Transit Systems Technical Director

Description

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 an accomplished and visionary Transit Systems Technical Director to lead the planning, design, integration, and assurance of complex rail and transit systems across major Canadian projects. The successful candidate will provide technical leadership across all systems disciplines, including train control, signaling, communications, SCADA,  systems integration, RAMS, cybersecurity, and fire/life safety — with a focus on high-capacity, electrified transit networks in Vancouver (TransLink: SkyTrain), 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).

Role accountabilities:

In this role, you will focus on growing Arcadis' portfolio by establishing and maintaining strong client relationships. You will lead bids from conception through RFQ and RFP processes to successful completion, ensuring project requirements are met and expectations are exceeded. Collaborating closely with clients, contractors, and regulatory bodies, you will play a key role in advancing Arcadis' reputation for delivering high-quality transit systems across major rail infrastructure programs. Your ability to ensure technical excellence and drive strategic leadership will be critical to achieving success in this position.

You will provide technical leadership for transit systems, defining system architecture, leading integration strategies, and ensuring alignment across all subsystems and interfacing disciplines. As the technical authority, you will oversee the development and approval of key technical documents, including system requirements, interface control documents (ICDs), verification and validation (V&V) plans, and test procedures. Your expertise will span diverse systems, including train control and signaling (CBTC, ATC, interlockings), communications systems (fiber, radio, CCTV, PA, intercom, passenger information), SCADA and central control systems, tunnel ventilation and fire/life safety systems, and systems interfaces with civil, stations, vehicles, and O&M. You will also direct systems integration efforts across large capital programs, leading coordination with public agencies, delivery partners, utilities, and safety certifiers.

In this role, you will represent Arcadis in high-level technical meetings with clients, partners, and regulatory authorities, ensuring compliance with Canadian and international codes and standards such as NFPA 130, CSA, IEEE, AREMA, and applicable AHJ requirements. You will provide strategic oversight to ensure adherence to CENELEC railway systems engineering standards, including EN RAMS lifecycle), EN software for safety systems), and EN safety-related electronic systems) throughout the system development lifecycle. By implementing CENELEC V-cycle methodologies, you will guide teams through requirements capture, design, verification, validation, and safety case development, ensuring systems assurance and safety certification align with international standards such as IEC 61508, EN 50126/50128/50129, and applicable ISO/IEC frameworks.

As the technical authority, you will direct multidisciplinary integration across signaling, train control, communications, SCADA, and life safety systems while maintaining compliance with CENELEC processes for risk, safety, and RAMS performance. You will engage with safety assessors, regulators, and project stakeholders to ensure technical strategies align with European and international safety and systems assurance standards. Additionally, you will contribute to technical governance, knowledge sharing, and mentoring of engineering teams to foster growth and innovation within Arcadis. Your leadership and strategic oversight will ensure the successful delivery of complex rail systems while maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality, and performance.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical, Communications, or a related discipline
• Registered Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in Canada (BC, AB, or eligible for registration)
• 15+ years of progressive experience in transit and rail systems engineering, with a minimum of 5 years in a technical director or discipline lead role
• Proven leadership on complex multi-system rail transit projects in Vancouver, Calgary, or Edmonton
• Expert knowledge of:
  • Systems engineering lifecycle (V-model, requirements management, interface control)
  • Canadian and international codes: NFPA 130, CEC, CSA C22, AREMA, IEEE, CENELEC
  • SCADA, train control, communications, and tunnel life safety systems
• Strong understanding of procurement, delivery models (DB, DBFOM, P3), and systems assurance practices

Why Arcadis?

We can only achieve our goals when everyone is empowered to be their best. We believe everyone's contribution matters. It's why we are pioneering a skills-based approach, where you can harness your unique experience and expertise to carve your career path and maximize the impact we can make together.

You'll do meaningful work, and no matter what role, you'll be helping to deliver sustainable solutions for a more prosperous planet. Make your mark, on your career, your colleagues, your clients, your life and the world around you.

Together, we can create a lasting legacy.

Join Arcadis. Create a Legacy.

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day which is why we take equality and inclusion seriously and hold ourselves to account for our actions. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people. We are an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. We are dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, disability, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

The salary range for this position is $138,700 - $188,700. The base salary represents Arcadis' hiring range for this position. Actual salaries will vary and will be based on various factors, such as location, skills, experience, and qualification for the role.

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