Engineering Director – Systems & Design

We are seeking a highly skilled and innovative Engineering Director to lead our Systems and Design organization, responsible for end-to-end engineering functions across all major disciplines, including systems engineering, hardware design, mechanical engineering, electronics, and cross-functional integration. This role is pivotal in driving the development and customization of our Kineti

X Wayside Inspection products to meet specific customer needs and enhance overall product performance. The Engineering Director will lead a group of talented engineers from multiple disciplines and collaborate closely with product managers, architects, and third-party experts to deliver high-impact solutions.

• Develop and maintain a common base product hardware design architecture for wayside inspection systems.
• Ensure standardization of mechanical, electronic, and system components for scalability and cost efficiency.
• Drive continuous improvement of the base product for performance, reliability, and compliance, and well-defined customization variability.
• Define and own system-level design, including hardware integration and interface specifications, and cross-disciplinary engineering processes.
• Establish system requirements and verification processes

• Conduct gap analysis between reference base product designs and specific customer requirements for awarded customer projects.
• Perform rapid prototyping and proof of concept (PoC) to confirm and test product customization or design changes.
• Produce detailed requirements and work packages for development and delivery teams for implementation and deployment.

• Identify high-impact design changes to address reported product performance or reliability issues.
• Utilize prototyping and PoC to validate and refine design changes.

• Work closely with product managers and architects to test and validate design concepts and new technologies for next-generation products.
• Explore opportunities to combine products from multiple product lines to offer enhanced or differentiated solutions.
• Work closely with the architecture team to align system design with platform strategy and future roadmap.
• Implement design governance processes for base and custom product workflows, ensuring process discipline and compliance with industry standards.
• Drive adoption of process-oriented approaches to ensure consistency, quality, and efficiency in product development and customization.
• Establish, document, and continuously improve engineering processes, standards, and best practices across the disciplines within scope.

• Build and mentor a multi-disciplinary engineering team (mechanical, electronics, systems, and other relevant engineering domains).
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Champion process orientation within the team, encouraging systematic problem-solving and structured decision-making.
• Engage and manage third-party experts to provide additional expertise or manpower as needed to meet business demands.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering.
• Minimum 10+ years of experience managing engineering teams spanning systems engineering, hardware, and at least one other discipline (e.g., mechanical, electronics, software).
• Demonstrated leadership in systems engineering and cross-disciplinary integration.
• Expertise in mechanical engineering, electronics, and systems integration.
• Proven experience in modular product design and customization.
• Strong leadership and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Strong expertise in rapid prototyping, PoC, and gap analysis.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills.
• Ability to manage and lead a team effectively.
• Experience working with third-party vendors and managing external resources.

• Familiarity with Wabtec Kineti
  
  X product lines.
• Experience with vision-based and acoustic inspection technologies.
• Knowledge of rail safety standards and wayside monitoring systems.

• Opportunity to lead a dynamic and innovative team.
• Work on cutting-edge technologies and products.
• Collaborate with industry experts and thought leaders.