Senior Director, Intelligent Solutions

Wabtec Corporation; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 164,900 - 235,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement benefits

Potential annual bonus

Job summary

Wabtec Corporation is seeking a Senior Director, Intelligent Solutions to spearhead the early-stage development of rail automation and energy performance solutions. This role involves overseeing Systems Architecture and Automation Engineering and collaborating to define innovative projects that support growth. The ideal candidate will have 15+ years in engineering, focusing on complex automation, systems integration, and risk analysis, along with sustainability initiatives. A competitive salary range of $164,900-$235,000 is offered, along with comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of engineering experience, with 10+ in leadership.
• Success in delivering complex automation from concept to deployment.
• Expertise in systems integration, architecture, and risk analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lead Systems Engineering and emerging automation technologies.
• Collaborate with Business Development for innovative solutions.
• Manage third-party vendors ensuring integration with internal systems.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Systems integration

Safety assessments

Complex automation solutions

Technological curiosity

Tools

DFMEA

Machine vision

Industrial automation

Cloud computing platforms

Job description

Job Description

Wabtec’s Advanced Technologies team is seeking a technically versatile Senior Director, Intelligent Solutions to lead early-stage development of rail automation, energy performance, and system-optimized solutions. This role oversees Systems Architecture, Automation Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, and Cloud Engineering/Development. It is also the global point of contact for sustainability efforts within the Chief Technology Office.

How will you make a difference?

This role will drive cross-functional collaboration to define and develop innovative projects and product platforms that support both current offerings and long-term growth, leveraging existing and emerging technologies. Bold technical leadership and boundary-pushing innovation are essential.

What will your typical day look like?

Responsibilities

• Lead the Systems Engineering function and integrate emerging automation technologies by driving teams through early concept development, system definition, and technical maturation, then transitioning initiatives for commercialization.
• Guide teams in developing system concepts, defining solution architectures, and managing system-level requirements across hardware and software to deliver cohesive, scalable, and robust designs.
• Collaborate with Business Development to identify innovative solutions to product pain points and maintain strong business cases for owned projects, ensuring alignment of technical scope, cost, value, and strategic priorities.
• Facilitate and lead technical design reviews, risk assessments, validation planning, and trade studies to ensure disciplined engineering decisions and measurable technical progress.
• Define talent development plans and staffing strategies that reflect business needs, technical complexity, and resource capacity.
• Own technical, schedule, and budget tracking, ensuring alignment with product milestones, program goals, and readiness for transition to commercialization.
• Engage and manage third-party vendors and technical partners, ensuring external deliverables fully integrate with Wabtec’s internal systems, architecture, and engineering standards.
• Apply systems engineering best practices—including DFMEA/SFMEA, safety assessments, and human-factors considerations—throughout the entire product lifecycle.
• Influence, align, and motivate cross-functional teams around a unified technical vision, ensuring consistent progress across hardware, software, and systems-integration workstreams.
• Contribute to global sustainability efforts by leading technical and market research and advising on company strategy.
• Maintain sustainability claims database and approve technical claims for all external communications.

You may also be asked to perform other duties outside of your function or trade, for which adequate training will be provided if necessary.

Qualifications

What do we want to know about you?

Experience & Qualifications

• 15+ years of engineering experience, including 10+ years of progressive experience in engineering leadership capacity.
• Demonstrated success delivering complex automation solutions that integrate hardware, software, and advanced controls from concept through deployment.
• Strong grounding in systems integration, architecture development, system-level requirements, and risk analysis methodologies (DFMEA, SFMEA).
• Experience with safety-critical system development, including safety assessments, validation strategies, and fail-safe design principles.
• Technologically curious, innovative, and skilled at challenging assumptions to identify new solutions and business opportunities.
• Expertise in one or more key automation and robotics domains, such as:
  • Perception, planning, and control for autonomous or semi-autonomous systems
  • Industrial automation (PLC, PAC, DCS) and real-time control of electromechanical systems
  • Robotic manipulation, mobile robotics, or automated material handling
  • Machine vision, sensor fusion, and advanced sensing technologies
  • Embedded and real-time software platforms
  • Functional safety and safety-critical automation
  • HMI, supervisory control, and operator-in-the-loop systems
  • Integration with enterprise, cloud, or edge computing platforms
• Domain expertise in one or more railway technologies, including Train Control and Management Systems, Positive Train Control (PTC), Energy Management Systems, locomotive control, communication systems, or remote-control systems.
• Experience in rail yard or mainline operations is highly desirable.

Relocation assistance may be provided if eligibility requirements are met.

Salary range: $164,900-235,000. The base pay may be influenced by training, transferable skills, work experience, education, business needs, market demands, and work location. Benefits include health, welfare, and retirement, plus potential annual bonus if eligible.

Equal Opportunity Statement

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.

Wabtec will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the U.S. for this opening. Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen (as applicable) and fitness for duty test (as applicable).