ATS Engineering Lead

WSP

Pittsburgh, PA

This Opportunity

WSP is currently initiating a search for an ATS Engineer Lead to join our Transit & Rail Team. The selected candidate will support the planning, design, and delivery of rail modernization projects, to include Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) and its extensive system design, capital construction projects for major transit clients.

This position will be based out of our Pittsburgh, PA office.

Position Summary Senior ATS Engineer responsible for design, integration, verification, and lifecycle support of Automatic Train Supervision (ATS)/Automatic Train Control (ATC)/CBTC and related signaling systems for urban rail and transit projects. Leads technical design, ensures safety and standards compliance, coordinates multi-discipline teams, and acts as technical authority for ATS functions from concept through commissioning and handover.

Your Impact

Lead requirements development, functional design oversight, and architecture review for ATS/ATC/CBTC subsystems (train control, interlocking interfaces, supervisory control, ATP, ATO, PLC-based wayside control).
Create and review system-level documents: concept of operations, system specifications, interface control documents (ICDs), sequence diagrams, and verification matrices.
Review and approve signal/ATS designs, SLDs (single line diagrams), IO lists, logic diagrams, and software architecture descriptions.
Specify and manage system interfaces with traction power, SCADA, station control, communications (FTTx, Ethernet, PTP), and OT/IT networks.
Develop safety cases, RAMS (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability, Safety) analyses, SIL/ASIL assessments, FMEA, and hazard logs; ensure compliance with EN 50126/50128/50129 or relevant regional standards.
Prepare test strategies and lead factory acceptance (FAT), site acceptance (SAT), dynamic testing, and system integration tests; witness and certify test results.
Oversee system commissioning, driverless/ATO trials, performance tuning, and transition to revenue service.
Provide technical leadership to engineering teams, review contractor deliverables, and mentor junior engineers.
Manage technical risks, change control, and configuration management across project lifecycles.
Liaise with clients, contractors, regulatory authorities, and operators; represent ATS discipline in project meetings and design reviews.
Support lifecycle activities: obsolescence management, upgrades, troubleshooting, and maintenance strategy development.

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in electrical, Electronic, Control, or Systems Engineering (Master’s preferred).
12+ years’ experience in signaling/ATS/CBTC/ATC design and delivery for transit or mainline rail projects; 3+ years in a lead/senior role.
Essential licensure required.
Demonstrated project experience across requirements, design, testing, commissioning, and handover for ATS/ATO/ATP systems.
Demonstrated communications skills, both verbal and written. This includes the ability to present design concepts and principles in verbal and written form to audiences with a wide spectrum of backgrounds, from technical manager to ordinary citizen.
Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and will be able to be compliant with WSP’s health, safety, drug/alcohol, and harassment policies.
Strong ability to adapt quickly to change and demonstrate flexibility to meet varying project schedules and business needs.
Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.
Strong knowledge of signaling principles, interlocking, train control logic, trackside and wayside equipment, and communications-based train control.
Experience with safety standards and certification processes: EN 50126/50128/50129, CENELEC, IEC 61508/61511, or equivalent national regulations.
Proven ability to develop and review RAMS documentation, safety cases, SIL assessments, and hazard analyses
Proficiency in ATS/CBTC vendor systems (e.g. Bombardier, Thales, Siemens, Hitachi, Alstom) is an advantage
Familiarity with network, ethernet, PTP, IEC 61850/60870, and cybersecurity best practices for OT/SCADA

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s Degree in Engineering.
Strong experience in managing the review and approval of documents and discipline-specific deliverables, certifications, processes, and plans in a multi-project environment is highly desirable.

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