Senior Rail Engineer

HDR; Jacksonville (FL); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent medical plan

Paid time off

Tuition assistance

401(k) and employee stock ownership plans

Job summary

A leading engineering firm in Jacksonville, FL is seeking a Senior Rail Engineer to enhance its freight rail program. This role will involve leading engineering design projects, managing project budgets and schedules, and mentoring junior staff. The ideal candidate will have at least 10 years of experience in railway engineering, a bachelor's degree, and a professional engineering license. Amenities include an excellent medical plan, paid time off, and employee stock ownership.

Qualifications

• 10 years experience in railway engineering and managing multidisciplinary railway projects.
• Professional engineering license recognized for the location of the position.
• Familiar with water and wastewater treatment processes.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Discipline or Task Lead for railroad engineering design projects.
• Manage scope, budget, and schedule for projects.
• Support Project Managers with marketing and contracting activities.

Skills

Hands-on experience in rail design

Leadership skills

Strong communication skills

Ability to mentor staff

Technical writing skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

MicroStation

OpenRail Designer

AutoCAD

Job description

Senior Rail Engineer

HDR is an employee‑owned company with over 100 years of experience in transportation and infrastructure. We build connected, thriving communities through resilient highways, iconic bridges, transit, aviation, freight rail, ports, and marine infrastructure.

We are looking for a Senior Rail Engineer who will play a key role in the growth of HDR’s freight rail program and help shape systems that move people and goods safely, efficiently, and sustainably.

Location: Jacksonville, FL

Job Type: Full‑time, Regular

Schedule: Full‑time

Seniority Level: Mid‑Senior level

Industry: Freight Rail

Primary Responsibilities

• Serve as Discipline or Task Lead for railroad or civil engineering design projects, and other offices to support the Freight Rail Market Sector and other market sectors as needed.
• Support Project Managers by leading or participating in marketing and contracting activities.
• Manage scope, budget, and schedule, as well as development of design criteria, specifications, project guides, project meeting notes, and cost estimating activities.
• Perform railroad and/or civil engineering/design planning, analysis, and design aspects of rail and rail‑related transportation projects.
• Lead and/or perform detailed QC reviews of projects.
• Support Project Managers by leading, or participating in client and stakeholder visits, site visits, field assessments, and construction inspections as needed.
• Attend industry events and represent HDR as needed.
• Mentor younger staff and support technical development.
• Supervise junior staff performance of engineering tasks.
• Work across industries with rail, industrial, terminal, utility, agency, DOT, port, transit, and other industry clients.
• Provide leadership across technical disciplines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven, hands‑on experience in all aspects of rail and/or civil design projects.
• Experience working with AREMA’s Manual for Railway Engineering (MRE) and other railroad design guidelines, specifications, and design criteria.
• Knowledge of railroad analysis programs, and railroad and/or civil design software.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, strong communication skills, and ability to work in a team environment with various teams.
• Desire to mentor younger staff and grow in skill set related to the railroad industry.
• Ability to become licensed as a P.E. or P. Eng. in additional jurisdictions through the NCEES or similar.
• Demonstrated ability to lead projects through design and production through coordination with other disciplines and production staff.
• Project Management experience managing projects for rail, industrial or transit clients.
• Demonstrated client development or client management experience.
• Construction inspection or construction management experience is a plus.
• Experience in technical writing, communicating, and presenting to clients and the public is desirable.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• 10 years experience in railway engineering and managing complex multidisciplinary railway projects.
• Requires professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board for the location of the position offered (e.g., Professional Engineer (PE or P.Eng) license).
• Proficient with MicroStation, OpenRail Designer/OpenRoads Designer, and/or AutoCAD and Civil3D.
• Skilled in technical writing, communicating and presenting to clients and the public.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a team on railway projects.
• Should be familiar with water and wastewater treatment processes and technologies.
• Computer literate with MS Office (Word, Excel, Project).
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee‑owned culture is a must.

Benefits

We offer benefits that look out for your health and wellness from a “whole you” perspective, including an excellent medical plan, paid time off, tuition assistance, 401(k) and employee stock ownership plans — and more! At HDR, you can own your future, own your company, and own who you are.

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.

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

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity. We are an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.