Senior Design Manager - Rail

Arup; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit sharing

401(k) plan with up to 10% company max

Flexible working

Job summary

Arup Seattle is seeking an experienced Design Manager to lead multidisciplinary design teams on major rail and transit infrastructure programs across the western United States. The role includes coordinating design packages, interfaces, and oversight with the project leadership, contractor, and client, aiming for efficient, collaborative outputs aligned with client objectives.

You will drive planning, scheduling, resourcing, and progress tracking, while leading design delivery, coordinating

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering or a related field with 5–10 years of experience supporting the delivery of complex rail or transit projects.
• Experience in design management and coordination on large infrastructure projects, with a passion for design and an appreciation of all disciplines’ roles within the design process.
• Strong understanding of rail and transit project delivery, including client drivers, governance, procurement approaches, and design‑build or alternative delivery methods.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and coordinate multidisciplinary design teams, fostering collaboration, effective decision‑making, and high‑quality design outcomes.
• Experience managing the review, production and submission of high-quality deliverables across many disciplines in a large project environment.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills, with experience engaging clients, stakeholders, and project teams throughout the design and delivery lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Support planning, coordination, and quality processes on design projects where Arup serves as Prime Consultant.
• Lead the delivery of project drawings, reports and specifications to ensure production of deliverables to agreed timelines and within budget.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary design teams across multiple technical disciplines to support integrated design delivery and alignment with project objectives.
• Lead design coordination workshops and formal stage reviews with technical disciplines.
• Arrange, attend and record client and stakeholder design presentations.
• Facilitate collaboration between clients, contractors, and consultants, including participation in user groups and stakeholder meetings.
• Help monitor schedule, cost, and performance for assigned design packages, escalating risks and opportunities as appropriate.

Skills

Design management

Coordination

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Communication

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering

Job description

Joining Arup

Arup’s purpose, shared values, and collaborative approach have set us apart for over 80 years, guiding how we shape a better world.

We collaborate with public and private sector clients to unlock the transformative potential of railways. We offer a broad range of services spanning planning, design, delivery, systems integration, assurance, safety and security assessments, and optimization of railway operation and maintenance performance to unlock the financial value for investors, asset owners, operators and maintainers, while navigating the transition to low carbon and resilient rail. You would be joining our multidisciplinary team focusing on technical excellence and innovative solutions that shape a better future for people and the planet.

Given our continued growth, Arup is seeking an experienced Design Manager to join our rail team in Seattle and support a portfolio of major rail and transit infrastructure programs across the western United States. You may act as a deputy to the design manager, supporting the design development of a complex project; package lead with ownership of a design package through procurement; or design manager for a small- to mid-sized project. This role is well suited to a collaborative professional looking to grow in in a stimulating and challenging project environment while contributing to complex, high‑profile infrastructure programs.

The Design Manager will support the leadership and coordination of multidisciplinary design teams on large rail projects, working closely with the project leadership, technical leads, contractor, and agency. The role supports planning, coordination, and quality processes on design projects where Arup serves as Prime Consultant, helping ensure design outputs are delivered efficiently, collaboratively, and in alignment with client objectives.

The Opportunity

• Support the Project Management team in the planning and delivery of multidisciplinary design packages on major rail projects, including scope definition, scheduling, resourcing, and progress tracking.
• Work closely with the Arup Design Manager to communicate design progress and issues and upscale where required
• Coordinate multidisciplinary design teams across multiple technical disciplines to support integrated design delivery and alignment with project objectives.
• Support the coordination of Arup-specialist inputs (fire, facades, acoustics, security, assurance) into the design;
• Assist in the Integration Manager in overseeing design interfaces, risks, and issues, tracking actions and supporting timely resolution of technical and coordination decisions.
• Lead the delivery of project drawings, reports and specifications to ensure production of deliverables to agreed timelines and within budget.
• Support package‑level design delivery, including coordination of design activities, procurement inputs, and construction interface support.
• Lead design coordination workshops and formal stage reviews with technical disciplines.
• Arrange, attend and record client and stakeholder design presentations.
• Facilitate collaboration between clients, contractors, and consultants, including participation in user groups and stakeholder meetings.
• Help monitor schedule, cost, and performance for assigned design packages, escalating risks and opportunities as appropriate.
• Coordinate communication and information flow across the design team to support efficient, well‑informed decision‑making.
• Support design quality management processes to ensure outputs meet agreed standards, contractual requirements, and client expectations.
• Verify formatting, language and grammar of high quality reports and presentations;
• Assist with design reporting, governance, and project controls activities in line with project and client requirements.
• Contribute to business development activities, including client engagement, marketing coordination, and support for bids and proposals.

Is this role right for you?

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering or a related field, with 5–10 years of experience supporting the delivery of complex rail or transit projects in a multidisciplinary environment.
• Experience of design management and coordination on large infrastructure projects, with a passion for design and an appreciation of all disciplines’ roles within the design process.
• Strong understanding of rail and transit project delivery, including client drivers, governance, procurement approaches, and design‑build or alternative delivery methods.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and coordinate multidisciplinary design teams, fostering collaboration, effective decision‑making, and high‑quality design outcomes.
• Experience managing the review, production and submission of high-quality deliverables across many disciplines in a large project environment.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills, with experience engaging clients, stakeholders, and project teams throughout the design and delivery lifecycle.

At Arup, you belong to an extraordinary collective – in which we encourage individuality to thrive. Our strength comes from how we respect, share and connect our diverse experiences, perspectives and ideas.

You will have the opportunity to do socially useful work that has meaning – to Arup, to your career, to our members and to the clients and communities we serve.

What We Offer You

At Arup, we care about each member’s success, so we can grow together.

Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognizes the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.

We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup’s legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling members to share in the results of our collective efforts.

Benefits at Work - At Arup, we have a comprehensive and valuable benefits program that works for our employees and their families while keeping costs low. These benefits provide health and welfare security for you as well as paid time off for rest and renewal. As a member of Arup, everyone shares in our success through a global profit share scheme (payments are dependent on the firm’s financial performance). Our Global Profit Share Plan (paid bi‑annually) provides an opportunity for you to share in the success of the Firm. As a valued employee of Arup, you can also choose to participate in our 401(k) plan with up to 10% company match to help you save for your future

Flexible Working - We believe that flexible arrangements create a more inclusive way of working that supports our diversity and the wellbeing of our people. Options for alternative schedules and the ability to work outside of the office for a portion of your workweek are available

Seattle Hiring Range - Hiring Range - The good faith base salary hiring range for this job if performed in Seattle is $140,000 to $160,000 per year. This range is commensurate with experience, educational background, and skill level. Benefits are not included in the base salary. Please note hiring ranges for candidates performing work outside of Seattle will differ.

Different People, Shared Values

Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence.

Guided by our values and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we create and contribute to equitable spaces and systems, while cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture: from race, ethnicity and cross-cultural working to gender equity and LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion – we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference. Discover more about life at Arup at www.arup.com/careers/your-life-at-arup.

Our Application Process

We will be reviewing our candidates for this position on a rolling basis. Once you have applied you will be evaluated and potentially moved on to the next round, at which point a member of the talent resourcing team will reach out to you directly.

Arup is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, spouse of a protected veteran, or disability.

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