Senior Project Engineer - Rail Systems Interface

A Senior Project Engineer, Rail Systems Interface is sought to work for the client organisation responsible for building and operating the UK’s High Speed Rail Network. The Senior Project Engineer, Rail Systems interface will be responsible for the interaction between the HS2 Chief Engineer Team (technical authority / develops standards) and the integrated delivery project teams who are delivering the Design & Build contracts on HS2 for the rail systems / Main Works Civils (MWCC) & Stations for the geographical sections of HS2 Phase 1 (London – Birmingham) they are working on.

To execute legal and contractual technical duties on project engineering issues within the Main Works Civils Contractors (MWCC) and Station Integrated Project Teams (IPTs), leading risk-based assurance of rail system interface design and construction, enabling configuration management and technical change, providing information exchange and facilitating technical coordination, in accordance with HS2 technical requirements, standards and policies in a timely and cost efficient manner.

The role supports the Engineering Director, Route Wide as directed in discharging their duties as Principal Designer Representative, where co-ordination and interface management assurance is required to be evidenced with Rail Systems. A Senior Project Engineer will be delivering progressive assurance of the Design And Build Contractors on Phase 1 values c£2bn. The role supports the legal duties under CDM regs and the role discharges the Lead Senior Project Engineer – Rail Systems Interface functional duties as set out in the HS2 Construction Engineering & Environment Management Plan & System Engineering Management Plan.

Please note we are entering the Design and Build phase of HS2 Phase 1 (London to Birmingham) most of the engineering requirements have been gathered and engineering specs specified. The successful candidate will have practical experience leading and managing engineering during the Design & Construction phase of major projects.

Duties & Responsibilities

* To lead the risk-based engineering technical assurance of Rail System Interfaces within the IPT, as per the HS2 assurance requirements, through engineering review, checking and submission of assurance evidence for technical stage gates;

* To assure that the IPT design and construction of Rail System interfaces and integrated assets comply with the technical and sponsor requirements and applicable standards, specifications and procedures by supporting planned Technical Assurance Reviews and “spot-checks” of Contractor’s deliverables;

* Actively manage and communicate engineering issues or change affecting Rail Systems, including the issuing of Technical Authority Communications (TACs) as required for approval at TauP/Change Panels

* Provide contractual responses as necessary, to IPT technical queries with respect to Rail Systems technical interfaces

* Maintain relevant interface registers and management tools used to enable effective technical interface management of Rail Systems with IPTs and other neighbouring contracts.

* Provide guidance on design solutions for the asset, promoting use of best practice and innovative engineering techniques, technologies and processes, driving consistency and identifying opportunities for efficiencies within the IPT

* To discharge the duties of Principal Designer (CDM Regulations 2015) Representative as directed by Engineering Director, Route Wide and/or IPT Head of Engineering and Environment.

* To represent the Director of Engineering Route Wide as requested in matters relating to CDM Principal Designer, NEC3 Supervisor or any other defined technical duty

* To support Engineering Director, Route Wide and/or Head of Engineering and Environment (IPT) with internal and external reporting and risk identification and mitigation of engineering matters;

* Work alongside Heads of Commercial and Project Clients to determine the impact of trends, progress and change with respect to cost, schedule and quality.

* Work alongside other technical specialists, engineers and environmentalists to identify and develop appropriate and cost balanced mitigation strategies and solutions, contributing to successful system integration between MWCC, station, railway systems and other delivery contracts.

* To assure the technical co-ordination and integration of the supply contracts with other neighbouring contracts, station contracts, railway systems contracts and others

* To be the discipline engineer in technical areas for which they have the recognised technical competence and delegated authority.

Candidate Criteria:

This is a Senior Engineering Manager role, the candidate will have good management experience strong communication skills with ability to present Technical Solutions and work collaboratively with Design and Build contractors and HS2 central engineering function.
They are looking for a Chartered Engineer any discipline (M&E, Signalling, Power, Civils, Track etc) with Engineering Management/Technical hands-on Leadership experience working on large multidisciplinary infrastructure projects during design & Build phase – ideally rail infrastructure experience and specifically rail system experience (track, signalling, E&P, OHL, MEP etc..). You could be from a client, consultant or indeed main contractor background, however, a mix of exp would be preferable, as would understanding of the responsibilities of Principle Designer (CDM) and an awareness of System Integration.

Skills:

* Problem solving – ability to identify complex problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

* Project management – the ability to manage and plan multiple work streams and the competing demands of stakeholders

* Integration – the ability to manage multiple interfaces of a complex system and bring together the various components of the system successfully to achieve the required outcomes.

* Decision Making – ability to gather and synthesise information, identifying options and applying judgement based on logic and reason.

* Analysis – ability to use a variety of analytical approaches to provide relevant information to suppliers, stakeholders and decision makers using key facts and data

* Technical Leadership - Ability to provide specialist technical support and leadership (based upon required competency and delegated authority levels) on most discipline-specific scientific, technical and engineering principles; and knowing when to seek further guidance from Subject Matter Expert or others

* Ability to communicate discipline-specific technical ideas to colleagues, based largely on examples of application where necessary

* Ability to apply principles and methods to information management, modelling and data security; understanding the approaches and consequences to data creation, transformation and visualisation and knowing when to seek guidance from Subject Matter Expert

Knowledge:

* Knowledge of applicable construction regulations including CDM requirements

* Understanding of the Regulatory/Legislative Framework

* Knowledge of Railway Systems Engineering design and construction challenges within complex delivery programmes

* Commercial knowledge including understanding of cost delivery, schedule targets and the need to deliver an integrated solution that meets all functional requirements.

* Chartered Engineer/Membership of an appropriate professional institution or working towards Chartered status.

Type of experience:

* Experience in managing multi-disciplinary engineering and safety standards, activity on complex projects/ programmes

* Experience of managing competing project and engineering demands, with cost and schedule implications

Location of Role

The role is ideally based from the Birmingham office where the bulk of the team will be based, however, there will be some travel to London.

Initially the role is home working due to the pandemic and there will likely to be agile working for a while (mix of office and home)