Senior Specialist, Interiors

Reference Number : 1000 

Status : Permanent - Full-time  

Annual Salary / Hourly Rate : $77,112  - $95,256

Number of positions to be filled : 1 

Application Deadline : 10/03/2025

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 Senior Manager, Engineering or it’s delegate, the Specialist, Interiors, investigates, conceptualizes, designs and details rolling stock interior configuration changes and overhaul programs including interior components and interior integration.  Uses technical knowledge and expertise in solving functional, esthetic and ergonomic issues while ensuring an effective interaction with the team responsible for customer experience, on board service, and other groups in accordance with regulations, industry and VIA standards.  May also address other interior ancillary components and systems.

Responsabilities

For equipment modifications and occasionally for major programs

• Defines the scope of work and confirms feasibility based on the originator’s requirements.
• Develops a preliminary design and estimates material, labour, and design costs.
• Validates the design and costs by overseeing a prototype installation with a unionized workforce.
• Finalizes the design and prepares the fleet modification instructions.
• Help define the maintenance requirements for the new configuration.
• Ensures that system safety aspects are respected in the design process.
• Establishes the quality and environmental program requirements as well as participating in health and safety impact assessments.
• Supports procurement activities.
• Documents the technical specifications to meet regulations and standards, and VIA’s requirements at the lowest cost.  Must be aware of latest industry developments and trends for the future.
• Participates in and supports the tender process (technical reviews of tender, system compliance, etc.)
• Through design reviews, FAI (first article inspection) and other means, ensures that contractor’s designs meet the specifications.
• Participates in acceptance testing as required.
• Support other department activities.

Documentation

• Prepare concepts, sketches, detail drawings, material selection, finishes, etc.
• Prepares Bill of Material and Material Stocking Requests.
• Prepares Service Bulletins for configuration changes.
• For new configuration, prepares maintenance procedure, operating guides, and recommended spare part list.
• Keeps up to date on work-related methods, technologies and advances in the field of Industrial design, Interiors and Transport design.

Acts as liaison with contractors and with shop floor personnel and other groups

• Provides support to other groups such as service design, production & maintenance, servicing, procurement, customer experience, etc.
• Evaluates information submitted by consultants, contractors, manufacturers and suppliers.
• Interfaces with consultants to ensure they comply with the scope of work.
• Leads kick-off meetings, design reviews, testing, validation and postmortem per good project engineering practices.

Requirements

• Bachelor in industrial design with minimum 5 to 10 years of pertinent experience.
• Hand-on experience with mechanical design principles, including conceptual design, maintenance of equipment interior systems and auxiliary systems.
• Experience with various material, forming and manufacturing processes (metal, plastics, fiberglass, fabrics, covering materials, adhesive, paint, etc.)
• Proficient with CAD software: SOLIDWORKS and AUTOCAD.
• Microsoft Office suite.
• Adobe suite (Illustrator and Photoshop).
• Railway or transportation equipment experience (an asset).
• Experience in a shop environment (an asset).
• Experience with Accessible design (mobility) requirements, CSA (CTA), APTA, etc (an asset).

Competencies

• Ability to work autonomously
• Strong organizational skills
• Strong analytical capacity and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work in a team and to collaborate with others
• Dynamic and motivated individual
• Strong communication skills in French and English

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!