Senior Project Manager, Rail Electrification & OCS

Burns Engineering, Inc.; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Burns Engineering, Inc. seeks a Project Manager, Overhead Contact System (OCS) to lead electrification infrastructure efforts on the California High-Speed Rail program from design through energization, based in Sacramento, CA.

The role requires managing scope, schedule, budget, risk, and contractor performance across OCS work packages, coordinating with traction power, signaling, track, structures, and operations teams. Travel 25–50% along the alignment is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Railway, or Systems Engineering, or related field; 10+ years delivering railway electrification/OCS projects.
• 10+ years of project management experience on transportation, railway, utility, or infrastructure programs.
• Experience delivering 25kV AC OCS systems from design through commissioning and operation.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams, contractors, suppliers, and consultants.
• Strong knowledge of railway electrification, OCS interfaces, grounding/bonding, and traction return.
• Experience coordinating OCS delivery with traction power, signaling, track, structures, and rolling stock.
• Experience leading outage planning, energization readiness, and railway electrical safety programs.
• Experience managing approvals with utilities, railroad operators, regulators, and authorities having jurisdiction.
• Experience leading factory/site acceptance testing and energization programs.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Willingness to travel 25–50% along the alignment.

Responsibilities

• Support delivery of OCS systems throughout design, procurement, construction, testing, commissioning, energization, and handover
• Maintain accountability for project scope, schedule, budget, risk, contractor performance, and delivery milestones for OCS work packages
• Coordinate with cross-disciplinary teams including traction power, signaling, communications, track, and structures
• Lead testing and energization programs across OCS work packages
• Coordinate approvals with utilities, railroad operators, regulators, and authorities having jurisdiction
• Provide leadership for railway electrical safety, outage planning, and readiness programs
• Review installation and testing readiness across work packages
• Ensure effective stakeholder engagement and governance for the program

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Stakeholder management

Project management

Team leadership

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Railway, or Systems Engineering, or related field

Job description

Burns Engineering, Inc. seeks a Project Manager, Overhead Contact System (OCS) to lead electrification infrastructure efforts on the California High-Speed Rail program from design through energization, based in Sacramento, CA.

The role requires managing scope, schedule, budget, risk, and contractor performance across OCS work packages, coordinating with traction power, signaling, track, structures, and operations teams. Travel 25–50% along the alignment is expected.