Motivepower, Inc

Senior Director, Intelligent Solutions

Motivepower, Inc$164K — $235K *
Transportation
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 15+ years of engineering experience, with 10+ years in engineering leadership roles.
  • Proven success in delivering comprehensive automation solutions from concept to deployment.
  • Strong understanding of systems integration and architecture with risk analysis methodologies (DFMEA, SFMEA).
  • Experience with safety-critical systems, including safety assessments and fail-safe design principles.
  • Innovative mindset with a focus on identifying new business opportunities and technological advancements.
  • Expertise in automation and robotics domains such as perception, autonomous systems, and industrial automation.
  • Familiarity with railway technologies, like Train Control and Management Systems and Positive Train Control.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the Systems Engineering function, guiding teams from concept development to commercialization.
  • Define solution architectures and manage requirements across hardware and software for robust design.
  • Collaborate with Business Development to solve product challenges and ensure project alignment with business goals.
  • Facilitate design reviews, risk assessments, and validation planning for disciplined engineering progress.
  • Develop talent acquisition and development strategies aligned with technical and business needs.
  • Track technical progress, schedules, and budgets to meet product and program milestones.
  • Engage with third-party vendors to ensure integration with Wabtec's internal systems and standards.
  • Apply best practices in systems engineering throughout the product lifecycle, including safety considerations.

Benefits

  • Relocation assistance may be available if eligibility requirements are met.
  • Comprehensive health and welfare benefits are provided.
  • Retirement benefit offerings are available through Wabtec.
  • Potential eligibility for an annual bonus based on performance.
Full Job Description
Job Description

Summary:

Wabtec's Advanced Technologies team is seeking a technically versatile Senior Director, Intelligent Solutions to lead early-stage development of rail automation, energy performance, and system optimized solutions. This role oversees Systems Architecture, Automation Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, and Cloud Engineering/Development. Furthermore, this role is also the global point of contact for sustainability efforts within the Chief Technology Office.

This role will drive cross-functional collaboration to define and develop innovative projects and product platforms that support both current offerings and long-term growth, leveraging existing and emerging technologies. Bold technical leadership and boundary-pushing innovation are essential.

This team develops new concepts, manages system-level requirements, and guides technical progress across hardware and software. The team also coordinates third-party technical partners to ensure their contributions integrate seamlessly into Wabtec's projects.

Experience & Qualifications:
  • 15+ years of engineering experience, including 10+ years of progressive experience in engineering leadership capacity.
  • Demonstrated success delivering complex automation solutions that integrate hardware, software, and advanced controls from concept through deployment.
  • Strong grounding in systems integration, architecture development, system-level requirements, and risk analysis methodologies (DFMEA, SFMEA).
  • Experience with safety-critical system development, including safety assessments, validation strategies, and fail-safe design principles.
  • Technologically curious, innovative, and skilled at challenging assumptions to identify new solutions and business opportunities.
  • Expertise in one or more key automation and robotics domains, such as:
    • Perception, planning, and control for autonomous or semi-autonomous systems
    • Industrial automation (PLC, PAC, DCS) and real-time control of electromechanical systems
    • Robotic manipulation, mobile robotics, or automated material handling
    • Machine vision, sensor fusion, and advanced sensing technologies
    • Embedded and real-time software platforms
    • Functional safety and safety-critical automation
    • HMI, supervisory control, and operator-in-the-loop systems
    • Integration with enterprise, cloud, or edge computing platforms
  • Domain expertise in one or more railway technologies, including Train Control and Management Systems, Positive Train Control (PTC), Energy Management Systems, locomotive control, communication systems, or remote-control systems.
  • Experience in rail yard or mainline operations is highly desirable.


Responsibilities:
  • Lead the Systems Engineering function and integrate emerging automation technologies by driving teams through early concept development, system definition, and technical maturation, then transitioning initiatives for commercialization.
  • Guide teams in developing system concepts, defining solution architectures, and managing system-level requirements across hardware and software to deliver cohesive, scalable, and robust designs.
  • Collaborate with Business Development to identify innovative solutions to product pain points and maintain strong business cases for owned projects, ensuring alignment of technical scope, cost, value, and strategic priorities.
  • Facilitate and lead technical design reviews, risk assessments, validation planning, and trade studies to ensure disciplined engineering decisions and measurable technical progress.
  • Define talent development plans and staffing strategies that reflect business needs, technical complexity, and resource capacity.
  • Own technical, schedule, and budget tracking, ensuring alignment with product milestones, program goals, and readiness for transition to commercialization.
  • Engage and manage third-party vendors and technical partners, ensuring external deliverables fully integrate with Wabtec's internal systems, architecture, and engineering standards.
  • Apply systems engineering best practices-including DFMEA/SFMEA, safety assessments, and human-factors considerations-throughout the entire product lifecycle.
  • Influence, align, and motivate cross-functional teams around a unified technical vision, ensuring consistent progress across hardware, software, and systems-integration workstreams.
  • Contribute to global sustainability efforts by leading technical and market research and advising on company strategy.
  • Maintaining sustainability claims database and approving technical claims for all external communications.


You may also be asked to perform other duties outside of your function or trade, for which adequate training will be provided if necessary.

Relocation assistance may be provided if eligibility requirements are met.

Qualifications

What do we want to know about you?

Experience & Qualifications:
  • 15+ years of engineering experience, including 10+ years of progressive experience in engineering leadership capacity.
  • Demonstrated success delivering complex automation solutions that integrate hardware, software, and advanced controls from concept through deployment.
  • Strong grounding in systems integration, architecture development, system-level requirements, and risk analysis methodologies (DFMEA, SFMEA).
  • Experience with safety-critical system development, including safety assessments, validation strategies, and fail-safe design principles.
  • Technologically curious, innovative, and skilled at challenging assumptions to identify new solutions and business opportunities.
  • Expertise in one or more key automation and robotics domains, such as:
    • Perception, planning, and control for autonomous or semi-autonomous systems
    • Industrial automation (PLC, PAC, DCS) and real-time control of electromechanical systems
    • Robotic manipulation, mobile robotics, or automated material handling
    • Machine vision, sensor fusion, and advanced sensing technologies
    • Embedded and real-time software platforms
    • Functional safety and safety-critical automation
    • HMI, supervisory control, and operator-in-the-loop systems
    • Integration with enterprise, cloud, or edge computing platforms
  • Domain expertise in one or more railway technologies, including Train Control and Management Systems, Positive Train Control (PTC), Energy Management Systems, locomotive control, communication systems, or remote-control systems.
  • Experience in rail yard or mainline operations is highly desirable.

Relocation assistance may be provided if eligibility requirements are met.

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Additional Information

Our job titles may span more than one career level. The salary rate for this role is currently $[redacted]00 The actual salary offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors, such as: training, transferable skills, work experience, education, business needs, market demands and work location. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. More information on offered benefits, which include health, welfare, and retirement, are available at mywabtecbenefits.com. Other benefit offerings for this role may include annual bonus, if eligible.

About Motivepower, Inc

MotivePower, Inc. is an American manufacturer of diesel-electric locomotives. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wabtec, and traces its history back to the MK Rail division of Morrison-Knudsen.
Learn more about Motivepower, Inc
Industry
Founded
1999

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