Project Manager, Signaling and Train Control

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 Project Manager, Signaling and Train Control to join our Transit and Rail Team in Sacramento, CA.

The Project Manager, Signaling and Train Control, oversees the delivery of ETCS Level 2 and associated digital signaling systems on the California High-Speed Rail (CAHSR) Program. The position covers the full delivery lifecycle for train control, from design development through procurement, installation, testing, commissioning, trial running, and operational handover, and spans Computer Based Interlocking, Radio Block Centres, Automatic Route Setting, Traffic Management Systems, axle counter train detection, and broken rail detection.

In this role, the Project Manager is responsible for scope, schedule, budget, risk, and contractor performance across signaling work packages, and for coordinating signaling interfaces with telecommunications, rolling stock, operations, track, traction power, and civil engineering. The position manages suppliers, contractors, and specialist signaling consultants; ensures compliance with FRA requirements, Program specifications, and applicable railway standards; and leads testing, commissioning, and operational readiness activities together with safety assurance, hazard management, and system certification.

Reporting to the Rail Systems Lead, the Project Manager supplies the Program with delivery accountability for train control, a defensible interface position with adjoining disciplines and contracts, and the assurance evidence required to support safety certification and entry into revenue service. The position is based in Sacramento, California, with travel of 25 to 50 percent along the alignment.

Position Responsibilities

- Oversee the delivery of ETCS Level 2 signaling systems throughout the full project lifecycle, from design development through operational handover

- Oversee project scope, schedule, budget, risk, contractor performance, and stakeholder engagement for signaling work packages

- Coordinate signaling interfaces with telecommunications, rolling stock, operations, track, traction power, and civil engineering disciplines

- Oversee integration of ETCS with Automatic Train Operation, Automatic Route Setting, Computer Based Interlocking, and Radio Block Centres

- Oversee integration of Traffic Management Systems, axle counter train detection, and broken rail detection systems with the train control architecture

- Support development and implementation of operational concepts for high-speed train operations

- Manage signaling suppliers, contractors, and specialist consultants, including performance monitoring and delivery risk management

- Ensure compliance with FRA requirements, Program specifications, and applicable railway signaling standards

- Oversee review and acceptance of supplier and contractor signaling designs, technical submissions, and construction packages

- Lead testing, commissioning, trial running, and operational readiness activities for signaling and train control systems

- Oversee Factory Acceptance Testing, Site Acceptance Testing, System Integration Testing, and route proving programs

- Support safety assurance, hazard management, safety case development, and system certification activities

- Manage defect resolution, corrective action closure, punch-list completion, and final system acceptance

- Support project reporting, forecasting, change management, and executive-level communications for signaling delivery

- Support revenue service demonstration and operational handover of train control systems

Minimum Qualifications

- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline or demonstrable on-the-job work experience, and a minimum of ten (10) years of experience in railway signaling, train control, and rail systems delivery

- Demonstrated signaling or train control delivery experience on projects exceeding $250 million in value

- Demonstrated experience delivering ETCS Level 2 or CBTC projects in a project management capacity

- Experience with modern digital signaling technologies including ETCS, CBTC, ATP, and ATO

- Experience integrating signaling systems with telecommunications, rolling stock, and operational control systems

- Strong working knowledge of railway systems engineering and systems integration

- Experience managing multidisciplinary project teams and external suppliers

- Demonstrated record delivering complex transportation infrastructure projects through testing, commissioning, and acceptance

- Working knowledge of Positive Train Control, axle counter train detection, and broken rail detection technologies

- Working knowledge of GSM-R, LTE, FRMCS, or comparable railway communications networks as they interface with train control

- Working knowledge of safety assurance and CENELEC processes, including EN 50126, EN 50128, and EN 50129

- Availability for travel of 25 to 50 percent along the alignment

Preferred Qualifications/ Certifications/ Licensures

- Experience on high-speed rail projects operating above 125 mph (200 km/h)

- Experience with California High-Speed Rail, HS2, European ETCS deployments, or comparable large-scale rail programs

- Experience delivering wayside signaling systems and signaling equipment rooms

- Experience with railway operational signaling and train control systems in a revenue service environment

- Experience managing regulatory approvals, communications licensing, and entry into revenue service activities

- Budget and schedule accountability on contracts valued at $250 million or greater

- PMP, PRINCE2, or comparable project management certification

- Membership of a recognized professional institution such as IRSE, or Professional Engineer (PE) licensure

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