Senior Systems Engineer - Traction Electrification

ST Public Branding; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 87,000 - 191,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Benefits

Long-Term Disability & Life Insurance

Employee Assistance Program

401a Plan with 12% match

Tuition Reimbursement

Paid Time Off 25 days + holidays

Job summary

Sound Transit seeks a senior engineer to provide engineering support for traction electrification systems within the Capital Delivery Department. The role covers AC/DC power distribution, OCS, and associated control systems, with emphasis on reliability, safety, and integration with SCADA.

The position requires a PE license, a bachelor’s in electrical engineering, and at least five years in traction electrification and project delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or closely related field.
• Five years of traction electrification systems engineering experience including PM, systems design, construction, or operations support.

Responsibilities

• Review contract deliverables to ensure compliance with agency criteria.
• Contribute to design requirements based on asset performance and tech advancement.
• Develop and implement system enhancements for reliability and performance.
• Support design, installation, and commissioning of new assets within maintenance facilities program.
• Provide engineering economic analysis and stakeholder reporting.

Skills

Industrial power distribution

Traction electrification

Systems thinking

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Professional Engineering license

Job description

Job Details

Posting Details

• • Posted on August 7, 2026

Locations

• Showing 1 location Seattle, WA 98104, USA
  
• Hybrid
• Engineering
• Full-Time
• Requisition #: SENIO003638

Description

Salary range is $87k to $191k with a midpoint of $139k. New hires typically receive between minimum and midpoint, however, we may go slightly higher based on experience, internal equity and market.

Sound Transit also offers a competitivebenefits package with a wide range of offerings, including:

• Health Benefits: We offer two choices of medical plans, a dental plan, and a vision plan all at no cost for employee coverage; comprehensive benefits for employees and eligible dependents, including a spouse or domestic partner.
• Long-Term Disability and Life Insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Retirement Plans: 401a – 10% of employee contribution with a 12% match by Sound Transit; 457b – up to IRS maximum (employee only contribution).
• Paid Time Off: Employees accrue 25 days of paid time off annually with increases at four, eight and twelve years of service. Employees at the director level and up accrue additional days. We also observe 12 paid holidays and provide up to 2 paid floating holidays and up to 2 paid volunteer days per year.
• Parental Leave: 12 weeks of parental leave for new parents.
• Pet Insurance discount.
• ORCA Card: All full-time employees will receive an ORCA card at no cost.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Sound Transit will pay up to $5,000 annually for approved tuition expenses.
• Inclusive Reproductive Health Support Services.
• Compensation Practices: We offer competitive salaries based on market rates and internal equity. In addition to compensation and benefits, you’ll find that we provide work-life balance, opportunities for professional development and recognition from your colleagues.

GENERAL PURPOSE:

Under general direction, provides senior engineering support for the Capital Delivery Department’s Team 1 including the Operations & Maintenance Facility (OMF) South, OMF North, and North Maintenance of Way development.

This is a technical role as an engineer responsible for traction electrification systems as part of the Capital Delivery Department. Traction electrification includes incoming AC utility feeds and medium voltage AC power distribution, DC traction power substations, overhead contact systems (OCS), and related automated monitoring and control systems. The position will provide support for building electrical systems, electrical safety monitoring systems, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, and all distribution systems required to support light rail infrastructure. Provides support for power protection and control implementation on the project, safety and grounding analyses, and integration with electrical controls systems including remote SCADA systems.

The following duties are a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position‑specific duties.

• Reviews and provides input to formal contract deliverables and submittals to provide assurance of project compliance with established agency technical criteria, policies and procedures for design development, systems interface coordination and integration, construction and testing and commissioning.
• Provides input to design requirements based on asset performance, operating needs and technological advancement of all power engineering needs for the project.
• Develop and implement system enhancements to ensure system reliability and performance of the maintenance facilities and infrastructure systems when they enter service.
• Supports the design, installation, and commissioning of new assets as part of the development of the maintenance facility program. Acts as the project’s point of contact with Agency activation teams and provides timely updates on system integration and contractor commissioning work.
• Provides engineering economic analysis in determining total cost of ownership.
• Provides support to the department/division and others on matters as directed; serves as staff on a variety of committees as assigned; prepares and presents reports and presentations; attends and participates in professional group meetings.
• Collaborates with staff across the agency to ensure continuous improvement and best practice is applied to engineering criteria, policies and procedures.
• Champions and models Sound Transit's core values and demonstrates values‑based behaviors in everyday interactions across the agency.
• Contributes to a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion in alignment with Sound Transit’s Equity & Inclusion Policy.
• It is the responsibility of all employees to follow the Agency safety rules, regulations, and procedures pertaining to their assigned duties and responsibilities, which could include systems, operations, and/or other employees.
• It is the responsibility of all employees to integrate sustainability into everyday business practices.
• Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or closely related field. Five years of traction electrification systems engineering experience that includes project management, systems design, construction and/or operations support; OR an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Licenses or Certifications:

• Professional Engineering license.

Required Knowledge and Skills:

• Industrial power distribution systems and rail transit traction electrification.
• Operational characteristics, services, and activities of traction power and/or overhead contact systems engineering projects and programs.
• Application of principles and practices of electrical and traction power systems engineering, design, and construction.
• Oversight and monitoring the integration and design of traction electrification systems within a transit system.
• Federal, state, and local codes, OSHA requirements, and related regulations.
• Principles of business letter writing and basic report preparation.
• Troubleshooting, diagnostics, and root cause analysis - ability to systematically investigate equipment failures, determine the root cause, and recommend corrective action.
• Time management - ability to control a large workload, prioritize effort, and manage commitments.
• Collaboration - ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other agency staff, consultants, contractors, authorities having jurisdiction, and other stakeholder groups.
• Communication - ability to communicate clear and accurate technical information to technical and non-technical audiences in verbal and written form.
• Meeting management - ability to plan, conduct, and record effective meetings.
• Systems thinking - ability to understand the whole problem, seek different perspectives, understand interdependencies, and decompose complex problems into solvable elements.

Physical Demands / Work Environment:

• Work is performed in a hybrid environment with an expectation of working in office a minimum of 3 days per week.
• Positions working in field may occasionally be exposed to dangerous machinery, extreme weather conditions, physical harm, hazardous chemicals, and/or extreme noise.
• Position is responsible to work at sites with uneven surfaces, visual inspections and troubleshooting in the field. May be subject tostanding and walking.
• Position includes 24-hour on call program and weekend/night shifts; position is responsible for field inspections may need to be performed at night or on weekends.
• The Agency promotes a safe and healthy work environment and provides appropriate safety and equipment training for all personnel as required.

Sound Transit is an equal employment opportunity employer. No person is unlawfully excluded from employment action based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status or other protected class.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.