinate safety and cybersecurity reviews and ensure compliance throughout the lifecycle.
• Lead cross-functional integration across hardware, software, controls, AI, edge, and cloud platforms.
• Guide product maturation from prototype to production release and field deployment.

Skills

Systems engineering

Technical leadership

Schedule management

Cross-functional collaboration

Embedded software

Cybersecurity

Architecture

Requirements engineering

Robotics

Education

Bachelor's degree in a technical field

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

DOORS

Jama

Polarion

Cameo

Job description

Job Description

Who will you be working with?

The mission of the Fleet Innovation & Transformation team is to accelerate fleet transformation by consistently providing compelling solutions and innovative technologies that improve reliability, sustainability, and performance.

How will you make a difference?

Wabtec's Wabtec Freight Services is seeking a highly motivated and technically versatile Senior Systems Engineer to lead the architecture, integration, validation, and productization of next-generation industrial automation and robotics solutions for rail yard operations.

This role will serve as the overall engineering program manager, technical owner and lead systems integrator for a new Go-To-Market product platform that combines robotics, autonomy, computer vision, artificial intelligence, software, edge computing, cloud connectivity, controls, sensors, networking, and electromechanical systems. The individual will be accountable for system architecture, integration, design reviews, safety, cybersecurity compliance, validation, and technical readiness as the solution transitions from early-stage research and development into scalable production and commercial deployment.

The successful candidate will work across the full product lifecycle, from early-stage concept and prototype development through pilot deployment, production release, customer implementation, and lifecycle support. This position requires strong systems engineering depth, hands-on technical leadership, and the ability to align cross-functional teams within Wabtec Freight Services and across Wabtec business units around a complete, production-ready system solution.

What do we want to know about you?

Qualifications/Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
• Minimum 10 years of experience developing and delivering complex integrated technical systems.
• Demonstrated experience serving as systems engineer, technical lead, chief engineer, or system integration owner with experience in schedule management for multidisciplinary products involving hardware and software.
• Proven experience transitioning industrial automation, robotics, autonomous systems, intelligent machines, transportation systems, or similar technologies from development into production or operational deployment.
• Strong expertise in systems architecture, requirements engineering, interface management, technical trade studies, design reviews, risk management, integration, and verification and validation.
• Strong understanding of electromechanical systems and their integration with embedded software, controls, sensors, networks, edge computing, and enterprise or cloud applications.
• Foundational knowledge of AI and computer vision solution architectures, including perception pipelines, sensor fusion, edge inference, data flows, and model integration within a physical system.
• Experience leading technical execution across multidisciplinary and cross-functional teams without relying solely on direct reporting authority.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical issues and align engineering, business, and customer stakeholders.

Desired Characteristics:

• Master's degree in Systems Engineering, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field.
• Experience developing autonomous mobile robots, industrial robotic systems, automated vehicles, intelligent inspection systems, or other Physical AI platforms.
• Experience in rail, logistics, mining, manufacturing, heavy equipment, industrial automation, defense, or other safety-and-reliability-sensitive industries.
• Working knowledge of cloud-native applications, distributed systems, APIs, data platforms, and edge-to-cloud architectures.
• Familiarity with AWS, Azure, Docker, Kubernetes, ROS or ROS 2, MQTT, or comparable technologies.
• Experience with AI deployment, machine learning operations, computer vision, perception systems, localization, navigation, path planning, or sensor fusion.
• Experience with requirements and system modeling tools such as DOORS, Jama, Polarion, Cameo, or equivalent.
• Familiarity with relevant functional safety, machinery safety, industrial cybersecurity, or rail assurance standards and processes.
• Experience supporting manufacturing transfer, supplier integration, production ramp-up, field commissioning, and product lifecycle management.
• Systems thinking across robotics, software, AI, controls, cloud, networking, electrical, and mechanical engineering disciplines.
• Technical ownership with a strong bias toward maintaining schedule, execution, integration, validation, and field deployment.
• Ability to bring structure and engineering discipline to ambiguous, early-stage product development environments.
• Sound judgment in maintaining safety as a priority while balancing cybersecurity, reliability, performance, cost, schedule, scalability, and customer value.
• Cross-functional leadership and the ability to influence teams across early-stage R&D, Go-To-Market, and business unit organizations.
• Customer and operator focus, with an understanding of the practical demands of deploying technology in industrial environments.

What will your typical day look like?

Technical Ownership and Productization

• Serve as the overall technical owner and system integration engineer for a new industrial robotics and automation product.
• Lead the transition of the system from early-stage R&D through prototype, MVP, pilot deployment, production release, and scalable commercialization.
• Define and execute the product maturity plan, including technical readiness criteria, design maturity, manufacturing readiness, deployment readiness, serviceability, and lifecycle support.
• Own system-level technical decisions, integration priorities, trade studies, technical risks, and escalation of issues affecting product readiness.
• Ensure the product meets customer, operational, safety, reliability, cybersecurity, maintainability, cost, and scalability objectives.
• Support product management and Go-To-Market leaders in translating customer and business needs into clear technical requirements, product capabilities, and executable development plans.

