Job SummaryThe Senior Director, Force Account is the accountable leader for the planning, integration, delivery, and performance of the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program's Force Account portfolio, valued at more than $500 million. The B&P Program will modernize and transform approximately 10 miles of the Northeast Corridor in the Baltimore region through two new high-capacity tunnel tubes for electrified passenger trains, new roadway and railroad bridges, new rail systems and track, and a new ADA-accessible West Baltimore MARC station.
This position leads a multidisciplinary team of design, program management, construction management, railroad operations, and technical personnel and takes ownership of Force Account scope, cost, schedule, safety, quality, production, access protection, commissioning, and risk outcomes. The Senior Director builds a high-performing, accountable team; establishes clear roles and commitments; resolves barriers proactively; and creates a culture of collaboration, transparency, disciplined follow-through, and continuous improvement.
Success requires strong knowledge of Amtrak's organizational, operational, project delivery, and safety framework, including the practical challenges of securing limited Force Account resources. The Senior Director coordinates production forces, track and power outages, access protection, and commissioning support with Transportation, Track, Electric Traction, Communications and Signals, and other Amtrak departments while balancing B&P Program needs with systemwide operations and competing capital and maintenance projects.
The Senior Director builds and nurtures trusted relationships across Amtrak and with the Federal Railroad Administration, state partners, contractors, and other stakeholders to secure timely decisions, access, staffing, and technical support. The role embodies Amtrak's core values by doing the right thing through safe, ethical, and financially responsible decisions; putting customers first by protecting reliable operations and long-term service outcomes; and excelling together through teamwork, communication, innovation, learning, and shared accountability. Regular metric-based reporting and timely escalation to senior leadership are required.
Essential Functions- Own the integrated delivery of the more than $500 million B&P Program Force Account portfolio and remain accountable for safety, scope, cost, schedule, quality, production, access, commissioning, and stakeholder outcomes.
- Build, lead, coach, and retain a high-performing multidisciplinary team. Establish clear roles, decision rights, performance expectations, and individual accountability while promoting trust, collaboration, knowledge sharing, and constructive issue resolution.
- Develop and maintain integrated Force Account plans, schedules, budgets, resource forecasts, production assumptions, access protection requirements, outage plans, commissioning strategies, and performance metrics aligned with Program and railroad operating needs.
- Proactively identify, assess, document, assign, mitigate, and escalate risks and opportunities, with particular attention to workforce availability, access protection, outages, constructability, interfaces, commissioning, and operational impacts.
- Coordinate with Transportation, Track, Electric Traction, Communications and Signals, CETC, and other Amtrak functions to secure qualified production forces, track and power outages, access protection, and commissioning support in a resource-constrained, systemwide environment.
- Build and nurture relationships with Amtrak functional leaders and frontline organizations to align priorities and obtain timely support while recognizing limited resources and competing capital, maintenance, and operational demands across the Amtrak system.
- Lead collaborative planning and commitment sessions that convert Program requirements into realistic, executable work plans. Confirm resource commitments, constraints, dependencies, handoffs, and recovery actions.
- Monitor cost, schedule, productivity, staffing, and progress against approved baselines. Analyze variances, forecast impacts, implement corrective actions, and provide concise, metric-based reporting and timely escalation to senior leadership.
- Lead scope and change management by evaluating cost, schedule, risk, safety, operational, and resource impacts and ensuring decision packages are complete, accurate, timely, and consistent with Amtrak governance requirements.
- Oversee procurement, receipt, inventory, protection, and handoff of Amtrak-purchased materials so materials are available when needed and responsibilities between Amtrak and contractors are clear.
- Coordinate safe testing, commissioning, turnover, and acceptance of infrastructure assets, including operational readiness and documentation requirements.
- Maintain required project management artifacts in accordance with Amtrak standards, applicable agreements, policies, rules, and regulatory requirements.
- Model Amtrak's core values: Do the Right Thing by acting safely, spending wisely, demonstrating integrity, protecting the environment, and respecting others; Put Customers First by protecting service and community outcomes; and Excel Together by collaborating, innovating, learning, communicating, and acting with speed and simplicity.
- Promote continuous improvement by capturing lessons learned, improving Force Account planning and delivery processes, and sharing knowledge across the Program and Amtrak.
