Head of Fleet Maintenance (Rail)Position Contingency Notice: This position is associated with Bay State Rail's proposal to operate the MBTA Commuter Rail network. Employment opportunities for this role are contingent upon Bay State Rail being awarded the contract and successful contract mobilization.
Position Summary The Head of Fleet Maintenance serves as the senior executive responsible for the strategic leadership, management, and oversight of all commuter rail rolling stock maintenance operations, ensuring the safe, reliable, and efficient delivery of passenger rail service. This role leads all aspects of locomotive and passenger coach maintenance, mechanical operations, fleet reliability, asset lifecycle management, and maintenance support functions for both revenue and non-revenue rail equipment, as well as associated maintenance facilities, shops, terminals, and yards.
Operating in a highly regulated, safety-sensitive, 24/7 railroad environment, the Head of Fleet Maintenance is accountable for maintaining fleet availability and state of good repair while advancing operational performance, regulatory compliance, and service quality. This position provides executive leadership for mechanical operations supporting commuter rail service, coordinates with operating departments and host railroads, and ensures maintenance programs align with FRA regulations, APTA standards, railroad operating requirements, and agency goals.
We're proud to offer: - Competitive compensation package of minimum $180,000 - maximum $240,000
- In addition to base salary, this role is eligible for an annual Short-Term Incentive (STI) opportunity
Position Profile - Ensures safe, reliable, and available revenue and non-revenue rolling stock fleets, shops, and yards as well as integration into rail service to support on-time service.
- Oversees fleet reliability, asset/warranty management, maintenance planning, and capital fleet initiatives.
- Leads maintenance facilities, repair programs, inventory management, and new fleet implementation.
- Ensures compliance with FRA regulations, APTA standards, safety requirements, and quality programs.
- Collaborates with Third Parties, including Railroads, Positive Train Control, system contractors and consultants.
- Drives a culture of safety, accountability, operational excellence, service reliability, and efficiency.
- Liaises with other modes of transportation within the Massachusetts Bay Area and with Transdev and Transport UK senior leaders on best practice sharing, lessons learned and proactive knowledge transfer.
Qualifications Required Experience - Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible professional railroad mechanical experience, including significant leadership responsibility in commuter or passenger rail mechanical operations.
- Demonstrated direct responsibility for maintaining railroad passenger equipment in compliance with FRA regulations and APTA Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices for Passenger Railroad Equipment .
- Extensive experience overseeing locomotive and passenger car maintenance programs, fleet reliability initiatives, and railroad shop operations.
- Proven experience working in and leading within a unionized labor environment.
- Experience coordinating with host railroads, third-party rail operators, and contractors strongly preferred.
- Experience supporting fleet modernization programs and new rolling stock introduction preferred.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities - Deep knowledge of railroad mechanical systems, rolling stock maintenance practices, FRA regulatory requirements, and commuter rail operations.
- Strong understanding of railroad safety principles, asset management, maintenance planning, and reliability engineering.
- Demonstrated executive leadership and strategic management experience in a 24/7 safety-critical rail environment.
- Strong stakeholder management skills with experience coordinating across railroad operations, labor organizations, and external partners.
- Excellent communication, decision-making, problem-solving, and organizational leadership skills.
The ideal candidate is a high-performing strategic leader who drives results and inspires others through integrity, accountability, and strong communication. Combines business acumen and continuous improvement to achieve sustainable business outcomes and enhance customer experience. Builds trust through self-awareness and ethical leadership while empowering others to reach their full potential. Cultivates strong stakeholder relationships, high-performing teams, and creates organizational agility to successfully navigate change and deliver long-term success.
Job Category: Management
Job Type: Full Time
Work Type: No Remote
Req ID: 8722
Pay Group: VDD
Cost Center: NONE
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions upon request.
