Senior Project Manager, Vehicle Engineering (Bus Maintenance)

Under direction, provides project oversight and technical support for Authority Bus and/or Rail capital vehicle programs involved in the improvement, upgrade, repair, cleaning, safety, overhaul, and maintenance of revenue and non-revenue vehicles and shop equipment

% time

1

45%

Serves as Senior Project Manager and coordinates with engineers on various Bus and Rail new equipment/vehicle purchase projects.

• Supervises the development of projects and plans related to the purchase of new rail vehicles.
• Establishes project schedules, workflow, and budgets for vehicle purchases and overhauls and tracks progress to ensure deliverables are on schedule and within budget.
• Reviews contract drawings and correspondence from the car builder, apprises the Chief Engineer of issues or concerns, and drafts responses.
• Chairs meetings with project stakeholders, management, and vendors, maintains meeting minutes, and prepares status reports.
• Monitors project related activities of engineering staff, may perform discipline as necessary in conjunction with department managers.

2

20%

Manages the continued maintenance plans and replacement plans of new parts and vehicles.

• Collects and maintains parts information, oversees the assignment of Authority specific identification numbers to parts, and coordinates the input of parts data into the Oracle database.
• Keeps abreast of warranty status information and ensures that vehicles under warranty are not charged for covered repairs.
• Tracks the progress of new vehicle repair training for CTA personnel and makes adjustments as necessary to maintain schedules.

3

10%

Assigns work to engineers, monitors manpower needs and schedules, identifies areas of deficiencies, and recommends changes to accomplish project deliverables.

• Drafts project work plans, specifications, and estimates for labor, material, and equipment costs for projects.
• Develops performance metrics, analyzes data and summarizes outcomes.

4

10%

Coordinates, schedules, and conducts inspections and testing of new and overhauled vehicles and parts.

• Inspects and tests for defects, performance, and compliance with specifications.
• Implements resolutions to ensure all problems are resolved.
• May travel to vehicle or sub-system manufacturing plants to inspect for compliance with specifications.

5

5%

Initiates, tracks, and expedites purchase requisitions for vehicles and services received.

6

5%

Tracks the progress of new vehicle repair training for CTA personnel and makes adjustments as necessary to maintain schedules.

7

5%

Performs related duties as assigned.

Job Title

May be assigned to oversee following positions:

• Engineer I - IV, Electrical
• Engineer I - IV, Mechanical
• Engineer I - IV, Product
• Equipment Technician I
• Equipment Technician II
• Equipment Technician III

• Managing multiple priorities while keeping projects on schedule and within budget.
• Adhering to project guidelines and schedules.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering plus five (5) years of experience managing large-scale vehicle procurement, maintenance, and overhaul projects or an equivalent combination of education and experience related to the position.

• Requires sitting for extended periods of time, standing, visual acumen, and manual dexterity for working with computer key boards.
• Chicago Transit Authority requires all employees to be COVID-19 vaccinated. If you are offered employment, proof of COVID-19 vaccination will be required as a condition of employment and as part of the hiring process. Visit www.transitchicago.com/careers for full notice.
• Service Area Requirement: Exempt (Non-Union) employees must live within the boundaries of the CTA Statutory Service Area either at the time of employment or within 6 months of beginning employment at CTA.

• Detailed knowledge of mechanical and electrical engineering principles, methods, and techniques as they apply to transit vehicle design and maintenance.
• Detailed knowledge of materials, techniques, and components of transit vehicles.
• Detailed knowledge of vehicle costing and procurement processes.
• Detailed knowledge of industry quality control practices.
• Strong research, attention to detail, and problem solving skills.
• Strong critical thinking skills to assess how one change can affect the entire project.
• Intermediate skill using personal computer, engineering applications, and data management software.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Good organizational and project management skills.
• Good negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to apply engineering knowledge to complex mechanical and electrical engineering problems with versatility, judgment, and perception.
• Ability to manage complex vehicle engineering design projects.
• Ability to develop workflow diagrams.
• Must be able to obtain Rail Safety Training certification.

• General office environment.
• Subject to manufacturing or assembly plant, maintenance or repair facility, and laboratory environments.
• Domestic and international travel may be required.
• Occasionally exposed to 600 volt third rails and energized equipment.
• Subject to on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week via cellular phone.
• Subject to exposure to usual vehicle maintenance shop and rail terminal hazards and conditions, e.g. vehicular noise, dust, grease, moving vehicles, electrified apparatus, machinery, etc.
• Subject to all weather and right of way conditions.

• Personal computer and related software (Microsoft Word, Power Point, Excel), Project management software.
• Personal protective equipment (e.g. shoes, glasses, gloves).