Office of Railroad Planning & Engineering Director – Railroad Job Openings


Website Federal Railroad Administration

Position Summary:

The Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) mission is to enable the safe, reliable, and efficient movement of people and goods for a strong America, now and in the future. FRA executes this mission through development and enforcement of safety regulations, investment in passenger and freight rail services and infrastructure, and research into and development of innovations and technology solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Identifies best practices in railroad planning and supports railroad planning improvements. Develops standards, guidance and communications tools on railroad planning, and works closely with the Environmental Management Program Office to ensure strong integration among projects, engineering designs, environmental requirements, and rail plans.
  • Assesses conceptual and preliminary engineering and final design deliverables to meet investment program requirements. Reviews project development deliverables, including right-of-way acquisition, permitting, utilities and other program and project agreement requirements.
  • Oversees project planning which includes guidance and technical assistance on: (i) travel demand modeling, (ii) operations analysis and simulation, (iii) operations & maintenance cost assessment, (iv) capital cost estimation, (v) stations area planning, (vi) corridor service development planning, and (vii) right of way support.
  • Oversees project engineering which includes: (i) engineering policy, guidance and technical expertise, and (ii) project engineering reviews and approvals.
  • Develops tools for national, regional, corridor and terminal area route planning. Performs capacity modeling, including analysis of shared corridors. Utilizes Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools to analyze, plan and forecast network performance and to provide guidance to regional and state planners.
  • Directs engineering and operations oversight of projects funded by grants or loans, including progress reviews, site visits, and managing oversight contractors.
  • Network Route Modeling. Develops tools for national, regional, corridor and terminal area route planning. Performs capacity modeling, including analysis of shared corridors. Utilizes Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools to analyze, plan and forecast network performance and to provide guidance to regional and state planners. The incumbent has broad knowledge of information system tools available to support infrastructure planning initiatives.
  • Oversees systems planning which includes development, guidance and technical assistance on: (i) technical planning, models and tools, (ii) regional planning, (iii) state rail planning and review, and (iv) major projects oversight.

Required Education & Experience:

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • Demonstrated experience in railroad transportation planning, as well as railroad project development and/or engineering.
  • Demonstrated experience managing complex transportation infrastructure projects and programs on a national, regional, and/or local scale.