Signal​/Electrical Assistant Engineer; Assistant Engineer - Transit Division - SF Municipal Transportation Agency

Position: Signal/Electrical Assistant Engineer (Assistant Engineer) - Transit Division - SF Municipal Transportation Agency (5203)
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA or "the agency") connects San Franciscans with their communities to enhance the economy, environment and, ultimately, the quality of life in the city. As an agency within the City and County of San Francisco, the SFMTA is responsible for managing the city's transportation network. The agency has more than 6,000 employees who are responsible for the management of all ground and some underground transportation in the city.

The SFMTA has oversight over public transit, as well as bicycling, paratransit, parking and curb management, street operations, walking, and taxis.

* Application Opening:
October 17, 2025

* Application Filing Deadline:
Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately as this recruitment may close at any time, but no earlier than Monday, June 8, 2026.

* Recruitment
- APPOINTMENT TYPE:
Temporary Exempt - This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer. The duration of the appointment shall not exceed 36 months.

* Division:
Transit Division

* Section/Unit:
Transit Program Delivery;
Train Control Upgrade Project

* Work Location:

1455 Market Street, 7th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103

* Work Schedule:

Monday
- Friday, 8:30AM- 5:30PM

The Transit Division is currently in the process of developing and procuring a new Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) system. The Transit Program Delivery unit within the Transit Division was created in 2018 to oversee capital program and project budgets, manage vehicle and onboard equipment projects, testing and acceptance of rolling stock and technology projects that will deliver high-quality, cost-effective solutions which improve safety and the Agency's ability to deliver quality transit service.

Within the Transit Program Delivery unit, the Transit Technology Group handles the procurement, delivery, acceptance, and management of technology systems which are critical to transit operations.

The Train Control Upgrade Project is a 9-year, multimillion dollar project with the goal of replacing the existing Automatic Train Control System in Muni's subways with a modern CBTC and expanding the supervision and limited control aspects of the Communications-Based Train Control System to the entire Muni light rail system. The Train Control Upgrade Project will be delivered through a series of contracts with the CBTC vendor ("Supplier") and other firms providing installation, construction support, technical expertise, and professional services.

Role description

Under the general direction of the Train Control Upgrade Project Manager and Train Control Upgrade Project Lead Engineer, the Assistant Engineer performs system engineering work on the Train Control Upgrade Project. During the project design phases, the Assistant Engineer will support the project by reviewing engineering designs and documents submitted by the CBTC Supplier. The Assistant Engineer will work on systems integration between the train control system and various wayside components such as switch machines, vehicle detection systems, and interlockings.

The Assistant Engineer will also assist a dedicated team working on software integration between the CBTC system and other technology systems such as CAD/AVL, asset management systems, SCADA systems, and databases. The Assistant Engineer will contribute to the civil engineering design for any enabling works, including developing electrical drawings, schematics and plans for any cable, conduit, or other connection infrastructure to accommodate the train control system.

The Assistant Engineer will participate in design reviews, activities, and technical coordination meetings between the Supplier and the equipment installers.

During the construction and testing phases, the Assistant Engineer will assist in monitoring the progress of construction and compare field conditions to the design drawings. The Assistant Engineer will participate in and monitor train control system testing from the control center, along the wayside, and in the vehicles to ensure that the testing, safety certification, and commissioning of onboard train control equipment is completed according to the project specifications.

The Assistant Engineer will participate in the development of installation and testing plans to facilitate this process.

Examples of Important and Essential Duties:

* Provides engineering support to the Train Control Upgrade Project delivering communication-based train control (CBTC) technology to Muni's rail system.

* Reviews submissions of plans, technical documents, and reports from the CBTC system supplier (Hitachi Rail GTS USA) to support SFMTA design reviews at key milestones.

* Works with vendors, SFMTA technology staff, and consultants to design integration plans between the CBTC system and other systems.

* Reviews/revises SFMTA as-built drawings to communicate condition of assets and facilities to train control…