Lead, Enhanced Design Product

Reference Number : 1428 

Status : Permanent - Full-time  

Annual Salary / Hourly Rate : $102,816 - $120,960

Number of positions to be filled : 1 

Application Deadline : 09/04/2026

Did you know that VIA Rail is carrying out ambitious projects to modernize its services and infrastructure? From our new ultramodern train fleet to ongoing improvement of our infrastructure, we’re building the future of transportation in Canada. Working for VIA Rail is being a part of a collective effort in sustainable mobility. 

Reporting to the Operations, Quality and EDP director, the EDP Lead will manage the Enhanced Design Process. This role is accountable for leading, integrating, and overseeing all EDP activities, ensuring the agreed governance framework is applied, stakeholders are aligned, decisions are properly managed, and customer, operational, and technical requirements are integrated into the final design of the three designated coach types: Diner, Dome, and Panorama.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Deliverables

• EDP Governance Plan;

• EDP Roadmap and Review Calendar;

• Workshop Agendas and Outcomes;

• Decision Log;

• Constraints & Action Tracker;

• Requirements Traceability Matrix;

• EDP Status Reports;

• Cost and Planning Tracker;

• Risk Register;

• Executive Reporting Package.

Enhanced Design Process (EDP) – Leadership and Accountability

• Establish, own, and maintain the EDP governance framework;

• Define and continuously improve EDP processes, workflows, and decision-making mechanisms.

• Lead and direct all EDP activities, including weekly core team meetings, weekly co-design planning sessions, and workshops;

• Lead VIA Rail's involvement in the co-design process for the three designated coach types and own the program schedule and deliverables for this scope;

• Drive alignment of internal stakeholders, including Engineering, Operations, Customer Experience, Procurement, and other relevant groups, and own the consolidated VIA Rail position ahead of each supplier interaction — one voice, one position;

• Ensure adherence to the agreed design process, planning, and VIA Rail internal gate plan; maintain an up-to-date co-design schedule and proactively flag risks or deviations;

• Act as VIA Rail’s single accountable point of contact and communication channel with the supplier for all co-design matters; own the resolution and escalation of blockers in a timely manner.

Design Review Leadership

• Lead technical package reviews and impact assessments and be accountable for their timely completion;

• Lead and facilitate workshop sessions;

• Ensure design proposals are reviewed by the appropriate stakeholders;

• With the support of the Technical Director, Cars, own the transition between collaborative EDP reviews and the formal Design Review gate.

Stakeholder Integration

• Ensure Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Commercial, SPD, Accessibility, Service Design, Revenue Management, and Brand requirements are effectively captured, aligned, and reflected in design decisions;

• Support the development and implementation of AI-enabled tools and workflows to analyze internal stakeholder change requests, assess impacts, evaluate readiness and design maturity, recommend prioritization, and support informed decision-making;

• Own the governance of internal stakeholder change requests, and be accountable for their timely evaluation, prioritization, and cross-functional alignment before advancing proposals to co-design reviews with the Contractor.

Requirements, Decisions, Cost & Schedule Oversight

• Own end-to-end traceability between requirements, design proposals, impact assessments, decisions, and final approved solutions;

• Oversee decision logs, action trackers, constraints registers, and required approvals to ensure clear accountability and timely closure;

• Ensure cost and schedule impacts are assessed before key design decisions are made;

• Lead Open Book reviews, monthly cost management discussions, Change Control Board activities, and Variation Order reviews as required;

• Maintain visibility of key cost, planning, and decision risks, and escalate deviations or blockers to program leadership in a timely manner.

Risk & Issue Management

• Ensure risks and opportunities are captured early during collaborative design activities;

• Drive mitigation plans and own their cross-functional resolution;

• Escalate major issues to program leadership when required.

Program Reporting

• Own EDP dashboards and progress reporting;

• Provide regular updates to Program Leadership and Steering Committees;

• Maintain visibility of schedule, cost, and design review status.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR  

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Project Management, Industrial Design, Operations, or a related discipline. PMP certification is considered an asset;

• A minimum of 10 years' experience in the field of design, transportation or large-scale program management;

• Basic understanding of Design, Finance, Procurement, Maintenance and Operational processes;

• Experience in successfully executing projects involving vendor interactions and coordination of internal multifunctional teams;

• Demonstrated hands-on knowledge of project management activities, tools, and methodologies, including the Microsoft Office suite;

• Bilingual proficiency in English and French, both spoken and written, is essential.

Leadership

• Strong facilitation and consensus-building skills;

• Ability to influence without direct authority and to take full ownership and accountability for outcomes;

• High emotional intelligence and stakeholder management ability.

Technical & Program

• Strong understanding of systems engineering and design review processes;

• Knowledge of configuration management and change management;

• Understanding of operations, maintenance, validation, and customer experience requirements.

Personal

• Comfortable operating in ambiguous and evolving environments;

• Excellent communication skills;

• Strong organizational and prioritization skills;

• Bilingual French / English;

• PMP certification considered an asset;

• Facilitation, mediation, or change management training considered an asset.

At VIA Rail, we are proud to be an employment-equity employer and we strive to form teams that reflect the diversity of Canadian society. We aim to remove barriers to employment accessibility and aspire to provide an inclusive and equitable work environment where everyone is valued, regardless of their identity or differences, to enable them to reach their full potential.

If you need assistance in making the recruitment process or the position you are applying for more accessible, please let us know. Alternate arrangements may be offered to individuals who request them at any stage of the recruitment process. All information received in relation to arrangements will be kept confidential.

Note that we will only contact those who are selected for an interview.

Join our 3,000 other employees in helping provide Canadians with a safe, accessible, environmentally sustainable way to travel!