Rail and Transit Power Technical Director

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Join to apply for the Rail and Transit Power Technical Director role at Arcadis

Arcadis is the world's leading company delivering sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets.

We are more than 36,000 people, in over 70 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life. Everyone has an important role to play. With the power of many curious minds, together we can solve the world’s most complex challenges and deliver more impact together.

Role description:

We are seeking a visionary and technically accomplished Technical Director to lead the design, delivery, and integration of traction power and electrical systems for a wide spectrum of rail and transit infrastructure, including light rail (LRT), subways, passenger rail, heavy rail, and high-speed rail (HSR).

This role focuses on the end-to-end lifecycle of power supply systems, including 3rd rail (and 4th rail) and overhead catenary systems (OCS/OHLE), uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and backup power systems, traction (or propulsion) power substations. You will be responsible for ensuring technical excellence, regulatory compliance, systems integration, and innovation in delivering high-performance, electrified transit networks across Canada and internationally.

A focus on high-capacity, electrified transit networks in Vancouver (Trans Link: Sky Train), Calgary (City of Calgary and Calgary Transit: Green, Blue and Red Lines LRT), and Edmonton (City of Edmonton and ETS: Capital Line, Metro Line and Valley Line), freight rail (CP, CN) National Rail (Via and Amtrack) and high-speed rail (HSR).

Role accountabilities:

In this role, you will focus on the growth and development of Arcadis’ portfolio by establishing and maintaining strong client relationships. You will lead bids from conception through RFQ and RFP processes to successful completion. Your work will involve close collaboration with clients, contractors, and regulatory bodies to ensure that project requirements are met and client expectations are consistently exceeded. This role requires strategic leadership and technical direction to drive success across major rail infrastructure programs.

You will provide overall technical leadership for traction power and power supply and distribution systems, defining system architecture, leading integration strategies, and ensuring alignment across all subsystems and interfacing disciplines. This leadership position offers an opportunity to shape Canada’s next generation of electrified transit systems. You will serve as the technical authority for systems design and assurance, leading all aspects of traction power system engineering.

This includes managing DC third rail and fourth rail systems for subways and metro systems, DC overhead catenary systems for LRT and streetcars, and AC OCS/OHLE systems for regional passenger, heavy rail, and high-speed rail (HSR).

In this role, you will direct the planning, sizing, and placement of traction power substations (TPSS), switching and paralleling stations, and conduct load flow, short circuit, arc flash, grounding, and protection coordination studies. You will also oversee utility interconnections and interface with grid operators, including backup power schemes. Your responsibilities will extend to designing and overseeing the deployment of UPS systems and emergency backup power for signaling and train control, passenger communications, emergency systems, tunnel ventilation, elevators/escalators, fire/life safety infrastructure, and operations control centers.

Additionally, you will lead the integration of power SCADA and Operational Systems Control systems for monitoring, alarms, and supervisory control of traction and auxiliary power networks.

As part of your system integration and assurance duties, you will ensure a seamless interface between traction power systems and civil, structural, mechanical, rolling stock, and systems components, as well as signaling, communications, and station power systems. Applying and enforcing RAMS, HAZOP, HAZID, and safety certification processes in accordance with CENELEC EN 50126/8/9, NFPA 130, AREMA, CSA, and local codes will be crucial.

You will guide utility coordination, load planning, and power quality assurance for multi-modal rail corridors. Your work will cover various transit modes, delivering power systems across LRT networks, subways, metro systems, passenger and commuter rail corridors, heavy rail electrification, high-speed rail lines, and multimodal interchange hubs and operations and maintenance facilities.

You will lead engineering and delivery teams through all project phases, including feasibility, preliminary and detailed design, and procurement. Providing technical leadership on…