WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSIT AUTHORITY
Chief Engineer Vehicles
Position Description

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (“WMATA”) was formed in 1967 to develop, finance and operate public transportation in the Washington metropolitan area. WMATA’s service area extends throughout a 1,500 square mile area in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Today, WMATA operates Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess paratransit services for a total population of four million and is consistently ranked among the top transit agencies by ridership. In 2016, commuters, visitors and other community members made over 179.5 million trips on MetroRail and over 123.5 million trips on MetroBus. More than one-third of the federal government’s workforce chooses WMATA for transportation.

WMATA is governed by a 16-member Board of Directors with eight voting members and eight alternate directors. Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia and the federal government each appoint two voting members and two alternates.

WMATA is seeking a qualified Chief Engineer Vehicles. The Chief Engineer Vehicles reports to the Managing Director and is responsible for planning, directing, overseeing and coordinating the entire engineering program for buses, heavy equipment and other associated systems. In addition to serving as the principal in-house engineering consultant for bus vehicles, this position is responsible for developing and implementing vehicle engineering policies and procedures. S/he will have leadership responsibility for other engineering consultants and will serve as a resource for elected officials and the Board of Directors on matters related to vehicle engineering, process management and procurement.

The Chief Engineer Vehicles directs the Office of Bus Vehicle Engineering, including all mechanical, electrical, electronic systems, environmental and industrial engineering activities as well as procurement, operations and maintenance of buses and related systems. S/he is responsible for developing and implementing vehicle engineering policies, procedures and standards, as well as, developing, reviewing and approving technical engineering and quality assurance designs, specifications and change orders. In addition to directing engineering procurement activities, the Chief Engineer Vehicles manages contractors, capital projects and major rehabilitations. S/he directs inspections and project evaluations to meet technical engineering requirements and leads efforts to obtain safety certification for new or rehabilitated vehicles in a timely fashion. This includes coordination with the WMATA safety representative and/or outside regulatory agencies.

The Chief Engineer Vehicles serves as an expert resource on vehicle engineering and project management and prepares and presents major reports and recommendations to senior leadership and others. Together with managing internal staff members and consultants, the Chief Engineer Vehicles will direct the investigation and response to any inquiries from outside officials, the Board of Directors, or other parties. Responsibilities include the preparation executive correspondence as well as statistical, financial and progress reports and full responsibility for the departmental budget.

The ideal candidate for Chief Engineer Vehicles will have skill in the following areas:

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Proven knowledge of and ability to manage multi-disciplined engineering functions as well as the major mechanical and systems engineering fields for bus and heavy equipment.
• Considerable knowledge of safety laws and regulations, including Federal Transit Administration regulations in relation to bus vehicle engineering.
• Knowledge of or the ability to quickly learn the WMATA operations, rules, procedures and collective bargaining agreements.
• Strong skills in communicating information, instructions and technical details to others both verbally and in writing, including to non-technical personnel.
• Ability to prepare responses to officials, leadership and the media.
• Strong interpersonal skills to establish and maintain courteous relationships with colleagues, Board Members and government officials.
• Ability to use business software including include word processors, presentation software, project management software, communication platforms and enterprise software.
• Strong management skills in scheduling, task prioritization, problem solving and building cross-departmental relationships.
• Capable of directing and managing a highly politicized engineering program.
• Strong ability to develop, revise and implement engineering and quality assurance policies, procedures and standards.
• Ability to stay informed on developments relevant to vehicle engineering and how they could be implemented to benefit the WMATA.
• Strong program and project management skills for bus vehicle projects.
• Extensive ability to develop and prepare cost-effective maintenance and rehabilitation programs for bus and heavy equipment, and to implement solutions to complex engineering problems.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule and fill in for the Managing Director as needed.
• Ability to represent the Authority publicly on matters related to the Office of Bus Vehicle Engineering.
• Capable of managing a diverse team of personnel while handling pressure and tight deadlines.
• Ability to document policies/procedures, scopes of work and business justifications.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s Degree in an Engineering discipline, Business Administration and/or a related field as well as at least ten (10) years of progressively responsible engineering management, contract oversight and/or maintenance engineering experience for a multi-disciplined engineering program (civil, mechanical, electrical, electronic systems, environmental and industrial engineering), within a large transit or vehicular and heavy equipment organization, to include interfacing with Federal oversight authorities, elected officials and/or senior-level, regulatory municipal officials.

In lieu of a Bachelor’s Degree, a High School Diploma and fourteen (14) years of progressively responsible engineering management, contract oversight and/or maintenance engineering experience for multi-disciplined engineering program may be considered.

A valid driver’s license in the jurisdiction of residence is required.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Registration as a Professional Engineer in the District of Columbia, Maryland or Virginia.
• Bachelor’s degree in an Engineering discipline, Maintenance Engineering, Business Administration or a related field.
• Management experience in a transit environment.
• Demonstrated understanding of Federal Transit Administration regulations.
• Demonstrated understanding of project management principles.
• Demonstrated experience managing a diverse staff.

For additional information or to submit a resume, please contact Gregg A. Moser at gmoser@krauthamerinc.com.