Minimum Qualifications- Bachelor's Degree required OR equivalent combination of training, education and relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree. Plus,
- 13 years of relevant experience required
- 15+ years of relevant experience preferred
Preferred Qualifications- Construction Manager At-Risk (CMAR) or other alternative delivery contracting experience.
- Leadership experience on major infrastructure programs in an operating railroad environment.
- Experience developing and executing Force Account agreements, estimates, resource plans, production plans, access strategies, outage plans, and cost recovery processes.
- Supervisory experience in railroad track, electric traction, communications and signals, operations, inspection, maintenance, construction, or commissioning.
- Experience coordinating across multiple Amtrak departments or comparable railroad functions where resources are finite and priorities compete.
- Professional Engineer (PE) and/or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification in good standing.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities- Demonstrated Senior-level accountability for large, complex railroad, heavy civil, infrastructure, or transit portfolios, including significant budgets and high-risk interfaces.
- Extensive railroad experience and practical knowledge of construction and field production methods, operations, maintenance, outage planning, access protection, testing, commissioning, and safe work execution.
- Strong knowledge of Amtrak's organizational and project delivery framework and the ability to navigate cross-functional governance, operating priorities, resource allocation, decision pathways, and competing systemwide demands.
- Knowledge of Amtrak policies and standards, including RWP, AMT-2, MW-1000, divisional operating processes, CETC coordination, and track usage requirements.
- Knowledge of NORAC operating rules, applicable FRA regulations, OSHA requirements, and other relevant federal, state, and local requirements.
- Mastery-level program management capability, with strong financial acumen and demonstrated skill in integrated planning, forecasting, risk management, change control, performance measurement, and executive reporting.
- Proven ability to build cohesive teams, develop leaders, establish accountability, delegate effectively, manage performance, and create an inclusive environment where issues are raised early and resolved collaboratively.
- Demonstrated success building trusted relationships across operations, engineering, maintenance, capital delivery, contractors, workforce organizations, regulators, and external partners.
- Ability to anticipate resource and access constraints, negotiate priorities, develop practical alternatives, and secure commitments where production and protection resources are limited.
- Highly proactive, self-directed, and decisive, with the judgment to take ownership, make timely decisions, escalate appropriately, and follow through on commitments.
- Strong analytical and creative problem-solving skills and the ability to translate complex technical, operational, cost, schedule, and risk information into clear decisions and actions.
- Excellent listening, interpersonal, negotiation, facilitation, written, and oral communication skills with frontline teams, executives, agencies, and external stakeholders.
- Ability to prioritize and execute under pressure while maintaining safety, integrity, quality, and respect for others.
- Demonstrated commitment to customer service, collaboration, continuous improvement, and Amtrak's core values: Do the Right Thing, Put Customers First, and Excel Together.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, Visio, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Project.
Environmental Conditions/Physical Demands- This position requires presence in the Baltimore project office and on project site where the work is performed
- Office building environment.
- Sit at computer to complete assignments, projects, and majority of tasks.
- Drive to project sites as necessary.
- Ability to work under pressure.
- Occasional travel as needed.
The salary/hourly range is $187,500.00 - $242,892.00. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. Depending on an employee's assigned worksite or location, Amtrak may consider a geo-pay differential to be applied to the employee's base salary. Amtrak may offer additional incentive and pay programs to recognize and reward our employees, including a short-term incentive bonus based upon factors such as individual and company performance that is commensurate with the level of the position.
Health and WellbeingFinancial and RetirementWork and Family Life SupportHealth, Dental, and Vision Insurance401K with Employer MatchGenerous Paid Time Off Wellness ProgramsRailroad Retirement BenefitsPaid Caregiving Days and Backup CareHealth Savings AccountPublic Service Student Loan ForgivenessFertility and Family Building BenefitsNo-cost Personal Health AdvocateStudent Loan AssistanceAdoption and Surrogacy AssistanceMedical Plan Opt-out CreditTuition and Education ReimbursementPaid Family Leave Life InsuranceRail Pass Privileges Short- and Long-term Disability InsuranceEmployee Assistance Program No-cost Financial Advisor SessionsCommuter and Flexible Spending Accounts
Learn more about our benefits offerings here.
Requisition ID:167140
Work Arrangement:06-Onsite 4/5 Days Click here for more information about work arrangements at Amtrak.
Relocation Offered:No
Travel Requirements:Up to 25%
