Senior Signals and Communications Engineering Specialist- RR&T
Burns Engineering, Inc.
Salary undisclosed
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Description
About Burns:
Burns Engineering provides professional engineering design and project management services for transportation, facilities, and infrastructure projects. We help our clients attain their strategic goals and initiatives through successful large-scale infrastructure projects. Burns’ full-service capabilities include mechanical, electrical, civil, structural, transportation, and energy consulting engineering.
Recently voted a Top Workplace by Philly.com, we credit our strength as an organization to our talented, driven, vibrant team. Burns is an ENR Top 500 Firm, and has been named an MEP Giant by Consulting-Specifying Engineer Magazine, as well as a Hot Firm by Zweig. We are industry experts, proven leaders, innovative thinkers, and team players. We put our clients’ successes and best interests first, because their success is our success. We have fun at work because we love making a difference in the world. We are looking for high-energy, bright, collaborative individuals who want the opportunity to “write their own story” with us.
Burns is currently seeking a licensed Senior Signals and Communications Engineering Specialist to join our Signals, Communications & Train Control team in Philadelphia, Pa.
SUMMARY
The Senior Engineering Specialist provides technical leadership for the development, integration, and verification of complex train control and signaling systems. This role leads systems engineering activities across the project lifecycle, with a focus on requirements management, system architecture, interface coordination, and system integration.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
- Lead systems engineering activities for complex rail train control and signaling projects, including requirements development, system design, system verification, and integration.
- Develop and manage system requirements throughout the project lifecycle, including traceability, change control, and stakeholder alignment.
- Develop system architecture and define functional allocations to support implementation of train control solutions.
- Author technical papers to document potential system functionality enhancements, balancing railroad operational objectives (such as train performance and capacity) with safety-critical requirements.
- Lead interface identification, definition, and coordination across subsystems, disciplines and internal/external stakeholders.
- Develop and maintain interface control documentation and lead collaboration efforts to resolve interface issues throughout the project lifecycle.
- Coordinate system integration activities with internal teams, contractors and suppliers, and clients to ensure system components function as an integrated solution.
- Support development of verification and validation plans, procedures, and reports to demonstrate compliance with requirements and safety-critical design principles.
- Provide technical leadership on assigned projects, determine discipline work tasks and flow, and delegate design elements to less senior Engineers and Designers while retaining most complex, high value tasks as appropriate.
- Serve as the primary subject matter expert and technical resource for clients and external partners, including participation in technical workshops, design reviews, and coordination meetings.
- Support Project Managers by providing technical input to project planning, resource allocation, and risk management.
- Support system safety efforts by evaluating designs against fail-safe and safety-critical principles, assisting with hazard identification and resolution related to system requirements, design, interfaces, and integration.
- Mentor early and mid-career work through on-the-job training. When requested, partner with a Learning & Development Lead to create and deliver training content.
- Perform all tasks in compliance with Burns (and, when applicable, a client’s) standards, policies, procedures, and engineering codes.
- Perform all tasks efficiently, accurately, within the allotted project hours, and complete tasks on or before the due date.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
No formal supervisory responsibilities. Under the oversight of the Project Manager, the Engineer I may provide direction to CAD Operators, CAD Technicians, Designers, Co-Ops, Interns, Engineering Design Associates, and Engineering Associates.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor's (B.S.) Engineering degree.
- A minimum of 10 years of progressive discipline specific engineering experience in the railroad industry, with at least 6 of those years in the field of system engineering.
CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS
No certifications or licenses required; however, a Professional Engineer (PE) license, or similar, is considered a plus
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE
- Experience with Positive Train Control (PTC) systems, including Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System (ACSES) and/or Interoperable Electronic Train Management System (I-ETMS).
- Experience with modern train control systems, such as Automatic Train Control (ATC) and/or Communications Based Train Control (CBTC).
- Experience working on large-scale train control projects, especially those within the Northeast Corridor (NEC).
- Experience testing and commissioning complex large-scale systems.
- Proficient with system engineering software and requirements management tools such as DevOps or DOORS.
- Proficient knowledge of railroad operations and maintenance practices.
- Proficient knowledge of federal regulations related to train control systems.
- Experience developing and maintaining client relationships, especially those within the rail industry.
- Experience providing technical guidance, training, and feedback to early career employees.
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About this role
Burns Engineering's Signals and Communications & Train Control team is seeking a licensed Senior Engineering Specialist to lead systems engineering on complex rail projects in Philadelphia. You'd own the full lifecycle of train control and signaling system development—from requirements management and system architecture through verification and integration—while serving as the primary technical expert for clients and internal stakeholders. This role demands deep expertise in rail systems and the ability to balance operational objectives with safety-critical design principles.
The position calls for at least 10 years of progressive railroad engineering experience, with a minimum of 6 years focused on systems engineering. While a PE license is a plus rather than required, the role heavily favors candidates with hands-on knowledge of modern train control systems (PTC, ACSES, I-ETMS, ATC, CBTC), particularly those who've worked on Northeast Corridor projects. You'd also need proficiency with requirements management tools and a solid grasp of railroad operations, maintenance practices, and federal regulations.
Beyond technical depth, this is a leadership role without formal supervisory duties but with clear mentoring responsibilities. You'll delegate design work to junior engineers while retaining the most complex tasks, guide early and mid-career staff through on-the-job training, and partner with project managers on planning and risk management. Burns values collaborative problem-solvers who can navigate interface coordination across multiple disciplines and external partners—and who thrive in a firm that's earned recognition as a Top Workplace and ENR Top 500 firm.
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Pay for this role
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