Lead Engineer

Job description

Who will you be working with? As a member of the Freight Services Operations & Technology Team, you will collaborate with reliability engineers, data analysts, maintenance specialists, service operations teams, and cross functional engineering stakeholders. You will work closely with technical and business teams to acquire, analyze, and interpret data from multiple sources to support predictive maintenance strategies, reliability improvements, and operational decision making.

The role also partners with engineering leaders and field teams to identify process improvement opportunities and drive digitization and automation initiatives across the Services organization. How will you make a difference? As a member of the Freight Services Operations & Technology Team, you will be responsible for developing and maintaining analytical models, reliability assessments, and data driven solutions that support locomotive and engine maintenance programs.

You will utilize engineering expertise, statistical methods, and advanced data analytics to forecast component performance, predict failures, and improve maintenance efficiency. Through automation, process optimization, and continuous improvement initiatives, you will enhance data quality, operational effectiveness, and decision making across the Services organization. Your work will directly support reliability, safety, and cost optimization objectives while helping drive innovation and digital transformation initiatives.

What do we want to know about you? Master's degree preferred in Mechanical Engineering, Production Engineering, Physics, Statistics, Data Science, or a related field. Minimum 3 years of experience in Service Operations or a related engineering environment. Strong analytical and problem solving skills with the ability to manage and interpret large datasets. Experience with statistical analysis, reliability engineering, and predictive modeling.

Knowledge of mechanical systems and energy systems. Strong written and verbal communication skills in English. Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and related tools. Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders and collaborate effectively within cross functional teams. Experience driving process improvement, automation, and digital transformation initiatives. Experience working with diesel engines, locomotive systems, or related hardware components.

Understanding of rail transportation systems and remote monitoring technologies. Knowledge of Power BI and business intelligence tools. Experience using Python, R, SQL, or similar data analysis and programming tools. Knowledge of manufacturing and engineering processes. Six Sigma certification or equivalent continuous improvement training. Demonstrated passion for innovation and continuous improvement. Willingness and ability to travel as business needs require.

What will your typical day look like? Acquire, validate, reconcile, and analyze data from internal and external sources to ensure accuracy and completeness. Develop and maintain predictive models, reliability analyses, and durability assessments for locomotive and engine components. Forecast maintenance requirements and support predictive maintenance strategies through advanced statistical analysis. Design and improve automated data processing, reporting, and monitoring solutions.

Create dashboards, visualizations, and analytical tools that support operational and business decisions. Collaborate with engineering, maintenance, and operational teams to identify reliability risks and improvement opportunities. Participate in technical reviews, present engineering findings, and provide recommendations to stakeholders. Support data governance initiatives and ensure compliance with engineering standards and quality requirements.

Mentor junior engineers and contribute to knowledge sharing and team development activities. Drive continuous improvement projects focused on process optimization, digitization, and operational efficiency. Converted the technical requirements into an engaging candidate-facing job description. Highlighted predictive maintenance, reliability engineering, data analytics, and continuous improvement as the core themes. Aligned the language with standard Wabtec-style job postings and engineering recruitment practices.