Principal Project Manager Rail Systems

At Mott MacDonald, we trust our brilliant people to do brilliant things in engineering, management, and development services, supporting multisector project work in over 150 countries. As one of the largest employee-owned companies in the world, we pride ourselves on our ability to deliver exceptional outcomes through our network of 20,000+ talented consultants. With sustainability and innovation at the heart of all our sectors in North America, including, Buildings, Energy, Transportation, and Water.

We believe in empowering our people to excel, learn, and grow, offering diverse opportunities to contribute to career-defining work. Join us and be part of a collaborative environment where your ambitions are united with ours, and you can truly shape your story.

If you share that vision, even if you don’t meet every requirement listed, we’d still love to hear from you. We value potential and diverse perspectives as much as experience. Let’s explore how we can support your growth and help you take the next step in your career, while contributing to an exciting new chapter for Mott MacDonald in North America.

Seattle is continuing to expand and modernize one of the fastest-growing light rail networks in the U.S., with Sound Transit’s Link system extending across the region to connect key employment hubs, residential communities, and major infrastructure corridors. With multiple extensions underway and future phases in development, this is a pivotal moment in shaping how people move across the Puget Sound region for decades to come.

As a leader in the Rail Systems team, you will play a central role in delivering major transit investments across Seattle and the broader region, supporting complex, multidisciplinary rail programs from design through delivery. This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to high-profile, technically challenging projects while helping to integrate systems across expanding corridors in a dense and evolving urban environment.

Success in this role requires adaptability, strong emotional intelligence, and excellent communication skills, including the ability to translate complex technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders. A collaborative mindset is essential, with a strong emphasis on building relationships with clients, partners, and multidisciplinary teams alongside technical excellence.

You will lead and coordinate a rail systems design team, ensuring alignment across key interfaces including civil, track, structures, stations, utilities, and urban infrastructure, while supporting the continued growth and scaling of the team as projects advance.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead development of rail systems design packages (traction power, OCS, train control, communications, SCADA, and related subsystems) from preliminary through detailed design.
• Manage systems-to-civil interfaces, coordinating closely with track, structures, stations, utilities, and roadway infrastructure.
• Oversee technical reviews to ensure compliance with Owner’s Requirements, as well as constructability, operability, and maintainability.
• Support testing & commissioning activities to verify system performance, safety, and reliability.
• Identify project risks early and develop mitigation strategies to maintain schedule, quality, and integration.
• Ensure all systems designs comply with applicable standards, codes, and safety certification processes relevant to U.S. transit systems and the Pacific Northwest.
• Collaborate across integrated delivery teams to support coordinated program execution.
• Support clients and stakeholders in understanding system functionality, lifecycle considerations, and long-term operational impacts.
• Translate complex technical concepts into clear, accessible insights for a broad range of stakeholders.
• Contribute to technical documentation, including design criteria, standards, and interface control documents.
• Foster a collaborative, transparent team environment and mentor engineers across levels.

Candidate Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, systems engineering, or a related discipline.
• 15+ years of experience in rail systems, ideally across multiple subsystems (traction power, OCS, signaling, communications, SCADA, etc.).
• Demonstrated experience in design development, systems integration, and testing & commissioning on major rail or transit programs.
• Strong experience working within interface-heavy, multidisciplinary environments.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey technical topics to diverse audiences.
• High emotional intelligence, adaptability, and comfort operating within complex, evolving project environments.
• Experience with design-build or integrated delivery models.
• Prior experience on North American light rail, metro, or commuter rail systems - ideally with exposure to Sound Transit or similar agencies.
• Familiarity with the Seattle/Puget Sound transit landscape, including ongoing Link light rail expansions, is highly desirable.

Benefits & Reward

At Mott MacDonald, our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, providing them with a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses. We provide a comprehensive benefit package that includes 401k, medical, dental and vision insurance, short-term/long-term disability, paid holidays, PTO, parental leave, and company paid life insurance.

Individual pay is determined based on several factors such as work location, education, experience, and unique skills.

The expected salary for this position is $185,000 - $226,000 

Collaboration at Our Core
At Mott MacDonald, we believe great ideas happen when we’re together. Our hybrid approach centers on an in-office culture, with most of your time spent collaborating face-to-face and a minimum of three days per week in the office. We balance flexibility with connection, so you and your manager can choose how to meet client, team, and personal commitments.

Equal opportunity is the law. 

We seek to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they have the opportunity to contribute.

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All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, creed, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status or disability status.