Systems Architecture and Engineering

• Own the end-to-end system architecture, requirements, functional decomposition, interfaces, and technical roadmap across physical and digital subsystems.
• Lead engineering trade studies and architecture decisions involving robotics, controls, AI, computer vision, embedded software, edge computing, cloud services, communications, sensors, electrical systems, and mechanical systems.
• Establish and maintain system requirements, interface control documents, traceability, configuration baselines, and technical documentation throughout the product lifecycle.
• Define system performance, reliability, availability, maintainability, environmental, and operational requirements for deployment in demanding industrial environments.

Cross-Functional System Integration & Schedule Management

• Support product development and release plan and a complete system perspective necessary to resolve technical gaps or conflicts across disciplines and organizational boundaries to avoid delays in the project.
• Lead integration across robotics hardware, electromechanical systems, embedded software, controls, AI perception, edge platforms, cloud applications, networking, and customer operational systems.
• Work closely with early-stage R&D teams and business unit engineering, product, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, cybersecurity, services, operations, and customer-facing organizations.
• Create and manage subsystem interface definitions, integration sequences, dependency plans, and technical issue-resolution processes.
• Coordinate internal engineering teams, external development partners, suppliers, and technology vendors to deliver an integrated solution.
• Act as the primary system-level technical interface during customer pilots, field deployments, and production implementation.

Design Reviews, Safety and Cybersecurity

• Own and execute system architecture reviews, preliminary and critical design reviews, technical readiness reviews, safety reviews, cybersecurity reviews, and production release reviews to maintain overall program schedule.
• Lead system-level safety analyses and hazard assessments for robotics and automation systems operating around people, vehicles, equipment, and active rail yard operations.
• Develop and maintain hazard logs, risk mitigation plans, DFMEA, SFMEA, fault tree analyses, and other applicable safety engineering artifacts.
• Partner with product cybersecurity experts to define secure architectures and ensure compliance with applicable cybersecurity requirements, secure development practices, vulnerability management processes, and customer expectations.
• Ensure safety, cybersecurity, resilience, fault detection, degraded operating modes, recovery, and fail-safe behavior are addressed in requirements and system design.
• Support regulatory reviews, customer technical assurance activities, audits, and evidence packages required for commercial deployment.

Verification, Validation and Deployment

• Define and own the system verification and validation strategy across simulation, software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, laboratory, test track, and field environments.
• Establish measurable system performance metrics, acceptance criteria, test coverage, and operational readiness requirements.
• Lead system integration testing, defect prioritization, root-cause resolution, regression planning, and release readiness assessments.
• Support installation planning, commissioning, customer demonstrations, pilot operations, production deployments, and field issue resolution.
• Use field data, operational feedback, and lessons learned to improve system performance and guide the product roadmap.

Additional Information

Our job titles may span more than one career level. The salary rate for this role is currently $104800-149300 The actual salary offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors, such as: training, transferable skills, work experience, education, business needs, market demands and work location. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. More information on offered benefits, which include health, welfare, and retirement, are available at mywabtecbenefits.com. Other benefit offerings for this role may include annual bonus, if eligible.

What could you accomplish in a place that puts People First?

At Wabtec, it's not just about a job - it's about the impact you make. When our people come together, we're Expanding the Possible by continuously improving what we do and how we do it - for our clients and each other.

If you're ready to revolutionize how the world moves for future generations, Wabtec is the place for you.

Who are we?

Wabtec is a leading global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions, and value-added services for the freight and transit rail sectors. Drawing on more than 150 years of experience, we are leading the way in safety, efficiency, reliability, innovation, and productivity. Whether it's freight, transit, ports, logistics, mining, industrial, or marine, our expertise, technologies, and people together - are accelerating the future of transportation. With roots that date back to George Westinghouse, Thomas Edison, and Louis Faiveley, Wabtec has always built technologies and implemented solutions for a variety of sectors that are critical to meeting the needs of customers and governments alike.

Our global team of about 30,000 employees worldwide delivers performance that moves the world forward. We're lifelong learners, obsessed with better. Learn more at www.WabtecCorp.com.

Culture powers us and the possibilities.

We believe the best ideas come from a mix of experiences and backgrounds. At Wabtec, we strive every day to create a place where everyone belongs. We're building a culture where leadership, inclusion and your unique perspective fuel progress.

We're proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome talent of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities, including race, gender, age, disability, veteran status and more.

Need accommodation? Just let us know - we've got you.