Rail Bridge Engineer

HDR, Inc.; Bethlehem (Northampton County); On-site; USD 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR, Inc. is seeking a Rail Bridge Engineer to join our Freight Rail Market Sector.

You will contribute to design and analysis of rail bridge structures and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams on diverse projects that support national and global freight mobility. The role requires hands-on structural analysis using industry software, coordination with project managers, and involvement from feasibility through construction.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; PE or P.Eng license preferred.
• Master of Science in Structural Engineering preferred.
• Hands-on experience in railroad engineering and familiarity with railroad design guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Serve in a technical role on rail bridges and structures engineering/design projects to support HDR's Freight Rail Market Sector.
• Perform structures engineering/design calculations and develop design details using specialized software, write specifications, develop cost estimates, review construction submittals.
• Support Project Managers or Task Leads in developing proposals, project scope, budget, and schedule elements.
• Work with diverse clients across rail, industrial, terminal, utility, agency, DOT, port, transit sectors.
• Be involved from feasibility analysis to final design and through construction phase activities.
• Participate in client/site visits, field assessments, and construction inspections as needed.
• Review design calculations, estimates, and specs produced by other staff.
• Assist in multi-disciplinary project delivery and environmental clearance processes.
• Mentor less-experienced staff.

Skills

Railroad engineering

Communication skills

Teamwork

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master of Science in Structural Engineering

Tools

LARSA

LEAP Bridge Enterprise

FB-MultiPier

LPile

SAP2000

CSiBridge

ADINA

spColumn

LUSAS

Job description

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world?

Watch Our Story:' https://www.hdrinc.com/our-story'

Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world.

We invite you to build your transportation career at HDR. Our global team is looking for a success-oriented Rail Bridge Engineer that will be a key player in HDR's freight rail program.

The freight rail network is a vital link in our national and global supply chain markets. Your work at HDR results in critical infrastructure for the sustainable movement of goods and people. Whether it is a traditional railroad structure across a major river, or an engineering marvel that redefines freight mobility at historic bottlenecks, you will have created something that matters.

HDR Rail Engineers thrive in entrepreneurial environments where team members are encouraged to shape their work roles to their strengths and interests. Our proven workshare approach provides opportunities to work across our transportation program and participate with clients and projects around the globe. Our culture of innovation and collaboration places strong emphasis on team-spirit, diversity thoughtfulness, growth and learning, discipline expertise, and personal accountability offering you a rewarding career in our dynamic, high-performance environment. If that sounds good to you, please apply!

Primary Responsibilities

• Serve in a technical role on rail bridges and structures engineering/design projects to support HDR's Freight Rail Market Sector and other market sectors as needed.
• Perform structures engineering/design calculations and develop design details using specialized software, writing specifications, developing cost estimates, reviewing construction submittals.
• Support Project Managers or Task Leads in the development of proposal, project scope, budget, and schedule elements.
• Work across team-driven environments, across regions, and with a variety of clients that include rail, industrial, terminal, utility, agency, DOT, port, transit, and other industry clients.
• Be involved in project activities ranging from feasibility analysis to final design and through to construction phase activities.
• Support Project Managers by participating in client and stakeholder visits, site visits, field assessments, and construction inspections as needed.
• Review or check design calculations, estimates and specifications produced by other staff.
• Assist in the delivery of multi-disciplinary projects, including the planning and environmental clearance process of a project.
• Mentor less-experienced staff.

Preferred Qualifications

• Interest in the freight railroad industry.
• Master of Science in Structural Engineering.
• 2+ years of experience within railroad engineering industry and familiarity with railroad design guidelines, specifications, and design criteria.
• Ability to become licensed as a P.E. or P. Eng. in additional jurisdictions through the NCEES or similar.
• Experience with railroad, industrial or transit clients.
• Construction inspection or construction management experience is a plus.
• Familiarity with engineering software packages such as: LARSA, LEAP Bridge Enterprise, FB-MultiPier, LPile, SAP2000, CSiBridge, ADINA, spColumn, and/or LUSAS
• Ability to travel periodically for client visits, site visits, field assessments, and construction inspections. An attitude and commitment to be an active participant of our employee-owned culture
• Must be able to pass a background check.
• Must have a valid Driver's License.

#LI-EH1

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree
• Requires professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board for the location of the position offered. Example: Professional Engineer (PE or P.Eng) license.
• Hands‑off experience with Microstation, OpenRail Designer, AutoCAD and Civil3D
• Must be able to work both independently and in a team setting
• MS Office software experience
• Excellent oral and written communication and project management skills
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must

What We Believe

HDR is our company. Together, we build on each other's life experiences and perspectives to make great things possible every day. This shapes our collaborative culture, encourages organizational trust and connects us closer to the clients and communities we serve.

Our Commitment

As employee owners, we all have a role in creating an inclusive environment where each of us is welcomed, valued, respected and empowered to bring our authentic selves to work every day.

Our eight Employee Network Groups (Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic/Latino(a), LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Women, Young Professionals) help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute. Each group has an executive sponsor and is open to all employees.

Primary Location: United States-Pennsylvania-Bethlehem

Industry: Freight Rail

Schedule: Full-time

Employee Status: Regular

BusinessClass: Railway Design

Job Posting: Oct 7, 2026