Engineering Director – Systems & Design

How will you make a difference?

We are seeking a highly skilled and innovative Engineering Director to lead our Systems and Design organization, responsible for end-to-end engineering functions across all major disciplines, including systems engineering, hardware design, mechanical engineering, electronics, and cross-functional integration. This role is pivotal in driving the development and customization of our KinetiX Wayside Inspection products to meet specific customer needs and enhance overall product performance. The Engineering Director will lead a group of talented engineers from multiple disciplines and collaborate closely with product managers, architects, and third-party experts to deliver high-impact solutions.

What will your typical day look like?

1. Product Design & Standardization

• Develop and maintain a common base product hardware design architecture for wayside inspection systems.
• Ensure standardization of mechanical, electronic, and system components for scalability and cost efficiency.
• Drive continuous improvement of the base product for performance, reliability, and compliance, and well-defined customization variability.
• Define and own system-level design, including hardware integration and interface specifications, and cross-disciplinary engineering processes.
• Establish system requirements and verification processes

2. Customization & Customer Solutions:

• Conduct gap analysis between reference base product designs and specific customer requirements for awarded customer projects.
• Perform rapid prototyping and proof of concept (PoC) to confirm and test product customization or design changes.
• Produce detailed requirements and work packages for development and delivery teams for implementation and deployment.

3. Design Changes for Performance and Reliability:

• Identify high-impact design changes to address reported product performance or reliability issues.
• Utilize prototyping and PoC to validate and refine design changes.

4. Collaboration and Governance:

• Work closely with product managers and architects to test and validate design concepts and new technologies for next-generation products.
• Explore opportunities to combine products from multiple product lines to offer enhanced or differentiated solutions.
• Work closely with the architecture team to align system design with platform strategy and future roadmap.
• Implement design governance processes for base and custom product workflows, ensuring process discipline and compliance with industry standards.
• Drive adoption of process-oriented approaches to ensure consistency, quality, and efficiency in product development and customization.
• Establish, document, and continuously improve engineering processes, standards, and best practices across the disciplines within scope.

5. Leadership and Management:

• Build and mentor a multi-disciplinary engineering team (mechanical, electronics, systems, and other relevant engineering domains).
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Champion process orientation within the team, encouraging systematic problem-solving and structured decision-making.
• Engage and manage third-party experts to provide additional expertise or manpower as needed to meet business demands.

What do we want to know about you?

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering.
• Minimum 10+ years of experience managing engineering teams spanning systems engineering, hardware, and at least one other discipline (e.g., mechanical, electronics, software).
• Demonstrated leadership in systems engineering and cross-disciplinary integration.
• Expertise in mechanical engineering, electronics, and systems integration.
• Proven experience in modular product design and customization.
• Strong leadership and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Strong expertise in rapid prototyping, PoC, and gap analysis.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills.
• Ability to manage and lead a team effectively.
• Experience working with third-party vendors and managing external resources.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with Wabtec KinetiX product lines.
• Experience with vision-based and acoustic inspection technologies.
• Knowledge of rail safety standards and wayside monitoring systems.

Why Join Us:

• Opportunity to lead a dynamic and innovative team.
• Work on cutting-edge technologies and products.
• Collaborate with industry experts and thought leaders.
• Competitive salary and benefits package

Our job titles may span more than one career level. The salary rate for this role is currently $117900-168000 The actual salary offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors, such as: training, transferable skills, work experience, education, business needs, market demands and work location. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. More information on offered benefits, which include health, welfare, and retirement, are available at mywabtecbenefits.com. Other benefit offerings for this role may include annual bonus, if eligible.

What could you accomplish in a place that puts People First?

At Wabtec, it’s not just about a job - it’s about the impact you make. When our people come together, we’re Expanding the Possible by continuously improving what we do and how we do it - for our clients and each other.

If you’re ready to revolutionize how the world moves for future generations, Wabtec is the place for you.
 

Who are we?

Wabtec is a leading global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions, and value-added services for the freight and transit rail sectors. Drawing on more than 150 years of experience, we are leading the way in safety, efficiency, reliability, innovation, and productivity. Whether it’s freight, transit, ports, logistics, mining, industrial, or marine, our expertise, technologies, and people together – are accelerating the future of transportation. With roots that date back to George Westinghouse, Thomas Edison, and Louis Faiveley, Wabtec has always built technologies and implemented solutions for a variety of sectors that are critical to meeting the needs of customers and governments alike.

Our global team of about 30,000 employees worldwide delivers performance that moves the world forward. We’re lifelong learners, obsessed with better. Learn more at www.WabtecCorp.com.

Culture powers us and the possibilities.

We believe the best ideas come from a mix of experiences and backgrounds. At Wabtec, we strive every day to create a place where everyone belongs. We’re building a culture where leadership, inclusion and your unique perspective fuel progress.

We’re proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome talent of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities, including race, gender, age, disability, veteran status and more.

Need accommodation? Just let us know - we’ve got you.