Senior Rail Engineer

HDR; Tampa (FL); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan

Tuition assistance

Health insurance

Paid time off

Employee stock ownership plan

Job summary

A leading engineering firm is seeking an experienced Senior Rail Engineer to support their freight rail program. This role involves leading design projects, managing budgets and schedules, and mentoring junior staff. The ideal candidate will have at least 10 years of railway engineering experience and a strong background in project management. The position offers opportunities for professional growth within a supportive employee-owned culture, along with competitive benefits and a commitment to inclusivity.

Qualifications

• 10 years experience in railway engineering and managing complex projects.
• Requires professional engineering license recognized for the location.
• Proficient in technical writing and presenting.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Discipline or Task Lead for rail or civil engineering design projects.
• Manage scope, budget, and schedule for design criteria and specifications.
• Lead QC reviews of projects and mentor younger staff.

Skills

Communication skills

Technical writing

Leadership

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

MicroStation

OpenRail Designer

AutoCAD

Civil3D

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

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 believe transportation is more than movement, it’s the foundation of connected, thriving communities. As part of HDR’s Transportation Business Group, you’ll help shape the systems that move people and goods safely, efficiently, and sustainably. From designing resilient highways and iconic bridges to advancing transit, passenger and freight rail, aviation, federal transportation ports and marine infrastructure, your work will directly support economic vitality, public safety, sustainable and resilient communities and quality of life.

At this point in your career, you know what you’re looking for in your next role. A solid company with collaborative colleagues that do interesting and unique work for clients that trust them to push open the doors to what’s possible. That’s what you’ll find at HDR.

HDR is an employee-owned company with more than 100-years of making great things possible, together with our clients. Our pride is in our people — smart, hardworking team members who take their employee ownership seriously and will have your back at every turn.

We invite you to build your transportation career at HDR. Our global team is looking for a success‑oriented Senior Rail Engineer that will be a key player in the continued growth of HDR’s freight rail program.

As an employee‑owner in this Senior Rail Engineer role, we’ll count on you to:

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. Example: 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

We’ve already earned National ACEC awards for: the West Colton Flyover Structures which eliminated one of the largest bottlenecks in US history with an innovative first‑of‑its‑kind flyover, the HDR‑patented Infinity Loop Design, and the West Vancouver Freight Access Program Management project where we worked with the port to right‑size and more efficiently adapt to evolving industry demands. You could help us bring home the next one.

We understand your career is a big part of your life, but it’s not your whole life. We offer benefits that look out for your health and wellness from a “whole you” perspective. Whether you are continuing your education, mapping your financial future, balancing work and family, or planning for retirement, we want to support your personal and professional goals. Benefits include 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.

Join us to collaborate with a global team, grow your career and work on amazing projects!

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-Florida-Jacksonville

Other Locations: United States-Florida-West Palm Beach, United States-Florida-Doral, United States-Florida-Tampa

Industry: Freight Rail

Schedule: Full‑time

Employee Status: Regular

BusinessClass: Railway Design

Job Posting: Jan 2, 2026

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity. We are an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer (https://www.hdrinc.com/equal-employment-opportunity-employer). We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.