Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency (VTA) is seeking a collaborative, solutions-oriented engineer with strong experience in rail transit systems and a passion for improving system performance for the position of Senior Systems Engineer.
Under direction, the Senior Systems Engineer plans, organizes, and directs varied and difficult electrified rail engineering work performed by staff and consultants, and provides technical assistance in systems engineering to rail operating managers.
The Senior Systems Engineer plays a key role in advancing the safety, reliability, and performance of the Light Rail System. At the Light Rail Maintenance Yard, this position provides high-level engineering support across rail system assets and helps ensure compliance with regulatory requirements while driving continuous system improvement.
This role leads and supports a wide range of engineering projects, including component and material replacement, maintenance service improvements, and construction-related upgrades. The Senior Systems Engineer uses system data and field insights to monitor asset health, identify improvement opportunities, solve complex technical issues, and recommend solutions ranging from part changes to fleet-wide enhancements.
The position works with maintenance teams, contractors, consultants, and other engineering disciplines, requiring strong technical judgment, project management capability, and the ability to deliver practical, effective solutions in a dynamic operating environment.
The Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is a collaborative, solutions-oriented engineer with strong experience in rail transit systems and a passion for improving system performance. They bring a solid foundation in engineering design, troubleshooting, and project delivery, and are comfortable working in a public agency or other highly regulated environment.
The strongest candidates will have deep expertise in either rail vehicles or electrified rail infrastructure, including traction power, overhead catenary systems, and related components. They will also have strong knowledge of maintenance practices, data analysis, and reliability improvement methods.
This person is an effective communicator and project leader who can manage multiple priorities, work across disciplines, and build productive relationships with operations staff, contractors, and regulatory stakeholders.
Minimum Qualifications
Sufficient education, training, and professional engineering experience on electrified rail systems which demonstrates the ability to perform the above tasks and possession of the following knowledge and abilities.
Registration as a professional electrical or mechanical engineer in the State of California, at the time of appointment.
VTA is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities in the recruitment and examination process.
VTA is an equal employment opportunity employer.
To apply: https://apptrkr.com/6988600