Track Engineering Lead - Hybrid Rail Design & Leadership

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc.; Princeton (NJ); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Wellness programs

Tuition reimbursement

Recognition programs

Hybrid work environment

Job summary

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. seeks a Track Engineering Technical Lead to join our Transit & Rail practice. In this role you will serve as the senior technical lead for track design projects, guiding a team of engineers while delivering complex rail programs.

You will mentor junior engineers, support project pursuits, and help grow VHB's rail practice. The role balances technical design leadership with team development, client coordination, and collaboration across disciplines.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Civil Engineering, Railway Engineering, or related field (M.S. preferred).
• 11+ years of experience in track engineering, rail construction, or permanent way infrastructure.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
• Experience with rail systems integration and signaling coordination.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and design oversight for trackwork construction, rehabilitation, and capital improvement projects across rail and transit programs.
• Plan and coordinate construction sequencing, work breakdown structures (WBS), track access, possession plans, and outage windows in partnership with rail operations teams.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams (signals, communications, traction power, civil, structures, and utilities) to ensure seamless integration of track systems.
• Manage critical interface points including track geometry verification, bonding and grounding requirements, and signaling or train control cutovers.
• Implement quality assurance and quality control programs, including inspection and test plans (ITPs), geometry acceptance testing, ultrasonic rail testing, and weld qualification oversight.
• Review and manage contractor submittals, RFIs, material approvals, nonconformance reports, and construction documentation.
• Support project controls and delivery, including schedule coordination, cost tracking, risk management, change management, and progress reporting.
• Provide technical direction to contractors, inspectors, and project teams, resolving field issues and supporting claims resolution as needed.
• Lead testing and commissioning activities, including track geometry acceptance, clearance checks, and integration with signal and train control systems.
• Represent VHB in meetings with clients, contractors, regulatory agencies, and project stakeholders, presenting technical recommendations and project updates.
• Stay current with emerging track design practices, materials, and technologies to enhance project delivery and performance.

Skills

Technical leadership

Rail/transit engineering

Project coordination

Stakeholder communication

Technical writing

Education

Bachelor's in Civil Engineering

MS preferred

PE license

Tools

e-Builder

SharePoint

Job description

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. seeks a Track Engineering Technical Lead to join our Transit & Rail practice. In this role you will serve as the senior technical lead for track design projects, guiding a team of engineers while delivering complex rail programs.

You will mentor junior engineers, support project pursuits, and help grow VHB's rail practice. The role balances technical design leadership with team development, client coordination, and collaboration across disciplines.